What Is The Next Trend In Green Cleaning Supplies?

What do you think will be the next environmental trend pertaining to the cleaning industry?

There will be continued growth for more information and greater transparency by customers. As certain customers require more information and transparency, manufacturers will look for solutions/services to help them communicate and prove their sustainability messages and leadership, and protect the reputation of their product, brand, company.

The solution/service of the future may not be a single tool, but rather the use of a variety of tools such as the use of data bases, multi-attribute certifications, single attribute validations, emissions testing and certifications, etc., and using the ones required by their customers at a point in time.
— Mike Sawchuk, Commercial Sector Business Manager, UL Environment, Marietta, Georgia


For more than a decade there has been a huge focus on the core cleaning products on a typical housekeeping or janitor cart. Sanitary paper products, due to their inherent single-use nature, have also had a lot of consideration of their environmental impacts. What’s emerging is a broader inclusion of all the different types of cleaning that may take place within a facility like laundry and warewashing.

Much of the focus to date in these other areas has been on water and energy conservation, which are important impacts, but there hasn’t been much attention on the cleaning products. In fact, one often hears that “green” laundry or dishwashing products don’t work as well, but that’s exactly what we used to hear about general-purpose and glass cleaners.
 
Another emerging trend involves developments in materials and surfaces to reduce the intensity or frequency of cleaning. Examples would include polishing and sealing floors with a durable finish that doesn’t need to be stripped and recoated as often or adding metallic elements (e.g., silver or copper) to fabrics, hardware, railings, and other touch surfaces to impede microbial growth. While these innovations will still require cleaning and maintenance, they will likely require a different type of cleaning and may help reduce the need for some of the more hazardous products currently in use.
— Linda Chipperfield, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Green Seal, Washington D.C.