Updates from the Leading Association for the Cleaning Industry Worldwide

Clean Standard for Schools — Phase 1 Completed

ISSA and its research partner, the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI), have completed phase one of their research—consisting of laboratory and limited field testing in 70 schools and two day-care facilities—to determine the best methodologies and measurement systems that ultimately will form the foundation for a clean standard for K-12 schools.

The ISSA-funded research is designed to determine which currently available measurement devices are most effective for practical field use in schools by industry professionals in determining whether a facility is “clean” and therefore in a state that is conducive to the health of students. Results from phase-one research (both lab and field testing in schools) suggest that adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, measuring devices are a promising and appropriate approach to detecting significant differences between “dirty” and “clean” surfaces in schools. In addition, a comprehensive approach to defining “clean” and indoor environmental quality in K-12 schools is being developed.

“Based on the research conducted to date, ISSA is confident that this project will produce a scientific-based, pragmatic standard that will significantly improve the quality of the learning environment for students in K-12 schools across the nation and that will also provide ISSA members with a valuable tool to help them succeed in today’s demanding and increasingly more health-conscious marketplace,” said ISSA Director of Legislative Affairs Bill Balek.

Data generated by field testing in a major school district conducted during the 2008-09 school year will augment additional testing slated for the 2009-10 school year, ensuring that the clean standard is based on a strong scientific foundation grounded in reality. The goal of this three-year research project is the cooperative development of a science-based clean standard for K-12 schools that will be the springboard for industry data, training, measurement, and certification programs.

Green Clean Schools National Summit

ISSA participated in and was a sponsor of the Green Clean Schools National Summit, hosted by the Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) on September 15 in Washington, D.C.

The one-day program, held to promote uniform state legislation on green cleaning in schools, attracted a diverse audience, including school-maintenance and administrative personnel, ecolabel organizations, labor unions, environmental and public-health organizations, and manufacturers and distributors of cleaning products.

ISSA Director of Legislative Affairs Bill Balek participated in the event by presenting a discussion on the soon-to-be-launched pilot program for “green” disinfectants and sanitizers, which is expected to be formally announced by the Environmental Protection Agency sometime later this year.

In addition, Steve Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group, provided attendees with an update on trends in ecolabeling, including a discussion of a new information-based environmental-label (IBEL) system. This system is under development through a collaborative effort of ISSA and Ecoform, a group dedicated to securing a sustainable future through clean-product innovation.

In his comments, Ashkin noted that the commercial-cleaning industry has embraced “green,” resulting in over 2,000 unique products made by over 500 cleaning-product manufacturers currently “certified” under well-recognized third-party programs. However, said Ashkin, despite this success, current labeling systems have numerous inherent limitations. For example, existing ecolabeling programs rely on a single pass/fail threshold that fails to reward companies for continued product innovation and further reductions in health impacts. In addition, current ecolabeling programs address only a fraction of the many existing cleaning-product categories.

Ashkin stated that manufacturers and purchasers would benefit from a new information-based environmental labeling system that would work cooperatively with existing label programs while directly addressing many of their existing limitations. An information-based environmental label would empower purchasers to make more informed choices that align with their unique needs and values. Moreover, this approach to environmental labeling is an excellent way to efficiently cover the numerous cleaning-product categories for which there are no existing standards and labeling programs.

In other news, Mark Bishop, Healthy Schools Campaign’s deputy director, shared with attendees HSC’s model green cleaning for schools legislation and addressed the core principles (developed with ISSA’s input). A cornerstone of the model legislation is its reliance on the three primary ecolabel programs (Green Seal®, EcoLogoM, and DfE) as the basis for defining green cleaning products.

All information in “ISSA Reports” is furnished by ISSA. ©2009. All rights reserved.