Green Labeling

Green cleaning has been a hot topic within the cleaning industry for the last decade. But, it is only within the last four or five years that in-house cleaning managers have really embraced the emerging technology and the idea of promoting more sustainable initiatives within their facilities.

In the process of “going green,” cleaning managers look for guidance on proper cleaning methods and product usage that would help achieve their sustainable goals. The result: updated certification programs and industry standards set by third-party organizations.

Over the years, these certifications have done a good job in standardizing what was once a trend, but has since become a way of doing business. Unfortunately, though, as interest in green grows, so do false green claims, which is why these third-party organizations have a goal to supply more objective confirmation to end-users. Here, we review a few of the green certifications impacting the cleaning industry and some updates they have made to accommodate growing demand for green.

Certifying With The USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), located in Washington, D.C., is one of the most recognized certifying organizations because of its vast amount of programs. Specific to the cleaning industry is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance, the new version of LEED-EB.

LEED-EB originally became available in 2004 as a way to certify the operations and maintenance within a facility and create a plan for ensuring high performance over time by institutionalizing the processes of reporting, inspection and review over the lifespan of the building.

“Utilizing sustainable cleaning products and materials is one of the available points within the LEED-EB rating system, and is one way that the cleaning/facility maintenance departments can help earn points towards LEED certification,” says Ashley Katz, communications coordinator at the USGBC. “Green cleaning can deliver a clean, safe and healthy environment while reducing the negative impacts that some commercial cleaning products have on the environment and human health. It is beneficial to the building owner, the building occupants and to the overall environment.”

In response to the evolving industry, the USGBC has recently revised the certification program to include additional cleaning initiatives. The new program, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance, includes fewer program prerequisites, greater emphasis on facilities operations and maintenance, updated referenced standards and expanding sections on water efficiency, energy performance, building commissioning and green cleaning.

The updated program requires green cleaning in all facilities that are working to achieve LEED certification and specifically addresses hand washing, janitorial paper products, and various certification programs such as Environmental Choice, Green Seal and Carpet and Rug Institute. A new two-point credit has also been added to the certification that recognizes a “custodial effectiveness audit” and acknowledges superior cleaning departments.

“We have seen tremendous growth in the availability of environmentally friendly, green cleaning products,” says Katz. “We believe this is consistent with the overall growth in demand for green buildings. Owners of green buildings are the customers for green cleaning products and services. Right now we are seeing an accelerating uptake of LEED and think this will continue to drive growth in the green cleaning industry.”

Green Seal Check
Green Seal, also located in Washington, D.C., is most commonly recognized by its signature green checkmark certification label. But, other than designating certification, many cleaning managers might not know what this certification entails.

According to Green Seal, products labeled with the Green “Seal of Approval” means “it has been tested according to science-based procedures, that it works well or better than others in its class, and that it has been evaluated without bias or conflict of interest.”

Green Seal has set such a high standard for products that other certifying organizations have required the use of these products. For example, the USGBC requires the use of Green Seal-certified products in facilities working to achieve LEED certification. Also, state and federal facilities that require green practices highlight the mandatory use of Green Seal-certified products within those facilities.

“Green Seal-certified products and services help enable achieving a cleaner and healthier environment at the same or less cost,” says Allen Rathey, president of InstructionLink/JanTrain, Inc., in Boise, Idaho, and consultant for Green Seal.

With more than 40 product categories already covered, it appears as though product certification is Green Seal’s forte, but the organization has continued to expand its offerings and evolved with the industry. In late 2006, Green Seal introduced GS-42, an environmental leadership standard targeting cleaning departments. This program provides cleaning managers with “objective guidance that helps them develop a green cleaning program” within their facility.

According to Cheryl Baldwin, director of standards for Green Seal, “Being GS-42 certified validates a cleaning department’s green cleaning program, which involves cleaning regimens, equipment and products. Offering green cleaning services is important from a human health and environmental perspective. In addition, the certification helps provide a marketing advantage for in-house cleaners as an increasing number of facility managers begin to request or require green cleaning certification.”

To achieve GS-42 certification, departments must meet requirements set in five core areas: planning; requirements for products, supplies and equipment; cleaning procedures; communications; and training. To date, three organizations have achieved certification and many more are involved in the process.

In addition to the Green “Seal of Approval” program and GS-42, Green Seal is continuing to work on the development of an environmental standard for general-purpose bathroom, glass and carpet cleaners used for industrial and institutional purposes. This standard is called GS-37.

GS-37 has been under review since early 2007. According to Green Seal, it is being “revised in an effort to bring the standard up-to-date so it more adequately represents current technology available in the market, and to ensure that the standard fully protects vulnerable populations such as children.”

Approval From The Carpet and Rug Institute
Late in 2007, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), located in Dalton, Ga., announced the expansion of its Seal of Approval carpet cleaning testing and certification program. With that expansion came two significant green additions: higher performing vacuum cleaners that improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and green cleaning chemical certification.

The CRI Seal of Approval program currently identifies superior carpet cleaning solutions and equipment that, when properly used, remove soil and stains without damage to the carpet.

“The Seal of Approval program sets a new standard for carpet cleaning effectiveness, and we are raising the bar again by enhancing standards for vacuum cleaning performance,” says Werner Braun, CRI president. “At the same time, we are partnering with nationally recognized green certifiers to ensure that a product not only cleans effectively, but also is environmentally friendly.”

With the expansion came tough new standards for vacuums in regards to soil removal and IAQ. CRI’s existing Green Label vacuum cleaner program tests for soil removal, containment of dirt and dust within the machine and carpet fiber protection, but the new Seal of Approval/Green Label vacuum program has taken standards one step further by requiring improved cleaning performance for the entry level bronze certification. It now requires a 10 percent improvement from that of the existing program.

Facilities working towards silver and gold performance levels will also face tougher standards. For instance, a gold level machine must meet higher dust containment standards to insure better air quality. The machine must have no more than 35 micrograms of dust particle emission, up from the old standard, which allowed for 100 micrograms.

“The consumer will soon be associating the Seal of Approval/Green Label vacuum program with excellent cleaning and improved indoor air quality,” says Braun.

New NSF/ANSI Standard
To encourage the use of sustainable materials and reduce the environmental impact caused by the manufacturing of floor coverings, The Carpet and Rug Institute set out to provide the commercial market with a single easy-rating certification system for carpet and rugs. With the assistance of NSF International, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Washington, D.C., a Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard was created — NSF/ANSI 140-2007.

NSF/ANSI 140-2007 follows an evaluation methodology similar to the LEED Green Building Rating Systems.

As in the LEED system, the new standard specifies three certification levels — silver, gold and platinum — that are awarded on a points-earned basis. Points can be earned by:
•Minimizing the use of pollutants
• Using renewable energy and implementing energy conservation measures
• Using bio-based materials, renewable agricultural materials or recycled materials
• Minimizing the generation of waste materials during production; and
• Adhering to the Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship, which states that by 2012, at least 40 percent of the total amount of carpet produced will be diverted from landfills.

The new standard measures the environmental footprint of carpet products in five major performance categories:
• Public health and environment
• Energy and energy efficiency
• Bio-based, recycled content materials or environmentally preferable materials
• Manufacturing
• Reclamation and end of life management

The standard applies to carpets for all types of buildings, including commercial office, education, government, health care and hospitality.

Based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Life-Cycle Assessment principles, NSF/ANSI 140-2007 seeks to educate and engage the entire supply chain, encouraging the transition of the carpet industry toward more sustainable practices. A complete list of certified products can be accessed at www.nsf.org.

Meeting EcoLogo Requirements
EcoLogo, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, was introduced in 1988 by the Canadian federal government, but has since moved into the United States with the opening of its Philadelphia office. The expansion is further evidence why EcoLogo is the most widely recognized organization. It is also North America’s oldest environmental standard and certification organization (and second oldest in the world).

With more than 7,000 products in over 120 categories, cleaning managers can access the EcoLogo database to find, understand and research green products. With strict criteria for certification, end-users can rest assured that products researched through the program will meet green requirements within their facility.

In addition to green product listings, a relatively new section to the EcoLogo Web site (www.ecologo.org) is the fraud advisory page. This section identifies manufacturers and products that are falsely claiming product certification from EcoLogo’s Environmental Choice Program. This is a beneficial page for end-users who seek clarification on their green products.

Also new are reports that EcoLogo will soon announce partnerships with several state and federal government agencies to make EcoLogo a purchasing specification. These partnerships would result in requiring cleaning departments to use only products certified by EcoLogo.

GREENGUARD Certification
Every certifying organization has a unique mission. For Marietta, Ga.-based GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), that goal is to improve public health and quality of life by focusing on indoor air quality.

For six years, GEI had certified a wide range of products, from furniture to insulation, but not operational materials, such as cleaning products. In late 2006, the group announced it would begin certifying cleaners and cleaning systems for low chemical emissions.

The GEI testing process is unique. Instead of examining a product’s individual ingredients for green qualities, the organization analyzes a product’s tangible effect on air quality. The test lab uses a chemical in a controlled environment and then samples the air to determine what and how much the product emits into the air after application.

“When other certifying programs look at volatile organic compounds, they look at it in terms of content — X grams per liter,” says Carl Smith, CEO of GREENGUARD. “We look at what actually comes up into the air and what people are exposed to. It’s a more real-world way of looking at it. By looking at exposures, we can tie use of that product directly to various risks.”

The program covers everything from general cleaners and institutional cleaning systems to toilet cleaners and aerosol products.

Like its previous efforts, GEI’s new cleaning certification has two levels, GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD for Children and Schools. The latter certification, which includes GEI’s most rigorous set of standards, recognizes that different building types have different needs.

Since its introduction, GREENGUARD has been supported by countless manufacturers who have certified their products and work to promote improved indoor air quality. Their site, www.greenguard.org, now features a complete list of low-emitting cleaning products that meet or exceed GREENGUARD standards for certification. The goal of this list is to aid end-users in the support of a cleaner environment.

These certifying organizations aren’t the only out there, but they have made great strides in the last year to improve offerings and aid in-house cleaning managers in their green initiatives. Experts stress that green is more than a trend and as requirements for green grows, cleaning managers can look to these, and other, certifying organizations for aid in promoting sustainability within their facilities.

CleanLink: Additional Info CleanTips Smart Podcasts For The Commercial Cleaning Industry Understanding Indoor Air Quality Properly implementing green cleaning will help improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) within a facility. Listen as Jim Newman, managing partner of Newman Consulting Group in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., explains some of the side effects of poor IAQ, as well as benefits facilities will notice as a result of improved IAQ