NC State Bell Tower

North Carolina State University has just become the first campus in the state to earn the rigorous certification from Green Seal.

According to campus reporting, the certification was earned after University Housekeeping met stringent requirements and passed an extensive performance review encompassing all aspects of its cleaning program. All requirements, which range from equipment and procedures to chemicals and employee training, were documented and verified through an on-site audit.

University Housekeeping pushes for green cleaning initiatives for a variety of reasons. After more than a decade, the green cleaning programs have helped improve indoor air quality, reduced human exposure to harsh chemicals, cut back on landfill waste and reduced water usage.

In addition to that, many of the certified products used on campus do more than help the environment — they also improve on ergonomics and health. Lightweight microfiber mops, for example, help minimize worker fatigue and injury, while improved chemicals reduce the amount of respiratory issues.

As if that weren't enough, the department has also experienced reductions in operational costs as a result of greening their cleaning and becoming more sustainable.

Earning Green Seal certification is a rigorous process. Every product, process and training component is evaluated and analyzed before final certification can be awarded. Once earned, the audits don't stop. Maintaining the certification requires an annual evaluation, but doing so is a great accomplishment.

“Green Seal certification affirms our dedication to sustainability and the health of our employees and the campus community,” Ada Baldwin, director of University Housekeeping, to campus reporters. “I could not be more proud of the entire University Housekeeping team for this accomplishment.”

NC State is now the sixth university across the country to earn the certification.

To read more about their program, click here.