An Arizona lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require state schools to use eco-friendly cleaning supplies, claiming the law would promote the health and safety of students, as well as provide cost-savings benefits over the long-term.

State Sen. Ed Ableser (D-Tempe) introduced SB 1072 in January, according to Arizona Captiol Times, who first reported the proposal.

"Schools are where our children are," Ableser says. "We need to use green products to promote health. Many of our legilsators don't understand that sustainability is cheaper and more effective in the long term," he adds.

The bill includes the following provisions:

  • School districts and charter schools would have to adopt a gree cleaning policy by Dec. 31, 2015, and use "environmentally sensitive" cleaning products.
  • The state Department of Education and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality would establish enough guidance on what qualifies as acceptable cleaning supplies.
  • School districts, community colleges, universities and state agencies would have to purchase at least 10 percen tof its energy from "green sources."

According to the paper, the Scottsdale Union School District has discontinued using chlorine bleach in its cleaning programs to improve occupant health, but it hasn't yet converted to eco-friendly cleaning products due to low bacterial kill claims.

Read the article in its entirety, here.