Healthy Schools Campaign

Cooking up Change Goes Waste-Free!

 by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Manager

For the first time, I am pleased to announce that Healthy Schools Campaign’s annual fund raiser Cooking up Change is going waste-free!

We'll be joining the ranks of organizations including the U.S. Green Building Council and Seven Generations Ahead in making our event waste-free. Waste minimization, elimination and recycling are easy when you are talking about bottles, cans and paper.  The biggest challenge in holding a waste-free event is what to do with things such as food waste, tableware and trash can liners.

Here are three strategies we’ve chosen  to go waste-free:

1)      Donating untouched food waste: Fortunately, at Healthy Schools Campaign we rarely have any leftover food -- since it is sooo good, and we have so many deserving staff and volunteers ready to take this nutritious, delicious food home to their families and friends.  In the event that there is any untouched food, we will be working with a local organization to donate the food so it is not wasted.

2)    Using bio-based tableware: We will be using tableware made from grown or recovered plant fibers including corn, sugar cane, bamboo or rice.

3)      Composting: Using bio-based products alone is better than using petroleum-based products, but if they are not composted they will essentially not break down in a conventional landfill. Thanks to the Resource Center of Chicago, our food scraps and food service items -- including compostable trash can liners -- will be hauled to a permitted  composting facility and turned into a nutrient-rich soil.

With growing interest in composting from schools and businesses due to the rising cost of waste disposal, we hope to be piloting off-site food composting at several Chicago schools as more facilities become permitted to handle food waste.  Food waste makes up the largest component of a school’s waste stream, so finding an environmentally responsible means to offset waste disposal costs just makes sense.  

Green Cleaning, Live from ISSA/INTERCLEAN in Las Vegas

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Manager

This week, Rochelle, Mark and I are in Las Vegas at the ISSA/INTERCLEAN trade show launching the second edition of The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.  And what a perfect venue it is.  It was just three years ago right here in Vegas that a handful of innovative green cleaning companies made a small gamble on the concept of a simple guide to help schools across the nation transition to green cleaning. (Be sure to check out the new version of the guide -– you can order a free copy or access the complete guide online at www.GreenCleanSchools.org.)

What’s really fun for me is seeing the effect that we’ve had: people know about our work and are letting us know that we’re really helping change the marketplace.

When you walk around the floor here (it takes about 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other – it’s huge!) you know that the market is shifting because everything is going “green.” Our challenge is to make sure we sort out what is truly green and what is “green washing” and make sure schools know how to choose better products to truly clean for health.

Of course, we promote state policy to encourage green cleaning, and as we talk to people here at ISSA, there is a lot of interest in joining our efforts.

On Nov. 12, we are bringing together state advocates and national partners in Washington, D.C. for the Green Clean Schools National Summit to share best practices supporting green cleaning legislation in states across the country. This is an exciting time to be part of the green cleaning movement because things are moving so fast.

On another note, the National Collaborative Work Group on Green Cleaning and Chemical Policy Reform in Schools has also published a great new resource on green cleaning in schools. It’s a wealth of information on green cleaning with a ready to use presentation showing exactly how to green a cleaning program. A great addition to the work we’ve been doing. Click here to check it out.

Finally, I want to thank all our sponsors because they’ve been such a support for our efforts. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide resources to schools or do the educational outreach that makes such a difference… Thanks!

Apply for This Year’s Green Cleaning in Schools Award!

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Manager

If your school excels at green cleaning, get the recognition your staff and school community deserves!

For the second year in a row, HSC will join forces with American School & University magazine and the Green Cleaning Network to present an award honoring those who show dedication and innovation related to green cleaning methods and practices. Winners will be profiled in a special issue of American School & University magazine.

Steve Ashkin, author of HSC's Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, explains why recognition for these efforts is so important:

For those of us who have spent our careers in the facilities department, we often operate as though we are invisible.  We want the occupants of our buildings to enjoy the benefits of a healthy, safe, clean, high-performing and even inspiring building, and we want them to do so without giving thought as to what it took to achieve this. 

The downside of this is that we often go unrecognized for the efforts we expend on behalf of our occupants and guests.  One of the downsides of humbly working in the background is that it tends to limit our exposure to others, even in our own profession.  As a result, innovation and true leadership is often slow to be recognized.

Take advantage of this unique chance to spotlight your hard work. Applications are due by Sept. 12, 2008 – visit AS&U's site for more information and an application.

For more on last year’s winners, click here.

P.S. Get your free copy of The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools online at www.greencleanschools.org.

California Assembly Considers Green Clean Schools Legislation

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Manager

California may be the next state to bring green cleaning to schools, following the lead of New York and Illinois. In April, the Green Schools: Environmentally Sensitive Cleaners act (Assembly Bill 2808) was approved by the education subcommittee.  It will now be going through appropriations and then to the full assembly.  You can track this bill on the California Legislative Information site. 

What Do VOCs Have to Do with the Air We Breathe?

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools (and in any building, really) is affected by a huge array of factors that leaders in facility management and environmental health have been discussing for years; one of those factors that we’ve lately been hearing people talk about outside of the usual groups is VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds.

So just what are VOCs and what is contributing to them in the indoor environment?  In the Chicago Tribune article Breathing lessons: Furnishings, finishes, cleaning products add up to indoor pollution, Jeff Spurrier puts it simply: VOCs are any chemicals that at room temperature turn into gasses and mix with the air we breathe.

The list of VOCs includes hundreds of chemical compounds. (Some of the most commonly known are formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene.)

VOCs contaminate indoor air  and can cause problems ranging from headaches, nausea, fatigue, and to potentially long-term health effects. In schools, they’re especially dangerous for the millions of children who suffer from asthma. As Spurrier explains, the issue of VOCs and IAQ is growing. He writes:

Our lives already may be overloaded with acronyms, but get acquainted with one more: IAQ — indoor air quality. You probably will hear it much more in the years to come. Like climate change, IAQ is not a single problem. It's a construct, a dizzying mix of factors that may contribute to headaches, nausea and other health-related complaints.

The growing concern about IAQ can be witnessed in the array of low-VOC paints, formaldehyde-free flooring and other products touting their clean composition. But green washing is prevalent, and the truth is that this problem — and its solutions — aren't as clear as marketing slogans might suggest.

So what is in our homes that can give off VOCs and impair indoor air quality?  Not surprisingly, they are the same sources that are found in classrooms and offices.  VOC sources includes just about everything you will find in an interior space: paints, particle boards in bookshelves or cabinets, flooring systems, furniture, and let’s not forget cleaning products. 

Mold is also a source of harmful VOCs. Unfortunately, moldy materials are often ripped out and replaced with new materials that contain other harmful synthetic VOCs from the manufacturing process.

So what can you do about VOCs?  The best solution is to minimize furnishings containing VOCs in the first place. The U.S. Green Building Council LEED standard for schools recommends using furnishing products that meet the California Standards for low VOCs or meet the Green Guard standards. 

If you have an existing building and can’t afford a major renovation, consider increasing the amount of fresh air brought into your heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to minimize the re-circulation of VOC-contaminated air. 

And finally, we should all remember to go for the low hanging fruit by switching to green cleaning and maintenance practices to stop the introduction of additional harmful chemicals into the indoor environment. 

More Good News about Green Schools

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Aren’t green schools just the best?  If you aren’t convinced yet, check out this article from the School Library Journal that profiles green schools across the country. 

The article includes information from the early leaders like Fossil Ridge High School in Ft. Collins, Colorado to one of our favorites -- the Great Seneca Elementary School in Germantown, Maryland. 

In addition to saving money through more energy efficient building design, these school buildings are also reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide, one of the most significant contributors to global warming. 

Of course, energy efficiency is only one piece of the pie that makes for a sustainable school.  The U.S.  Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for schools also includes criteria for other important attributes such as sustainable site selection, water efficiency, sustainable materials and indoor air quality.   

From the relatively short-term benefits in energy savings to the long-term benefits of a better, healthier learning environment for students to reducing global warming -- we can’t afford not to go green.   

Dangerous Lesson: Chemical Spill Highlights Need for Green Cleaning

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

The Chicago Tribune recently reported a cleaning chemical spill at a school in Country Club Hills, Ill. The spill sent 24 students and two teachers to the hospital; 400 students were evacuated and the school was temporarily closed.

Unfortunately, it is only through accidents like these, the ones that make headline news, that we’re alerted to the significant hazards of conventional cleaning chemicals. 

Luckily, we do not see evacuations caused by chemical spills happening on a regular basis; but that doesn’t mean that the indoor air is clean or healthy. 

We have come to associate the smell of bleach, ammonia or pine with what we think of as "clean." But the reality is these and most conventional cleaning chemicals are toxic. Even when used properly, they are respiratory, skin, and or eye irritants.  Some conventional cleaning products can cause cancer and are suspected reproductive toxins.  Mixing chemicals can produce a poisonous gas, as it did at the school that had to be evacuated in Country Club Hills.

Advances in product formulations have resulted in the development of green cleaning chemicals that are cost-comparable and just as effective as conventional cleaners but are safer for health and the environment.

Using these green cleaning products protects students and staff from emergencies such as the chemical spill; it also protects them on a daily basis from respiratory irritants (particularly important to the millions of children who suffer from asthma) and the cumulative effects of chemicals linked to long-term health problems. The best way to ensure the product is safe is to use third party certified products such as Green Seal, Environmental Choice, or Design for the Environment.  And always follow the manufacturer’s directions.

In light of cases like these, green cleaning seems like such a no-brainer that it makes you wonder why everyone is not using green cleaning practices. Perhaps the best explanation came from Superintendent Wendell Chu of New York, who explained that school administrators have so many pressing issues to work on every day that it took a law requiring green cleaning for him to realize how much sense it makes. With the law in place, he was able to make green cleaning a priority. 

As green cleaning laws are being implemented in Illinois and New York, students and staff will no longer be facing the daily adverse health effects associated with conventional cleaning chemicals and will be safe from the danger of emergency situations such as a chemical spill.

In the other 48 states without green cleaning legislation, we can provide tools such as The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools to help facility managers understand the need for green cleaning not only for the wellbeing of their students and staff, but also for an effective, affordable and sustainable approach to cleaning that does not harm the environment.

Everyone deserves to send their children to a school where students can breathe the air without having to worry about it making them sick.  Even though green cleaning in schools is not required by law everywhere, breathing clean air in school should be every child’s right.

Green Cleaning Awards: More than Cleaning Products

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

One of the most exciting things we did in 2007 in the world of green cleaning was working with American School & University magazine and the Green Cleaning Network to launch the first Green Cleaning Awards programs.  (OK, that was in addition to getting the Green Cleaning in Schools Act passed in Illinois, having great speaking opportunities around the country, and having a fantastic time at the ISSA/Interclean Trade Show, among other things. It’s been a busy year!)  The winners are announced in a special supplement [pdf] of American School & University.

I was thrilled to be able to bring some recognition to the hardworking folks who are truly dedicated to a healthy, sustainable approach to cleaning for health that does not harm the environment. 

So many schools are doing such great work that it was really difficult to choose the best.

One thing that was clear in the applications -- and what we emphasize in The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools -- is that green cleaning is about more than just using environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals.  This was evident with each of our award winners who incorporated the Quick and Easy Guide’s “Five Simple Steps to a Healthy School Environment” in their green cleaning programs. Remember that “Switching to Green Cleaning Products” is just Step One.

So, here is a test question:   
What exactly are the other four steps to green cleaning in schools?  Maybe you can tell by what made these K-12 Award winners stand out:

At Mayfield County School District in Ohio, the district is using vacuums certified by Green Label and has furnished the schools with high quality floor mats.  They also use Green Seal certified paper products.  I was really impressed with the training program for their custodial staff.  The staff attend a two-day training program accredited through their local community college.  The vendor provides a follow-up one-day in-service training that covers the importance of green cleaning and its impact on the districts’ staff, students and buildings.

At Hernando County Schools in Florida, the district also uses Green Label certified vacuums as well as color-coded microfiber cloths dedicated to specific areas. Hands down what won me over with this first place award winner was their constant evaluation and feedback program.  They have systems in place for daily and weekly feedback from teachers and the administrator, and even have self-assessments for the custodial staff. The maintenance/custodial supervisor conducts inspections at the school through out the day and evening and provides reports to the head custodian, principal and executive director of maintenance.  The reports allow everyone to see the achievements as well as areas for improvement. 

So, did you figure out all “Five Simple Steps”? Click here to find out if you got them all!

Plus: If you don’t have The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools yet, click here to order your free copy!

Green Cleaning: Time to Make Your Voice Heard

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

It’s time to share your comments on green cleaning in schools!

We now have two opportunities to participate in the public process to shape guidelines that will affect how schools are cleaned in Illinois and across the country.  What we are talking about are the revision to the Green Seal Standard for Industrial and Institutional Cleaners (GS-37) and the Illinois Guidelines for Green Cleaning in Schools. 

Both sets of guidelines were developed through a public process with broad stakeholder involvement, and are now available for public comment before they are finalized.  When final, the ideas outlined in these documents will shape the way we clean schools and reduce children’s chemical exposures.

The goal of revising the Green Seal standard is to bring it up to date to more adequately represent current technology available in the market, and to ensure that the standard fully protects vulnerable populations such as children.  It is extremely helpful to read the Background Information on the Proposed Revised Standard [pdf] from Green Seal to understand the rationale behind the proposed revisions. According to the background document:

Awareness of children’s additional health risks from chemicals and pollutants has grown in recent years . . . . Exposure to chemicals in the environment, including chemicals from cleaning products, can affect children differently and more severely than adults, for a number of reasons. As they grow and develop, children pass through critical windows of development, which are periods of susceptibility to chemical exposures. “For children, the stage in their development when exposure occurs may be just as important as the magnitude of exposure.” (WHO) In some critical developmental stages, even a single exposure event could lead to irreversible, life-long impacts.

To view the revised standard and share your comments, click here. The comment deadline is January 16, 2008.

The Illinois Guidelines for Green Cleaning in Schools draft is a result of recent legislation making Illinois the second state in the nation to make school environments safer and healthier through green cleaning.  The Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council (IGCC) led the development of the guidelines through a collaborative process with a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from HSC.

Now, the IGCC is seeking input on the proposed standards. You can share a general comment in support of green cleaning or can download the full draft and comment on specific aspects of it. The comment period is from December 8, 2007 to January 8, 2008. Comments can be submitted in writing on the IGCC website or in person at any of the three scheduled public meetings.

Interested in learning more about green cleaning in schools? Order your free copy of The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools from HSC today!

Another Child Left Behind

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Last week, I had a conversation with Francine, a nurse who was caring for one of my family members.  Francine is a hard working mother of two children at a public school on Chicago’s south side.  As usually happens with moms, our conversation quickly turned to our children and school.

Her 13-year old daughter, she told me, is a great student and loves school so much that she gets up to arrive early to school every day.  Her son, on the other hand, is more like my own twelve-year-old: his favorite subject through elementary school was recess and now that he is in middle school, it’s P.E..  (And yes, I am grateful that both of our sons still have these programs at their schools.)   

Francine told me that her daughter, besides doing well academically, loved playing volleyball and cheerleading. Now, her daughter doesn’t have the chance to do either of these things.

Because the test scores at her school were below a limit set by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, her daughter’s beloved volleyball, cheerleading, and other programs that were not core academic subjects had to be cut.

My heart ached for Francine, her children, and all the children at schools that are being forced to eliminate the programs that light the fire in our children’s hearts.

We know the research showing that physical activity supports academic achievement, and that healthy students are better learners. But I also know, with or without research to prove it, that P.E. is one of the main reasons my son likes going to school.

How can we expect children to learn and have a good attitude about school when we deprive them of the activities that bring them joy? Instead, children like those at Francine’s daughter’s school spend hours on critical subjects without a break for physical activity or the sports they love, which have been cut because the school has failed to meet a standard that to the children must seem arbitrary.

All children deserve the chance to be physically active, even if they happen to attend schools that – for a variety of reasons that almost always include limited resources – do not meet NCLB standards.

We know well the role that sports and exercise play in children’s health and well being -- for a few children, it provides their motivation for getting up in the morning.  Let’s not take that away.