Healthy Schools Campaign

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. 

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.

Common-Sense Green Cleaning Guidelines Need Final Stamp of Approval

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

Last year HSC brought together a broad, diverse coalition to successfully advocate for a law requiring green cleaning in Illinois schools.

To create the guidelines for green cleaning, the law created a taskforce that brought in a broad range of experts – those representing public health, education, environmental, government and corporate interests – and invited the public to share input.

The result of this broad public input is a set of guidelines that are comprehensive, health-based and cost-effective for schools to implement.

Now, these guidelines are going through the legislature for a final review.  We believe that the guidelines will sail through the committee because they were developed with an open process and practical, common-sense approach.

However, we need to make sure that our legislators hear from supporters of green cleaning to ensure that the guidelines get this necessary final stamp of approval.

Please take a moment to send a letter of support to the Lt. Governor's office to voice you support green cleaning in Illinois schools.

Together, we can make Illinois the second state in the nation to protect students from exposures to toxic cleaning chemicals in schools.

Another Great Tool at the “Tools for Schools” Conference: The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools

Today we have a guest blog from Bill Thompson, Director of Facilities for Lockport Township High School.

Last month I attended the EPA "Tools for Schools" Conference, the annual conference that brings together school facilities staff, health care providers, and interested teachers and parent groups to learn about the EPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Kit that makes assessing and solving indoor air quality problems easier. 

At the conference, I had an opportunity to hear from people from across the country as they discussed their concerns and strategies for addressing indoor air quality in schools.

I was honored to have the chance to  present  a seminar called “Green Cleaning: Products and Practices for Clean and Healthy Schools,” where I  shared my experience with green cleaning at Lockport Township High School in Illinois to an eager audience of more than 150 people.  (You can check out the presentation here [pdf]. HSC also profiled [pdf] this experience at Lockport in the Summer 2007 issue of Healthy Schools magazine.)

After the seminar,  many attendees told me they had no idea green cleaning was so easy to implement.

At least a dozen people said they planned to start a green cleaning program at their school right away and that they would use The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools to help them get started.

In addition to the people at my seminar, another 600 or so attendees received copies of the guide along with other indoor air quality literature. 

If any attendees hadn’t heard of green cleaning before the conference, they certainly had by the time they left. And more importantly, they had a tool to help them start their own program.

Interested in starting your own green cleaning program? Request a free copy of The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools from Healthy Schools Campaign today!

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!

Green Cleaning Award Program Launched with American School & University Magazine

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Healthy Schools Campaign is pleased to announce American School & University’s Green Cleaning Award program, designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of schools around the nation to move forward with green cleaning.

We know that green cleaning reduces chemical exposures for children and adults, protects the health of staff who work closely with the cleaning products, extends the life of buildings, and even protects our environment. Now it's time to recognize the people who are embracing these concepts at schools.

American School & University's Green Cleaning Award, created in conjunction with HSC and the Green Cleaning Network, honors schools and their partners that embrace green principles and practices. Awards will be presented to exemplary programs and winners will be profiled in a special supplement of American School & University, a monthly magazine for education facilities and business professionals.

The awards could not come at a more relevant or important time. Our friend Steve Ashkin, author of HSC's Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, explained it this way:

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.

Steve said that a similar award program launched by American School & University has become the "Academy Award" of school design, so we have high hopes for this award program and are eager to encourage schools to apply.

Learn more or submit information about your school's green cleaning program at the American School & University award page.

And if you don't already have your free copy of The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, click here to order it today!

Green Clean Victory in Illinois!

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

Wow!

After years of implementing pilot programs, developing recommendations, and creating networks of supporters from health, education and industry, we've gotten the State of Illinois to adopt green cleaning requirements for Illinois schools! 

This afternoon, the Illinois Senate voted 52-5 to pass the Green Clean Schools Act. (Check out our press release for details.)

Illinois will now become the second state to have a green cleaning requirement for schools, after New York. Thank you to everyone who has helped us pass this important health-promoting legislation.

So what’s going to happen next?

Well, the bill will be sent to the Governor to sign. The state will then have 180 days to develop green cleaning standards and schools will then have an additional 90 days before they are required to comply with the standards.

It's important to note that schools will be allowed to use their existing stock of cleaning chemicals – they won’t need to throw away or waste any usable products – but will only be able to purchase new products that comply with the standards when they replenish their supplies.

With the 900 school districts in Illinois purchasing green cleaning products, we are driving the market to a greener and healthier place!

Momentum in Springfield for Healthy Schools

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

So much activity related to school health is going on in Springfield this year that it’s hard to keep it all straight.

HSC’s Green Clean Schools Act (HB895) sailed through the Senate Education Committee with comments from senators such as, “This is a great bill” and “I’m proud to put my name on this piece of legislation.” Sen. Iris Martinez is our Senate sponsor.

Now it seems as if we have the momentum to get this bill passed, but we can’t let up yet –- we still have our work ahead of us to let other senators know about the importance of green cleaning before the bill is brought to a vote before the full Senate.

If the Senate approves the Green Clean Schools Act, Illinois will become only the second state to require green cleaning in schools. (Right now, New York is the only state with this requirement.)

Check out a few of the other bills related to healthy schools that are really moving in Springfield:

Energy Efficient School Construction Grants (SB505) 
This bill from HSC and our allies would provide schools with additional funding through the school construction grant program to build to sustainable and energy efficient standards. After an overwhelmingly positive 48-8 vote in the Senate, the bill has moved to the House. On May 8, the House Education Committee will hold a hearing on the bill. 

School Recess Bill (HB1335)
This bill would require CPS to offer at least 10 minutes of recess to students in grades K-6. On April 24, Parents United for Healthy Schools brought more than 40 parent leaders and 15 students to Springfield to lobby for this bill. The very next day we had nine more co-sponsors (up from just one sponsor) and this week the House approved the bill! On Tuesday, Parents United is holding a press conference at Mitchell School to announce this victory and keep the momentum going as the bill moves to the Senate.

School Health Center Act (SB715)
This bill requires IDHS to open twenty new school heath centers over 5 years and build capacity at existing centers. On May 2, the Senate passed this bill. The bill, championed by Sen. Donne Trotter, will now head to the House with the support of the lead sponsor, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz. Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers is leading the efforts on this bill.

School Renewable Energy Grants (HB0285)
This bill will establish a renewable energy grant program at ISBE to assist school districts with building renewable energy sources in the public schools. This bill was approved by the House and is on final reading in the Senate.

We'll keep you posted as these bills progress!

Environment 101

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

As part of a recent package of stories on global warming and green living, the San Francisco Chronicle looked at steps that schools are taking to go green.

Besides using environmentally friendly and energy efficient-building designs, schools are adding solar panels, building gardens, implementing recycling programs and, of course, switching to green cleaning products and procedures. Jill Tucker writes:

Ultimately, all this provides a healthier learning environment, which in turn improves student learning, educators have found. As an added bonus, energy costs go down and the Earth is better off.

"I think that (schools) are realizing being green can save them money and help them improve test scores," said Deborah Moore, executive director of the Berkeley-based Green Schools Initiative.

The green schools movement, however, is fragmented, with individual schools or districts addressing energy waste and environmental inefficiency in schools, but few statewide efforts doing the same, Moore said.

"Schools, like any other institution, use lots and lots of resources," she added. "That means there's a big potential for savings there."

The story includes links to a number of helpful California-based organizations and resources.

All of these efforts reach far beyond the school walls. As "going green" become incorporated into classroom instruction, the next generation is taught to be stewards of the environment as well.

"Green Cleaning for Dummies" Features HSC Publication

by Tara Kennon, HSC Writer & Publications Coordinator

In another sign that green is indeed going mainstream, the bright yellow book Green Cleaning for Dummies made its debut this month at the annual ISSA conference for leaders in the cleaning and maintenance industry.

Green Cleaning for Dummies is co-authored by our friend Steve Ashkin, who also wrote The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, a free resource developed and distributed by Healthy Schools Campaign. (Don't have the Guide? Order your copy here.) Steve's new book includes a prominent focus on green cleaning in schools and features HSC's Quick & Easy Guide as a resource.

Steve is described in the book as the "Father of Green Cleaning," and we couldn't agree more. He has more than 25 years experience in the cleaning industry and has spent the past 17 years advocating for environmentally preferable cleaning. For a sampling of his expertise, check out his Ask Steve column on our Green Clean Schools website, where he responds to questions about green cleaning programs, products and policies.

In addition to providing practical tips, Green Cleaning for Dummies discusses the connection between green cleaning and learning, which is something we here at HSC talk about all the time:

It's relatively easy to demonstrate the link between class size and student learning. The link between a clean, healthy facility and learning hasn’t been demonstrated to the public as effectively. However, studies have identified a connection between how a school is maintained and students' ability to learn. Society needs to understand this connection and assign it a proper value. … The positive impact improvements in cleaning practices can have on learning is dramatic.

To learn more about green cleaning in schools, visit GreenCleanSchools.org.

Why Mandate Green Cleaning? Aha ...

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Earlier this month, while exhibiting at the American Association of School Administrators annual conference on education in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to speak with several school superintendents about green cleaning. One of them was Wendell Chu, the superintendent of the Fire Island Union Free School District in Ocean Beach, N.Y.

He told me that before they started their green cleaning program, a teacher with chemical sensitivities used to always get sick whenever heavy cleaning was done. Since they started the green cleaning program, there have not been any reported absences or problems due to the cleaning products.

He also remarked that they have had information on green cleaning for a long time, but superintendents have little time to focus on it with so many other issues they are working on. It took New York's green cleaning legislation to make them do it. But once they implemented the program, there was a sudden "Aha"' moment.

"It made so much sense, there was no reason to not do it before," said Chu, "but it took the legislation to make us start thinking about it and implementing our program."

As advocates for green cleaning, we often hear the argument that if green cleaning is so great, and some schools are already doing it anyway, why should it be mandated? Thank you, Superintendent Chu, for answering that question.

Green Clean Schools Act Sails Through Illinois House

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

The Illinois House Wednesday passed the Green Clean Schools Act (HB0895), bringing it closer to becoming state law. The act is a major part of HSC's legislative agenda this year, and it's good to see it move ahead. Check out our press release for more information.

School nurses, educators, and cleaning professionals across the state contacted their representatives to ask them to support this bill. We know of a number of personal phone calls that directly led to a representative signing on in support of the act. Our voices are being heard. Many thanks to the individuals who made phone calls and to the diverse coalition of allies that truly drove the support on this issue.

The act also benefited from the support of Rep. Karen May (D-Highwood), who we thank for her strong leadership on green cleaning.

We're working with Senate leaders to introduce the bill, and it will be exciting to continue working with our allies to let our state senators know about the benefits of green cleaning in schools and the importance of this legislation.

Want more information on the Green Clean Schools Act? Visit our website for legislative updates along with facts on why green cleaning matters and what you can do to support green cleaning in schools.

Toilet Seats Lead to Chemical Burns -- Ouch!

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

When we talk about the health benefits of green cleaning, we usually talk about minimizing exposures to harmful chemicals that can injure custodial staff and exacerbate indoor air quality that contributes to asthma, the leading cause of student absenteeism.

Chemical burns among students are not a common topic. But last month, KFDX Channel 3 reported on students and a custodian at a Wichita Falls, Texas elementary school suffering chemical burns after using toilet seats that were treated with a caustic cleaning agent. I wonder how often incidents like this occur that are not reported in the media.

Of all the things parents worry about when sending their children off to school, probably no one thought about chemical-burn-causing toilet seats! For schools with green cleaning programs in place, parents won't have to think twice.

Healthy Schools Campaign Introduces Green Cleaning Bill

by Mark Bishop, HSC Deputy Director

Healthy Schools Campaign has introduced a bill in the state legislature to require green cleaning in schools (House Bill 895).

Known as the Green Cleaning Schools Act, the legislation "requires the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council (IGGCC), in consultation with other agencies, to establish and amend on an annual basis guidelines and specifications for environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products for use in school facilities." It also establishes that after the implementation of the guidelines, public and non-public schools will establish a green cleaning policy.

Take a look at our website for information about the Green Cleaning Schools Act, including why green cleaning is important and suggestions for what you can do to help promote this bill.

The bill was assigned to the Environmental Health Committee and is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday, Feb. 21. We'll keep you posted on any developments.

The New York Times this week covered the trends in New York around green cleaning. The story makes the connection between the state's green clean schools law and parental education:

Felicia Busto Fraim always kept her Flushing, N.Y., home clean with traditional brand-name cleaning products like Windex and Fantastik. But her attitude changed the day her daughters' school switched to environmentally friendly cleaning products […]

Ms. Busto-Fraim embarked on "a total house makeover" after she saw that there was "no discernable difference" in cleanliness at the Waldorf School of Garden City, a private school on Long Island that her two older daughters, Isabella, 11, and Alessandra, 6, attend.

So not only is New York's nine-month-old green clean law getting schools to make positive changes, but it is also prompting parents to make changes in their homes. It seems to me that this demonstrates how effective state health policy can be.

The Responsibility to Go Green

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Kudos to Education World for the article "Improving School Environments Through Green Cleaning," which gives a great synopsis of what is happening with green cleaning in schools across the nation and the connection to environmental health.

Too often when people talk about "green" they are thinking about protecting the streams, groundwater and the outdoor environment. They forget about indoor air quality and human health impacts. EPA has determined that indoor air can be five to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air, and it is widely known that conventional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that contribute to poor indoor air quality.

The connection between indoor air quality and student health impairment is clear. Obviously when students are sick they can't learn. The fact that conventional cleaning chemicals contribute to poor indoor air quality that can make children sick makes adopting a green cleaning program not just common sense but a moral and ethical responsibility.

Green Goes Mainstream

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

You don't have to be a chemical engineer to appreciate the changes occurring in the cleaning products industry. Michael McCoy points to all the forces that are changing the industry in his article "Going Green," published in Chemical and Engineering News. The article describes how pushed by Wal-Mart, legislation and the public, the cleaning products industry is embracing sustainability.

So what is Wal-Mart doing? At the Clinton Global Initiative, Wal-Mart announced its plan to measure its 60,000 suppliers on their ability to reduce packaging and to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals in their cleaning and chemical intensive products. 

Over the next two years, 20 chemicals of concern will have to be substituted for environmentally preferable ingredients. And when Wal-Mart talks, suppliers listen.

On the legislative side, McCoy points to bans on phosphates in some states and EPA's Design for the Environment program. 

Let's not forget New York's green cleaning law -- which is not mentioned in the article. To see the proof all these influences are having, just look at the product listing on Green Seal’s website. 

The number of products must have at least doubled since last October when we first launched "The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning." This is great news for consumers, environmentalists, custodians and especially our children who are most vulnerable to chemical exposures.

Green Seal to Revise Standard for Cleaners

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

It was great to read Green Seal's latest press release about revising GS-37 -- the standard for industrial and institutional cleaners. Since the standard was created in 2000, there have been several technological developments and new information on chemical emissions and indoor air quality, endocrine disruptors, and chemicals that can trigger the onset of asthma. Hopefully the revised standard will take into account and reflect this information.

Many of these issues, and especially the concern of protecting the health of sensitive and vulnerable populations such as children and custodial workers, were raised when New York was developing its green cleaning in schools legislation. Green Seal was listening and is working on this revision as a result.

The revision process will be open and transparent. The public will have an opportunity to comment when the standard is proposed for public review, and a stakeholders committee will be formed to provide and review input. All stakeholders or interested parties who want to be more actively involved in the GS-37 review process should send an e-mail to Green Seal with their full contact information, including their organization or occupation, by Feb. 15, 2007, at GS37@utk.edu.

It will be interesting to see if this results in a reformulation by many manufacturers to meet the new standard, or if this will be a GS37+. Stay tuned.

Green Cleaning TV Clips

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

It seems like you hardly ever hear anything about green cleaning in the mainstream media, even though it is so important and so many people are doing it. At least that is what I thought, until I came across this website that has a number of great television news clips on green cleaning in schools.

O.K., so it is from New York, and yes they have the law now mandating green cleaning in schools, so of course they are doing it. But many schools, probably including some of those in the news clips, are already ahead of the game. Check it out!

This Bathroom Sure Looks Clean, But …

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Did you know that a chemical compound found in many deodorizing products like toilet and urinal blocks can affect your lung capacity? Research from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences showed that 1,4 dichclorobenzene (1,4-DCB), a chemical compound found in moth balls, many air fresheners, and other deodorizing products may be harmful to the lungs. 1,4-DCB is a solid white compound that smells similar to mothballs. It changes from a solid to a vapor when exposed to air.

Even a low level exposure to these products could be problematic for anyone with a respiratory disease, especially for children with asthma. Clearly in a school setting, the best way to protect children is to eliminate the use of products containing this material.

New York Schools Go Green!

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Last fall all of New York turned a little greener and cleaner. As of Sept. 1, 2006,all elementary and secondary schools throughout the state were required to use environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products. The law applies to both public and private schools.

The mandate also required the state Office of General Services to develop guidelines and specifications for green cleaning products. Visit the OGS website for details on these guidelines and other developments.

It 's really great to see New York take the lead. It's interesting how many municipalities have policies for green cleaning, but somehow it hasn't trickled down to the schools, until now, even though children are much more susceptible than adults to complications resulting from poor indoor air quality.

With all the public and private schools in New York using green cleaners, we should see a wider array of green cleaning products available. And with the increased production volume, maybe there will be a reduction in costs.

Green Seal Finalizes Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Hiring a green cleaning service just got easier thanks to Green Seal's Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services (PDF).

The standard, which was finalized in September 2006, establishes requirements for both in-house and external cleaning service providers to create a green cleaning program that protects human health and the environment.

It encompasses all indoor activities required to clean commercial, public and industrial buildings. The standard specifies green chemicals, supplies and equipment as well as cleaning procedures, and it mandates employee training and communication with building owners and occupants. It also requires that a building-specific green cleaning plan be implemented.

The Green Seal Standard for Environmental Services is a great tool for schools in so many ways. It helps if you are looking for a contract service provider that will give you a true "green cleaning" program, but it is also helpful for schools that want to improve their current cleaning procedures.   

Green cleaning is not just good for the environment in terms of the production and disposal of harmful chemicals, but it also results in better indoor air quality, which is so important for schools with so many children having asthma and other chemical sensitivities.