What is green cleaning?
Green cleaning can be defined as “effective cleaning that protects health without harming the environment.”

The federal government has defined “green” and “environmentally preferred purchasing” as “…products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products and services that serve the same purpose.” -- Executive Order 13101 which can be seen at www.ofee.gov/eo/13101.htm.

Both definitions focus on the impact cleaning has on the health of people as well as the impact it has on the environment. Both definitions also describe a goal of striving to make sure cleaning has as positive an impact on human health and the environment as possible.

What does green cleaning mean to us?
Green cleaning is a comprehensive approach to cleaning that combines chemicals, equipment, tools, disposables, and, most importantly, processes, training, and communication to produce an effective and safe cleaning program.

How do I know what is “green” and what isn’t?
There are several third party organizations that define environmentally preferable ingredients, characteristics, and performance standards of products that we use to clean, as well as the buildings we are cleaning. Some of the most prominent and widely accepted guidelines include: USGBC and LEED® (www.usgbc.org): USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) is a non-profit organization of representatives from across the building industry leading a national consensus for producing a new generation of buildings that deliver high performance inside and out. 

SGBC’s mission is “to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.”  USGBC has developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, which is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED was created to define “green building” by establishing a common standard of measurement and to stimulate “green competition.”

A LEED for Existing Building: Operations & Maintenance project can earn credits toward green building certification by implementing a green cleaning program, and a LEED for New Construction project can earn an innovation credit by submitting a written green cleaning policy. Even if your facility is not pursuing LEED certification, LEED for Existing Buildings can still be used as a guide to describe best practices in operations and maintenance of a facility.
 
 
Green Seal (www.greenseal.org):Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization that strives to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying and promoting products and services that cause less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion. Green Seal’s mission: “To achieve a more sustainable world by promoting environmentally responsible production, purchasing and products.” Green Seal has standards for several categories including Industrial & Institutional Cleaners (GS-37), Industrial & Institutional Floor Care Products (GS-40), and Industrial & Institutional Hand Cleaners (GS-41), just to name a few.  Green Seal certifies products and services that meet certain performance and environmental impact qualifications. Green Seal certification is referenced as a requirement to meet for several categories of cleaning products in the Sustainable Cleaning Products and Materials section of the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Green Building Rating System.