In today’s world, where hygiene and sustainability are top of mind, going green and using eco-friendly products in your facility may not be as easy as it sounds. Labels can be confusing when using words like “eco-safe” and “environmentally-conscious”, so how can you be sure that the products you’ve chosen are eco-friendly? And how do you make informed green cleaning choices going forward?
Look for Canadian certification
ECOLOGO® is a Canadian certification given to products with verified reduced environmental impact. Finding this logo on your cleaning products gives you the assurance that the products comply with standards set out in the certification, have minimal health effects, and prioritize the environment.
Choose products that are Ready Biodegradable
Just because a label says the product is biodegradable doesn’t mean that it’s your greenest option; it simply means that the product will degrade over time. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) makes Ready Biodegradable the new standard, maintaining that certain chemicals must degrade to a certain percentage within 10 days. Limiting the amount of time that the chemicals remain on the earth means a smaller carbon footprint for your facility.
Take a look at the ingredients
Check out your products’ Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to see if any ingredients stand out as offensive. Try and avoid ingredients like alklphenol ethoylates, phosphorous, and nitrogen. Often used in cleaning agents, they can have harmful environmental effects. See something you’re not sure about? The Canadian Environmental Protection Act gives a thorough list of toxic substances and their effects, so a quick visit to their website will give you some clarity.
Limit your waste
Are you buying multiple products that do the same job, like surface disinfection? Avoid adding extra ingredients and over-complicating your system by streamlining your products. Also, take a look at how your products are packaged. Is the packaging biodegradable? Is there unnecessary packaging? Consider waste as part of your environmental strategy, along with product ingredients for an effective overall strategy.
If you manage a facility that wants to go green, there are certainly commercial cleaning products out there. Staying informed, doing your research, and using trusted sources will help you to reach your environmental goals.
