By: Josefina M Henselin
Going “Green” has become a very important aspect of any business, whether we are speaking about lowering carbon emissions or lowering our electric use. There are many new laws and regulations to “encourage” companies to begin thinking about sustainability now.
The term “going green” refers to the changing of habits to more “eco-friendly” ways of doing things. Renewable energy like hydroelectricity and wind energy are becoming more and more acceptable sources. Using less energy for heating, cooling and even lighting is quickly becoming the norm. Another large aspect of “going green” is looking into cleaning products with fewer chemicals.
A lot of people think little about industrial cleaning, or even house cleaning, as being an important part of going green, but it is one of the most important parts. Indoor Air Quality and chemical run off are two main drawbacks of chemical cleaners. Chemical’s found in cleaners, either commercial or household, contain harmful chemicals that we breathe in. These chemicals cause asthma, sickness, and other health issues. These chemicals also “run off” our septic and sewer systems into ground water, lakes, and rivers; this alters the eco-systems that are fragile and which plants and animals are dependent on.
The correlation between cleaning products and a building’s “sick days” are unmistakable. The more chemicals used, the more often employees become sick and unable to work. Indoor Air Quality also has an effect on the productivity of employees in the office.
Trying to find the right “green” products can be rather tricky. You will see labels that say: “green,” “environmentally safe,” environmentally friendly,” and Designed for the Environment.” These “titles” and descriptions can be misleading and even downright wrong. The full proof way of knowing which products are which, is by looking at the ingredients.
The descriptions using “green” or “environmentally safe/friendly” are not measured; therefore anyone can make that statement without having it be true or proven. These are merely marketing descriptions, which are designed to influence you, the consumer, to buy. In theory, these descriptions would mean that they minimally, if at all, affect the environment. In truth, the International Organization for Standardization states that these descriptions are “too vague” due to the lack of research and evaluations. In other words, these products are safer than what?
The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a program that distinguishes the “good from the not-so-good” with their Designed for the Environment (DfE) program. This program evaluates products for their safety to humans and the environment. If the product passes, it is allowed to place the DfE seal on their products.
As previously discussed, the titles and descriptions of products out there can be misleading. Looking at the ingredients of different products and looking for the EPA’s DfE seal, are the best ways to buy Green Cleaning Products.
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