With all of the eco-oriented marketing that we are exposed to on a daily basis, it is hard to know if your green cleaning products and green janitorial supplies are green, bio-based, biodegradable, nontoxic, and safe. Now there are credible certification programs, including EcoLogo, to help you navigate the maze.
Leveraging independent, third party certification programs makes it easier for us to select environmentally preferable products. We can achieve this if we select green janitorial supplies and green cleaning products that have earned the Eco Logo, Design for the Environment (DfE), or the Green Seal credential.
EcoLogo Program
Eco Logo is the oldest eco label in North America and is also one of the most recognizable trademarks. EcoLogo was originally formed in 1988 by the Canadian Federal Government for Environment Canada (the US EPA equivalent, similar to the the DfE Program). Today the Eco Logo Program is a Type I eco-label as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14024 standards for eco-labeling. With the Program’s recent acquisition by UL Global Network, EcoLogo is now positioned to leverage the UL organization’s 115+ years of certifying safe products that have reached more than 100 countries. As a result Eco Logo is expanding its reach as the leading certifier of the world’s most sustainable products.
The EcoLogo standards consider multiple environmental impacts. In addition the standards ensures us that harmful impacts from the production, use and disposal of the products we use or exposed to every day is minimized. Eco Logo criteria are developed using a multi-parameter approach that identifies the most important environmental indicators from all stages of the product’s life cycle including:
- Environmental impacts of harvesting the raw materials;
- Manufacturing process;
- Use of the product itself; and
- Ultimate disposal (or recycling / reuse / reduction) of the byproducts.
The EcoLogo criteria address biodegradation, product labeling and packaging, toxicity to aquatic and mammalian life, low risk for promoting microbial resistance, performance in the presence of soil, human health issues such as reducing the use of asthmagens and more. As a result this standard helps you easily identify some of the top overall environmentally sustainable performers on the market. In addition, this certification program compares a product with others in the same category to help you understand the value of the certified green cleaning product.
As a stringent certification program, Eco Logo is committed to continually expanding and raising the expectations of the standards for the benefit of the consumer. In addition the certified industrial and institutional cleaners, EcoLogo has recently released an updated Certification Criteria Document for “Biologically Based Cleaning and Degreasing Compounds.” Unlike conventional cleaners, bio-based, green cleaners and degreasers contain microbial cultures that promote digestion of hydrocarbons, organic contaminants and other undesirable grime. A key addition to the CCD-110 revision is the inclusion of household cleaners. As a result the residential consumer can identify natural green home cleaning solutions. This makes biologically based green cleaning products more accessible to all.
Highlighting some of the criteria in these standards, a certified product:
- Demonstrates that the product is not toxic or harmful to humans;
- Has limited effects on aquatic life;
- Is readily biodegradable under aerobic conditions;
- Contains less than 1 percent volatile organic compounds (VOC) at ready to use concentration
- Does not contain intentionally added carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins (including endocrine disruptors)
- Has a pH between 3 and 11
- Is provided in a concentrate format
Some of the other standards for green cleaning products and green janitorial supplies in the Eco Logo suite include:
- Hand Cleaners – Industrial & Institutional (CCD 104)
- Biological Digestion Additives for Cleaning and Odor Control (CCD 112) – NEW 4/20/11
- Drain and/or Grease Trap Additives – Biologically Based (CCD 113)
- Hard Surface Cleaners (CCD 146) which covers all purpose cleaners, washroom cleaners, glass cleaners, degreasers and industrial cleaners – REVISED 8/3/11
- Floor Care Products (CCD 147)
- Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners (CCD 148)
- Disinfectants and Disinfectant Cleaners (CCD 166)
Green Janitorial Supplies & Green Cleaning Products are EcoLogo Certified
Selecting green cleaning products and green janitorial supplies that display the Certified Eco Logo is easy. Green Cleaning Products LLC offers more than thirty products that have been Certified by EcoLogo, some of the most popular Rochester Midland products are:
- EnviroCare Washroom Cleaner
- EnviroCare Tough Job
- EnviroCare All Purpose Cleaner
- EnviroCare Glass Cleaner
- EnviroCare Enhancer and Floor Stripper
- EnviroCare LiquiBac
- EnviroCare Hand Soap
- DfE Floor Tile & Grout Cleaner
- DfE Biozyme
- DfE BLOC
As the public, corporate, or household consumer, selecting green cleaning products and green janitorial supplies with the Certified EcoLogo mark increases your confidence that you are using products that minimize their impact on our environment.
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