Transcript Slide 1

Cleaning for Healthy Schools:
Good for your health, the planet,
and your bottom line
Deborah Moore
Green Schools Initiative
510-525-1026
[email protected]
www.greenschools.net
Healthy Schools: Green Cleaning and
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• Challenges of Traditional Approach to
Cleaning
• What is “Green” Cleaning
• Benefits of Cleaning for Health
• What you can do: Best practices
and products
• Examples of Success
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Overview of the Challenge
 The school’s challenge:
vulnerable people in heavily
used, densely occupied spaces
 One-half of our schools have
indoor environmental quality
(IEQ) problems
 Children are more vulnerable
than adults to toxins
 Absenteeism, lower productivity
and test scores
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Health Hazards of Cleaning Products
Ingredients in common cleaning
products have been linked to:
 New cases of asthma and triggering
asthma episodes
 Harming the brain, nervous system,
reproductive organs, kidneys and liver
 Irritating eyes and causing headaches
 Breathing problems and illnesses
 Disrupting/acting like hormones
 Cancer
Workers & Hazardous Cleaners
 5 billion pounds used annually
 A single custodial worker uses, on average,
194 pounds of chemicals each year
 25% of these are hazardous substances
 Custodians and teachers experience some
of the highest rates of occupational asthma
 $25 million/yr in worker comp claims
 6 out of 100 custodians are injured each
year
 20% are serious burns to the eyes or skin
 12% are a result of inhaling chemical vapours
Health Affects Learning and Productivity
• Asthma is leading cause of
school absenteeism from a
chronic illness, ~1.9 million
missed school days in CA in
2005
• Loss of ~$40.8 million to
schools from asthma
absences of 12-17 year-olds
• Lower academic achievement
is associated with asthmatic
students
The Solution?
Green Cleaning!
Cleaning that:
 Protects the health of workers, children,
and the public
 Improves indoor air quality (IAQ)
 Reduces environmental impacts:
o Smog, ozone depletion,
global warming
o Toxicity to fish, wildlife
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Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing (EPP)
EPP =
Environment +
Price +
Performance
What are green cleaners?
E.g. Green Seal standard
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Low toxicity
No cancer-causing ingredients, no asthmagens
Not corrosive to eyes or skin or skin sensitizer
Won’t pollute air or deplete ozone layer
Won’t kill fish
Will biodegrade
Low phosphorous
Package recyclable
Available as concentrate
Limits on fragrances used
www.greenseal.org
Certain ingredients prohibited
Performance tested
Vendor training available
Use Third-Party Certified Products
Advertising and labels not always reliable
Schools and agencies can rely on third party
certifiers to evaluate products against
specific standards and criteria
Made by mainstream companies, comparable
price, demonstrated performance
General, all-purpose cleaners and other
products widely available:
 Concentrated cleaners with automated dispensing
systems
 Hand soaps (not antibacterial)
 Paper products
 chlorine-free, recycled
 tissue & towels on large rolls
Green Schools Buying Guide: www.greenschools.net
From Green Schools Buying Guide
on Cleaners:
•Audit Form
•Cost Calculator
•Overview of Policies
•Tools for writing a green bid
•Information on state procurement
contracts and other discounts
Cleaning for Health Best Practices
 Choose safer products: Use lesstoxic, third-party certified cleaners,
paper products and hand soaps
 Keep the dirt out; use easy-to-clean
flooring
 Reduce quantities of chemicals,
Minimize exposures, Dilute properly
 Update and maintain equipment –
HEPA vacuums, micro-fiber, dilution
stations
 Disinfect only in target areas
 Avoid aerosols & fragrances - clean
doesn't have an odor
Minimize Disinfectant Use
• All disinfectants are toxic
(EPA-registered pesticides)
• Disinfectants should be…
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Used only when needed
Applied only after surface is cleaned
Properly diluted
Avoiding “quats”
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions
• Require training of workers
• Consider peroxide-based disinfectants
What about H1N1?
According to the CDC:
• School staff should routinely clean areas
that students and staff touch often with the
cleaners and disinfectants they typically use.
The CDC does not believe any additional
disinfection of environmental surfaces
beyond recommended routine cleaning is
required.
http://www.flu.gov/professional/school/schoolguidancepdf.pdf
Better Cleaning Equipment
Use updated equipment to
reduce particulates in the air
 Install dirt-grabbing walk-off
mats inside and outside
entrances, recommended 15’ –
20’
 Use microfiber cloths and mops
that pick up dirt while using a
reduced amount of chemicals
 Employ HEPA vacuums or
microfiber mops instead of
conventional dust mops
 Install high-filtration vacuum
attachments on other floor-care
equipment
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Try Microfiber
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Cost-effective (life-cycle basis)
Reduce chemical use (~1/2)
Minimize water use (up to 95%)
Prevent injuries (chemical
exposure, back strain, accidents)
• Effective (reduce dirt,
avoid cross-contamination)
Avoid Anti-bacterial Soap
US Food and Drug Administration:
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No more effective than soap & water
May increase germs’ resistance
to antibiotics
Can strip hands of oil & “friendly”
bacteria
Triclosan may interfere with hormone
system; creates toxic byproducts
Found in: Hand soaps, toothpaste,
dishwashing liquids and sponges
Making the switch:
Overview of the process
 Assess current products, practices, and
budget
 Test a few certified “green” products
 Talk to existing vendors, building occupants,
staff
 Train staff with new products/methods
 Track and reward success
 Get a CHPS or LEED credit
 Adopt a local district policy
Green cleaning releases
one-sixth the air pollution
General purpose cleaners
Green Cleaners Save $
 Reducing variety of products used
Replacing 20 products with 1 Green Seal
product saved $280,000/year at Riverside
Military Academy, Gainesville, GA
 Reducing amount of chemicals used
via best practices, dilution equipment
Palm Beach schools saving $360,000/yr
Purchasing with procurement contracts
Novato Unified switched with no additional
cost; Waxie offers 45% discounts,
US Communities, State of California
Green Cleaning Products:
Performed as Well or Better
Peroxide cleaner/disinfectant
• effective at removing dirt
• whitened grout, cleaned carpets/mirrors
• left no residue to rinse
• eliminated restroom odors and “blue”
staining
Green Seal-certified floor stripper removed
old wax with less rinsing needed
Microfiber mops more effective, especially
around edges
Health & Safety
Improvements
Vermont school reported:
 60% decrease in asthma attacks
(from 15 to 6)
 37% reduction in reported cold
symptoms (from 230 to 144)
Implementation Challenges
 Lack of awareness
 Teachers or children supplying cleaning
products from home
 Inappropriate or overuse of disinfectants
 Classrooms not ready to be cleaned;
storage and desk/chair arrangements
 Perception of higher costs
 Custodians wary of change
What are the challenges at your school?
Green Cleaning Resources
- Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit
National Collaborative Workgroup on Green Cleaning and Chemical Policy
Reform in Schools
www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org
- Cleaning for Health Report (2002)
www.informinc.org/cleanforhealth.php
- Green Cleaning: Healthier Cleaning and
Maintenance Practices and Products for
Schools
www.healthyschools.org
- Breathing Easier: California Success Stories
www.rampasthma.org
- Environmental Law Institute: Sample Policies
www.eli.org/Program_Areas/Green_Cleaning/index.cfm
More Green
Cleaning Resources
- Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in
Schools
http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/campaign/green_
clean_schools/guide.php
- Janitorial Products Pollution
Prevention Project offers fact sheets
on safe and effective cleaning methods
http://www.wrppn.org/Janitorial/jp4.cfm
- Graffiti Remover Research and Field Test
Report: The Search for Safer Products
www.newdream.org/procure/Graffiti.pdf
Contact
• Deborah Moore
Green Schools Initiative
510-525-1026
[email protected]
www.greenschools.net