Adopt a Green Cleaning Program | Vancouver Consultants

Written by: Dennis Shepit

Dennis Shepit of Vancouver Consultants gives Green Light
October 17, 2006

Empowering Canadians to adopt a Green Cleaning Program for their workplace environment.

The Green Hand is Dealt
The rules are in place and the green chips are laid down as the “hottest” game in the industry unfolds. Professionals from the cleaning industry, government, manufacturers and users world-wide are meeting at their individual tables focusing their energy to restore the indoor and outdoor environment by implementing a Green sustainability program to lessen the burden on the environment in their community. The public is beginning to ask a lot of questions. The demand for Greening need not remain a mystery.

Policy on Green Procurement
The Federal Government through Public Works Canada handed down a new directive [effective April 1/2006] entitled, “Policy on Green Procurement”. The purchasing of green chemicals, equipment and supplies will play an important role in protecting health when compared to current cleaning and maintenance standards.

Here’s an excerpt from the Policy on Green Procurement

“As part of its ongoing commitment to improve the environment and the quality of life of Canadians, this policy seeks to reduce the environmental impacts of government operations and promote environmental stewardship by integrating environmental performance considerations in the procurement process.”

“Environmentally preferable goods and services are those that have a lesser or reduced impact on the environment over the life cycle of the good or service, when compared with competing goods or services serving the same purpose. Environmental performance considerations include, among other things: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air contaminants; improved energy and water efficiency; reduced waste and support reuse and recycling; the use of renewable resources; reduced hazardous waste; and reduced toxic and hazardous substances.”

For more information on this mandate, go to:
http://www.pwgsc.gc.ca/greening/text/proc/pol-e.html

For more information regarding the US 'Executive Order 13423' and the statutes that establish the components of the Federal green purchasing program. http://www.ofee.gov/gp/20071228_OFPPpolicy_FARproposal.pdf

The Bigger Picture
The Commission for Environmental Co-operation (CEC) is involved in a tri-national network of organizations that plays a co-ordinating role to help bring together the different groups involved in green procurement in North America, called the North American Green Purchasing Initiative (NAGPI). These groups comprise the whole chain, from manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, institutional purchasers, standards/certification organizations to the information multipliers. NAGPI’s goal is to better our shared North American environment through green procurement.

Its role is to:
• Compile and maintain list of ongoing green purchasing activities.
• Track the efforts of NAGPI members and others working on environmental purchasing issues to avoid unintended duplication of effort.
• Create a unified voice and a protocol to engage manufacturers, purchasers, politicians, reporters, and the general public when a unified voice benefits all NAGPI members.
• Facilitate development of common marketing language beneficial to all.
• Develop and maintain resource database (e.g., training modules, speakers, trainers, speakers, etc.)
• Host quarterly conference calls among NAGPI members to discuss relevant topics.
• Launch co-ordinated campaigns to improve the performance of specific commodity areas.
• Identify research needs—such as the need to better quantify environmental benefits of green purchasing—and seek funding together to address those needs.

The purpose of this review paper is to briefly summarize the trends and approaches to green procurement used by both the public and private sector in North America. It also provides a series of success stories from public and private sector organizations and outlines several business benefits (the business case) of green procurement practices.
This paper is based on insight and stories from NAGPI members and from several existing works on green procurement. References and contact information are provided throughout, in attempt to foster further exchange of experiences and co-operation.

Source: http://www.fivewinds.com/uploadedfiles_shared/CSRGreenProcurement.pdf#se...

Choose Green Report
According to some estimates, one-third of the cleaning products used today include ingredients that have negative impacts on indoor air quality and human health. These ingredients may include carcinogens, asthmagens, skin and eye irritants, and endocrine disrupters, which are associated with cancer, reproductive disorders, and other human health issues. Floor-care products contain many of the same ingredients.

Endocrine disrupters are synthetic chemicals that can create changes in the hormones in humans and animals. These “hormone disrupters” can cause cancer, birth defects, and immune problems. Even very small concentrations can interfere with reproduction and many other biological processes. Congress passed the Food Quality Protection Act in 1996, requiring that EPA initiate EDSP to screen pesticide chemicals and environmental contaminants for their potential to affect the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major contributor to smog. VOC emissions from cleaning products occur when organic solvents evaporate. It is estimated that for every 100 janitors who switch to less volatile cleaning products, VOC emissions could drop by at least 1 ton a year.

For a full report of the ‘Choose Green Report’, go to the Green Seal Web site at:

http://www.greenseal.org/resources/reports/CGR_floorcare.pdf

Environmental Choice Program Canada’s Counterpart to Green Seal
According to a recent report, 81 per cent of those surveyed believed Green is not clearly defined; 47 per cent indicated they did not understand what Green is; and more than a third said they were never certain if a product was really Green or if they could trust labels making this claim. Source: Reed Research Group.

The Environmental Choice Program

The (ECP) is a independent, third-party, credible certification that helps consumers and professional buyers identify products and services that are less harmful to the environment. A product or service may be certified because it is made or offered in a way that it improves energy efficiency, water conservation, reduces hazardous by-products, uses recycled materials, or because the product itself can be recycled.

EcoLogoM is North America's most widely recognized and respected multi-attribute environmental certification mark. By certifying the environmental leaders in over 300 categories of products, EcoLogoM helps environmental marketers win customers, and helps buyers - both consumer and corporate - find and trust the world's most sustainable products.
By helping environmental leaders win, EcoLogoM helps move the entire marketplace toward sustainability. EcoLogoM belongs to the Government of Canada, and is a founding member of the Global EcoLabelling Network. Stewarded by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing.

Source: http://www.environmentalchoice.com/English/ECP%20Home/

WHMIS
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Material Information Sheet) was legislated October 31/1988 to protect the occupants in the workplace. Everyone has the ‘right to know’ what they are being exposed to and the labels on the products alert us to the dangers of the product and the safety precautions. The onus is on the employer to inform and train his employees. Your first reaction to recognising the safety symbol should be to consult the [MSD] Material Safety Data sheet to identify the potential risk it poses to your health -and that’s a good thing. If you work in a restaurant, your employer needs to explain how to read labels and recognise the hazardous chemicals. You need to know where the MSD sheets are filed, how to read them, how to clean up spills and what emergency procedures to follow in the disposal of these products because negligence almost always leads to some form of litigation.

1. Are the employees knowledgeable about the potential hazards (how, where, why, to who)
2. Are the employees knowledgeable about how to protect themselves from hazard?
3. Are the employees knowledgeable about how to proceed in the event of an emergency spill?
4. Are the employees knowledgeable about how to find on-site information Material safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
5. Are the employees aware that they have the right to refuse unsafe work?

For an Orientation Checklist for Restaurant Employees and WHMIS go to:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/PDFs/small%20business/Rest_orientation_cklist...

Cleaning Products in your Home
The cleaning products you buy in a retail store don’t fall under the same guidelines as WHMIS and you may be at a loss in your own home if you’re not familiar with the hazards of a product. The retailer is not legally obligated to provide you with a Material Safety Data sheet because different rules issued by Consumer and Corporate Affairs apply for retail packaging. If, for example, you are using a toilet bowl cleaner with phosphoric acid or want to know more about the other products under your sink – do a search on the World Wide Web [www].
Go to: http://chemfinder.cambridgesoft.com Enter the specific ingredient into the database to learn about these categories: Health; Regulations; Pesticides/Herbicides; Physical Properties; MSDS, etc. If you don’t have a computer, ask someone to help you get this information. It’s your ‘right to know’.

The Cleaning Industry
The cleaning industryin the United States is a $150 billion industry that is virtually recession proof because cleaning must be done regardless of the economic condition. This industry employs over 3 million people in the U.S. and is the second largest employer trailing government. Business owner/managers have to realise the impact their facility’s condition has on employee morale. Green cleaning may be most simply defined as: "Cleaning to protect health without harming the environment." -Stephen P. Ashkin
Green Cleaning information is applicable to every type of facility, including commercial office buildings, schools, hospitals, government buildings and industrial facilities. Whether you are a manager of an in-house staff or a cleaning contractor, you need to make informed choices as you pursue a Green Cleaning strategy. One of the most important points is that Green Cleaning has become easy to implement. Source: ProTeam®

Canada is estimated to employ about 300,000 people in the cleaning industry. Every corner of the planet is poisoned. The volume of toxic chemicals we are spewing into the water, land and atmosphere is interminable.
If we are going to make an impact on Greening the environment, it has to start in the workplace. The first place to raise awareness and transform the marketplace is with the full engagement of the professional cleaning contractors and in-house facility managers who use the products. Unless this group stand together with the green strategy and are educated on the acquisition, use and disposal of cleaning materials, we remain at their mercy. Most people are concerned about the indoor and outdoor environment and have the propensity to do the right thing– they just need a little guidance in ‘how to do it’. It will take way more than changing from a hazardous chemical to a ‘Green’ product –as important as that is. You have to consider using low emitting materials like: sealants, adhesives, paints and carpets that give off less Volatile organic compounds [VOCs] in the building stage and using styrene-free floor finish and non-toxic floor strippers in the building maintenance and upkeep stage. Other areas to consider using lower emitting materials are in plumbing and [HVAC] Heating/Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems.

What is a Green Building?
According to Green Buildings BC, a Green building is one that uses less energy, its better for the environment, has less impact on the site, uses less water, better air quality, more access to daylight -simply a smarter building. The overall operating costs can be made lower, occupants and tenants are happier, less absenteeism, more productive staff with less turnover, differed maintenance costs with immeasurable payback.

High Performance (Green) Buildings offer superior performance in a variety of areas, including:
• Functionality
• Energy and water efficiency
• Quality of the indoor environment (air quality, thermal comfort, lighting)
• Waste management and air emissions
• Site disturbance and storm water management
• Transportation options for occupants
• Longevity (durability, adaptability to changing building user needs) …without necessarily increasing capital costs.
Some strategies that are typically used to achieve high performance include:
• Thermally efficient roofs, walls and windows that reduce heating loads and enhance thermal comfort.
• Building shape and orientation, thermal mass and daylighting strategies that reduce cooling loads.
• Significantly smaller HVAC systems and efficient electrical lighting strategies that capitalize on daylighting.
• Water efficient supply and waste fixtures.
• Adaptable interior designs, providing visual access to the outdoors and access to daylight.
• Interior finishes and installation methods having lower VOC emissions.
• Landscaping strategies that require little or no irrigation, permit groundwater replenishment and provide on-site stormwater management.
• Siting to minimize stress on natural systems either by building on previously contaminated sites or avoiding ecologically sensitive areas.

Source: http://www.greenbuildingsbc.com/Home/NewBuildings/WhatisaGreenBuilding/D...

Vancouver LEEDs-Canada
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) exists to accelerate the design and construction of Green Buildings across Canada.

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) certifies buildings using the LEED® green building rating system. CaGBC does not certify or endorse building construction products.
The LEED rating system certifies buildings that meet the determined prerequisites towards a rating of "Certified", "Silver", "Gold", or "Platinum". These credits cover various concepts in six categories: Site Selection, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation & Design. You can learn more about the rating system at the following link: www.cagbc.org/building_rating_systems/leed_rating_system.php . You may find it interesting to explore how your product(s) can help your clients meet specific credits under LEED.

Submittal requirements are noted for each credit. If you require further details to assist your clients, we would recommend you purchase the Reference Guide, available at: www.cagbc.org/building_rating_systems/leed_rg_overview.php

The Canada Green Building Council congratulated the City of Vancouver for adopting LEED Gold as its standard for all new city buildings, making it the first municipality in North America to adopt this leading edge energy and environmental performance system.

For an overview of the (LEED-Canada) program go to: http://www.cagbc.org/cagbc_profile/about_us.php Click on: CaGBC About Us Presentation

LEED® for New Construction Homes is not applicable for individual homes in Canada but we are welcome to go directly to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) which is piloting two new programs posted to their website LEED for Homes where you will see the rating system, project checklist and green home guide. In the meantime, there is another residential green building program offered in Canada that might be of use to your projects: BuiltGreen is currently available in Alberta and British Columbia.

Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a document signed by about 180 countries at Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005.
There are specific commitments in all federal government departmental Sustainable Development Strategies plans that target to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The targets cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gases, namely:
• Carbon dioxide (CO2);
• Methane (CH4);
• Nitrous oxide (N2O);
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

More information on commitments and Kyoto mechanisms

CaGBC signed significant contracts and partnership agreements with Public Works and Government Services Canada and Natural Resources Canada to help them deliver on their commitments.

We Can Change the World

I like what Margaret Meade said and I quote, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has."

• I also like what Nicholas Cage said in the movie “National Treasure”,

“If there is something wrong, then those who have the ability to take action, have the responsibility to take action.”

Dennis Shepit is a Green Environmental Workplace Specialist at Flyte Consulting and Training in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. He can be reached at dshepit@VancouverConsultants.com Phone: 604-897-9344 or go online at http://www.cleaningconsultant.ca/

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.