By choosing environmentally–friendly cleaning supplies you can work in an office that is clean – and green.
Why go green?
Environmentally–friendly cleansers work just as well as traditional cleaning solutions, but have an added benefit. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) green cleaning products are safer for the environment and human health. They are:
- Less likely to contaminate the food chain when toxins enter lakes, rivers, oceans, and ground water (and are then consumed by fish and animals),
- Less likely to cause air pollution, which "has been shown to cause eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation and to cause asthma attacks,"1
- Less likely to cause skin irritation, including redness and swelling.
Taking the clean and green route doesn't end with using environmentally–friendly solvents. Wipe up with recycled paper towels. Over time, using recycled paper products really adds up.
"A ton of paper made from 100% recycled paper saves the equivalent of 4,100 kwh energy, 7,000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emissions, and three cubic yards of landfill space,"2 according to the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency.
Plus, don't forget the cleanser's container. If possible, purchase cleaning supplies packaged in recycled bottles, jugs, boxes, etc.
Finding green products
Recycled paper products, including paper towels and bath tissue, typically boast the recycled symbol displayed to the left.
When shopping for green cleansers, check out the ingredient list and avoid solvents with harsh chemicals such as chlorine, phosphates, amonia, petroleum solvents, propellants, hydrochloric acid, butoxyethanol, sodium hydroxide, ethanolamine, bleach, phenol, hydrogen peroxide, and perchloroethylene.
The Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance also recommends carefully reading the labels of all cleaners and looking "for signal words – caution, warning, danger, poison – which indicate the level of hazard. Use the least hazardous product to do the job."5 The following chart was provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.| Signal word | Risk | Level of toxicity |
| Caution | Mild/moderate | Less toxic |
| Warning | Moderate hazard | More toxic |
| Danger | Extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic | More toxic |
| Poison | Highly toxic | Most toxic |
Staples offers Simple Green D All–purpose, Bio–degradable Cleaner. According to its manufacturer, Simple Green D is "mild, yet effective...safer to use, and reduces the environmental impact posed by other more hazardous disinfectants, cleaners and bleaches."3 Simple Green D cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes and can be used on "all hard, non–porous surfaces; including tile, porcelain, fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, glass, rubber, vinyl, plastic and concrete."4 Click here for Simple Green D cleaner.
Cost
While you may have to look a little harder to find green cleaning products, you won’t have to shell out much more money. Environmentally–friendly cleaning supplies are fairly and competitively priced. A
1Cleaning Products Pilot Project Fact Sheet, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing in Action, Environmental Protection Agency
2Recycled Paper Products, The Environmental Shopper, Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/Shopper/Facts/paper.htm
3Simple Green product information, http://www.simplegreen.com/products/industrial/product4info.html
4Ibid.
5Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, http://www.moea.state.mn.us/campaign/shopping/index.html#cleaning
