for green cleaning products i would recommend using a water fed pole cleaner, as the equipment they use is some of the most environmentally friendly out there.

not familiar with water fed pole systems?

please check out my blog: waterfedpolesystems.blogspot.com

This is very interesting information, and I certainly agree more with the EPAs standards as well.

One thing I believe as well, is that whenever you are looking to implement something "green", you need to look at it from the 30,000 foot view, not just what you see on the label.

If a product is "green", that may be great, but if the product does not perform as well, requires more of it to be effective, requires more water, energy or disposable sundries to work with it, then it simply may not be as "green" as it could be.

With floor finishes especially I have heard a lot of negativity about how they require more maintenance because they do not perform as well. I've also heard a lot about "green" strippers not being as effective, either requiring more applications, or requiring much longer dwell time which can increase other risks such as safety.

It is important that we take a broader view of what is truly "green". We need to make our entire systems green rather than just the product.

Unfortunately, this posting is a bit (I am sure unintentionally) mis-leading. Green products are typically evaluated BOTH for minimizing potential impacts on human health AND the environment.

Choosing a Green Product is really NOT difficult. There are several standards - Green Seal, EcoLogo and Green Guard are all non-profit standards setting organizations who have proven records of success within our industry as well as others. The EPA DfE is certainly a good measure as well in that it looks at ingredients rather than final products.

While no standard is perfect, a product that carries a certification from one or more of these groups represents a valid Green choice. Can the standards be improved? - yes - that's why the standards are re-evaluated on a regular basis.

However, just because a product meets a green standard does not mean it is the right product for your use. We as users still need to do our own efficacy and applicability testing to arrive at the best product based on Green certification, performance and cost for our application.

Of course there are sub-performing green products - there are poorly performing traditional products as well. That is why we test before buying.

I won't get into a discussion of government being better than private industry - or more trustworthy, I think the marketplace does a good job of sorting these things out on its own.

Hello,

You have covered a number of items in your blog, some of which I agree with and others not quite as much. However, I am finding your last comment--that your firm believes the EPA is the ultimate authority for determining environmentally preferred products--a bit difficult to accept.

I’m actually quite proud of the fact that our industry has taken such a leadership role in the use and adoption of environmentally preferable cleaning products without government intervention. GreenSeal, Ecologo and others have established parameters that define what is and is not Green, and these definitions have been accepted for the most part throughout our industry as well as end users and Green cleaning advocates in the US, Canada and other countries.

Furthermore, many government entities are now looking to the professional cleaning industry for guidance as they seek to establish their own Green certification programs and develop other verification measures.  Why, because they see that our systems work.

I’m a strong believer in the power of the marketplace to create change. The "Greening” of our industry over the past few years provides compelling proof of just how powerful the marketplace can actually be.