Who is Defining “Green”?

We’ve talked about different green certifications for cleaning equipment, products and chemicals, but who is really behind these certifications? Where do they come from? Advance wants to introduce you to the major industry associations and government cleaning standards and guidelines behind them:

• US Green Building Council/LEED: The LEED Green Building Rating Systems were developed by the US Green Building Council. LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) provides guidelines for how to develop, adopt and maintain a policy for the use of janitorial equipment that maximizes reduction of building contaminants with minimum environmental impact. Green cleaning can also contribute in the Innovation category in three other LEED systems: LEED-NC (for New Construction); LEED-CI (for Commercial Interiors); and LEED-CS (for Core and Shell).
• ASTM E-1971: The American Society for Testing and Materials’ “Standard Guide on Stewardship for Cleaning Commercial and Institutional Buildings” covers procedures to assist owners and operators of commercial and institutional buildings in the stewardship of cleaning and housekeeping operations.
• NIOSH/EPA: The reference guide, “Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers,” documents in Step 5 how to develop and implement a plan for facility operations and maintenance.
• OSHA: Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to “furnish to each employee a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”
• Environmentally Preferable Product Purchasing Policies: Multiple industries and government organizations are developing recommendations for environmentally preferable purchasing, including ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and state and local governments.