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Greening cleaning services

Greening cleaning services involves the following improvements .

  • Cleaning chemicals – lower toxicity, reduced contribution to air pollution, cleaner production
  • Waste collection – diversion for recycling and composting
  • Consumables (sanitary paper, rubbish bags) – recycled content, cleaner production
  • Staff training – assurance of staff safety and meeting contract requirements
  • Documentation – assurance of waste diversion volumes and destination, products used

Waste collection

Important issues:

  • Cost of sending recyclable wastes to landfill
  • Size of energy and materials 'footprint'
  • Ensuring separated materials get recycled
  • Data needed to monitor success of waste reduction

Suggested contract clause wording

The contractor shall separately collect and take to designated areas all recyclable wastes set aside by staff under the waste reduction programme. This may entail separate arrangements for ordinary paper, confidential paper, co-mingled recyclable containers (glass, plastic, metal), food wastes and residual wastes.

The contractor will report problem areas and work together with staff to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of waste diversion systems.

The contractor shall provide regular accurate records of waste and diverted recyclable materials in the format required by the client (eg, weight or volume, specified frequency).

The contractor shall ensure recyclables, once separated by staff, are kept separate and free of contamination, and document receipt by designated recyclers where this is part of the cleaning contract.

Cleaning chemicals

Important issues:

  • Health and safety for cleaning staff
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – air pollution
  • Damage to sewage treatment systems
  • Toxicity to people and ecosystems via sewage
  • Pollution from manufacture of cleaning products
  • Volumes and varieties of cleaning products may be excessive
  • Recyclable packaging or packaging made of recycled materials
  • Proof required for use of 'greener' products

Suggested contract clause wording

For general purpose cleaning of floors, office surfaces, kitchenettes and toilet areas, the contractor shall use only those cleaning products which have been awarded one of the following eco-labels, or which can demonstrate that they can meet an equivalent standard for toxicity and manufacturing impacts, and shall present a systematic plan to phase out non-complying products currently in use.

  • Environmental Choice New Zealand – New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust Licence Criteria for General Purpose Cleaners EC-22
  • Green Seal – Industrial and Institutional Cleaners (GS-37)
  • European Eco-label – European Commission decision of 27 June 2001 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to all-purpose cleaners and cleaners for sanitary facilities.

The contractor shall ensure their use of cleaning products is limited to those strictly necessary for staff health and safety (eg, minimise use of deodorisers, disinfectants and bleaches), and to keep product strength to recommended levels.

All plastic containers shall be returnable to the manufacturer for refilling and/or made of plastic types that can be recycled by the New Zealand recycling industry (currently no. 1 PET and no. 2 HDPE, and possibly no.5 PP through industrial collection systems), and carry a plastics resin code to allow plastic type identification. Containers shall not be coated, labelled or otherwise treated in a manner which would prevent recycling (eg, PVC sleeves, metallic labels).

When the cleaning supply containers and any paper packaging are empty, the contractor shall ensure they are recycled or returned for refilling.

Contractors will report bi-annually on cleaning products and other consumables used to fulfil the contract: volumes, cost, brand, and documentation of meeting environmental criteria.

Consumables and energy

Important issues:

  • Virgin material products have largest impact 'footprint'
  • Using recycled content products supports sustainable recycling services
  • Waste can be reduced for the same level of service
  • Proof required for use of 'greener' products
  • Unnecessary pollution can result from incorrect product dosages
  • Floors left lighted when not needed
  • Staff leaving electrical equipment on after working hours

Suggested contract clause wording

Plastic rubbish bags

Plastic bags used for collection of waste will have at least 30 per cent recycled plastic content and/or meet the Environmental Choice New Zealand or equivalent standard for recycled plastic products.

Sanitary paper

Sanitary paper (toilet paper and paper towels) will be 100 per cent recycled paper (of which at least 50 per cent is from post-consumer paper) produced using a totally chlorine-free (TCF) process and be free of dyes and fragrances, and/or meet the Environmental Choice New Zealand or equivalent standard for recycled paper products.

European Commission decision of 4 May 2001 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label for tissue-paper products

To reduce packaging waste, single toilet roll dispensers will be replaced with bulk toilet roll dispensers where feasible.

Cleaning chemicals

Contractors will report bi-annually on cleaning products and other consumables used to fulfil the contract: volumes, cost, brand, and documentation of meeting environmental criteria.

Contractors will ensure correct dosages are used. Options include central pre-dilution from concentrates and enhanced staff training and monitoring.

Energy

Contractors will abide by the client’s energy efficiency requirements for use of lighting in unoccupied work areas.

Contractors will support the client’s energy efficiency monitoring when requested by reporting work areas where lights, computers, printers and other electronic equipment has been left on by staff after working hours.

Air-towels will be replaced with cloth towels where feasible.

Staff training

Important issues:

  • Safety and efficiency in use of chemicals
  • Source separation of waste
  • Energy efficiency

Suggested contract clause wording

The contractor will ensure all of their staff understand the importance to the client of minimising environmental and occupational safety impacts, and the ways cleaning staff can help, including:

    • correct precautions for staff health and safety
    • correct dosages for cleaning chemicals, and when cleaning practices are non-essential (eg, disinfection, deodorising)
    • the importance of keeping separated wastes separate, what materials are considered contaminants for each waste stream, and how to take measurements of weight, count or volume when required
    • the correct locations and bin types for the separated materials
    • when to turn off lighting.

    Last updated: 12 October 2010