# Presentation: 502765

## Green Janitorial Operations

- Add Environmental Performance
- into Your Cleaning Program

- Heather Davies
- Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- (202) 208-7884

## Presentation Overview

- Benefits of Green Cleaning
- Evaluating Cleaning Products Risks and Use of Personal Protection Equipment
- Finding Preferable Products
- Side-by-Side Review -Typical Cleaners

- Managing Cleaning Products
- Starting Cleaning Stewardship Program
- Contracting for Green Cleaning
- JWOD Vendors, Certified Products, Other Vendor Lists

## Credits

- Tom Barron  -  EPA Region 9 Janitorial
- 			        Pollution Prevention Project
- Eastern Research Group
- Steve Ashkin
- Blane Robinson, NISH
- George Aarons, NIB
- Joan Smith, Committee for Purchase From People Who Are
-                          Blind or Severely Disabled

## I like to mention what I call the “virdian verge.”  “Virdian” for green and “verge” to emphasize a “coming together.”  We are increasingly seeing a coming together of environmental and economic goals.”

- I **like to mention what I call the “virdian verge.”  “Virdian” for green and “verge” to emphasize a “coming together.”  We are increasingly seeing a coming together of environmental and economic goals.”**

**P. Lynn Scarlett, Ast. Sec. - Policy Management and Budget**

## Greening the Department of the Interior Vision Statement

- The Department will be an **innovative leader** in “greening” the Federal government by actively and systematically protecting the natural processes that sustain life on earth.
- To fulfill this vision, *Interior will, in its own operations*, minimize solid waste, prevent pollution, save energy and other resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage public support and participation.

## Why make any changes to your cleaning program?

- Worker health concerns
- Costs of worker injuries
- Environmental threats
- Improved Indoor Air Quality

- Leadership opportunity
- Federal mandates
- Because *there are* safer, cost-effective alternatives

## Worker Health Concerns

- An average of *58.2 lbs*. of chemical cleaning products are used *per janitor* per year
- 6% of cleaners should be avoided because of serious health/environmental threats
- 35% of cleaners require *extreme care *during use because they can blind the unprotected user, can cause severe skin damage, or can be absorbed through the skin or be inhaled to harm internal organs

## Worker Injuries

- Acute:
- Blindness
- Skin damage
- Lung damage
- Longer term:
- Damage to fetus
- Hormone modification
- Cancer
- Organ damage

## Chronic Problems

- Chemical dermatitis
- Chemical-induced asthma
- Chemical sensitivities

## Cost of Worker Injuries

- 40% involve eye irritation and burns
- 35% involve skin irritation and burns
- 12% involve breathing chemical fumes
- 6 of 100 employees have loss time
- Average cost of $725 per claim
- From analysis of worker comp claims in Washington State
- Tom Barron

## Environmental Threats

- Aquatic toxicity
- Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic Compounds
- Eutrophication
- Disruption to POTW

- Endocrine Disruption
- Smog precursors
- Ozone depleters
- Non-renewable resources

## Unnecessary Sacrifice

- Why subject yourself and your workers to more risk then you have to?
- Why jeopardize your opportunity to have a high quality, healthy, long life?
- Why pass injury along to your children?
- Why would we knowingly compromise environmental quality?

## Indoor Air QUALITY	

- Reduced complaints
- Lower health concerns
- Improved employee productivity
- For schools, increased attendance	improved school performance,
- 		lower incidence of asthma
- EPA’s Tools for Schools Air Quality Program

## Leadership Opportunity

- Get Certified by the
-         U.S. Green Building Council
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED EB)
- Green housekeeping credits

## LEED EB Green Housekeeping Credits

- Walk-off mats (1 pt)
- Chemical storage mixing areas (1 pt)
- Isolate, exhaust copy rooms (1 pt)
- Low-impact cleaning fluid and housekeeping(1 pt)
- Sustainable cleaning and hard flooring coating systems
- Green Seal GS 37 or CA CR low voc
- Utilization of concentrated cleaning products
- Low impact disposable products (1 pt)
- Min. 30% PCW, 100% recycled paper products
- Manufactured without the use of chlorine
- Plastic trash bags
- Integrated indoor pest management (1 pt)
- Outdoor storage facility (1 pt)

## Why Buy Green?We are required to.

- RCRA 6002, Greening
- the Government EOs

- Statutes and
- Executive Orders

- FAR, CPG

- Green Procurement

- Regulations

- Departmental Policy

- DIAPRs

- Bureau Policy

- COTI, ...

- Regional/Facility
- Policy

- SOPs

## Executive Orders

- EO 12843
- Ozone
- Depleting
- Substances

- EO 13148 –
- Environmental Leadership

- EO 12902
- Energy Efficiency
-  and
- Water Conservation

- EO 12856
- Pollution Prevention

- EO 12669
- Community
- Right-to-Know

- EO 13101
- Waste Prevention,
- Recycling
- Federal Acquisition

- EO 12845
- Energy Efficient
- Computers

## Federal Acquisition Regulations

- Green Procurement Revisions Published June 6, 2000
- Ongoing revisions to accommodate new Greening the Government EOs.
- Part 7 - Acquisition Planning
- Part 11 - Defining Agency Needs
- Part 13 - Simplified Acquisition                                        Procedures
- Part 23 - Environment,                                                    Conservation ...
- Part 52 - Solicitation Provisions                                                    and Clauses

## Evaluating/Managing Product Risk

- Learn about your most hazardous ingredients/products
- Become a “Power MSDS User”
- Communicate hazards
- Be in style, wear appropriate PPE

## What are the highest risk products?

| Acid toilet bowl cleaner | Hydrochloric acid | Burns eyes & skin 
Can cause blindness |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Carpet spotter | Perchloroethylene
Hexane | Poisonous
Causes cancer
Flammable |
| General purpose cleaner | Butoxyethanol
Sodium hydroxide
Ethanolamine | Burns eyes and skin
Poisonous |
| Floor finish stripper | Butoxyethanol
Sodium hydroxide
Ethanolamine | Burns eyes and skin
Poisonous |
| Baseboard stripper | Butoxyethanol
Sodium hydroxide
Ethanolamine | Burns eyes and skin
Poisonous |

## More high risk products

| Graffiti Remover | Methylene chloride
Perchlorethylene | Poisonous
Causes cancer
Flammable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Glass cleaner | Butoexyethanol | Flammable
Poisonous |
| Disinfectant | Chlorine
Phenol
Quaternary ammonia
Hydrogen peroxide | Burns eyes and skin
Poisonous |

## Which ingredients have high risks?

| ACIDS | Hydrochloric acid
Phosphoric acid
Corrosive: | Causes blindness
Damages skin
Disrupts POTW |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CAUSTICS | Sodium hydroxide
Sodium metasilicate
Potassium hydroxide | Causes blindness
Damages skin
Disrupts POTW |
| SOLVENTS | Perchloroethylene
Butoxyethanol
Ethanolamine
Toluene
HCFC-141 | Causes cancer
Poison (absorbs though skin & poisons liver, kidneys, and fetus)
Depletes ozone layer |
| SURFACTANTS | Alkyl phenol ethoxylates | Endocrine disruption |
| DISINFECTANTS | Sodium hypochlorite
Paradichlorobenzene
Quaternary ammonium chloride | Corrosive & reactive
Causes cancer
Corrosive & CNS depressant |

## Hints on Using a MSDS

- Make sure it is no more than 1 year old
- Ask for “New Jersey” compliant version
- Call manufacturer and ask for fax
- You won’t find them at Home Depot
- Not all MSDSs are organized the same way

## What to look for on the MSDS?

- Section 1: Identification
- Date, Product name, Manufacturer, Emergency contact info, HMIS
- Section 2:  Hazardous ingredients
- Common name, CAS # for any chemical present at 1% or more or 0.1% of carcinogens, OSHA thresholds
- Section 3:  Physical properties
- -	% VOC, pH, vapor density, specific gravity, odor

- Section 4:  Fire hazard
- -  Flashpoint, fire fighting precautions, NFPA rating
- Section 5:  Reactivity
- Stability, incompatibility
- Section 6:  Health hazards
- Route of exposure, effects (CNS, target organ, respiratory, carcinogen, reproductive hazard)
- Section 7:  Spill/Disposal
- Section 8:  Safe Handling
- PPE needed (respiratory, gloves, googles)
- Ventilation reqs

## Hazard Communication

- Never can eliminate all risk
- Build HAZCOM into your program
- Buy comfortable PPE
- Personalize cleaning procedures
- Consider color-coding
- Make MSDS accessible to staff while working
- Practice spill response

## Personnel Protective Equipment

- Gloves
- Cotton liners
- Antibacterial handcream
- Chemical resistance
- (Nitrile)
- Googles
- Soft rubber
- Wrap-around
- Not impact safety glasses

- Apron
- For mixing
- Eyewash and shower
- Located within 10 seconds reach of any employee who is handling corrosive chemicals

## Finding Preferable Products

- Explore what is being used elsewhere
- Green Seal standard for general purpose, bathroom and glass cleaners
- Goal:  Use the least aggressive, safest product that is effective for the cleaning task

## Green Seal Standard Criteria

- Overall toxicity
- Carcinogenic/ reproductive toxicity
- Skin/eye irritant
- Sensitization
- Combustaibility
- Photochemical smog/ozone/IAQ
- Aquatic toxicity

- Aquatic biodegradability
- Eutrophication
- Packaging
- Concentrates
- Fragrances
- Prohibited Ingredients
- Training
- Animal testing

## Additional Concerns

- Phenol
- Glycol ethers
- Ethylene glycol
- Propylene glycol is safer
- When present in cleaner – WEAR GLOVES

## PAPER and Non-Chemical Products

- Bathroom tissue*
- 20-60% PCW
- Paper towels*
- 40-60% PCW
- Facial tissue
- 10-15% PCW
- Industrial wipers*
- 40% PCW
- Toilet seat covers

- Plastic trash bags*
- 10 – 100%
- Recycling containers*
- 20- 100% PCW, plastic
- Janitorial carts
- Plastic mop buckets
- *  Comprehensive Procurement Guideline item

## More products to consider

- Weed killers
- Vinegar, lemon juice based
- Insecticides
- Cayenne-based
- De-icers
- Buffered urea
- CMA
- ...

## Side By Side Comparisons

- Window cleaners
- Toilet cleaners
- Restroom cleaners
- Metal cleaners

## Greening DOI’s Main Interior BuildingCustodial Services

- Incorporation of Environmental Requirements
- Into Acquisition Processes:
- A Case Study in Buying
- Environmentally Preferable Services

## Main Interior Building

## Final FAR LanguageFederal Register 6/6/00

- _Part 11.002 Defining Agency Needs - Policy_
- “Executive agencies must consider use of recovered materials, environmentally preferable purchasing criteria developed by EPA, and environmental objectives (see 23.704 (b)) when-
- 	(1) developing, revising, ...specifications;
-     (2) describing government requirements...;
-     (3)  developing source selection factors.

## FAR 23.703Environmental Considerations

- Maximize the use of environmentally  preferable products and services;
- Maximize the use of energy-efficient products;
- Eliminate or reduce the generation of hazardous waste...;
- Promote the use of non-hazardous and recovered materials;
- Realize life-cycle cost savings;
- Promote cost effective waste reduction...;
- Consider use of biobased products.

## Scope of Services

- 1 year contract, 4 1-year options
-  Gross area: 1,423,745 s.f.
-  Occupant population: 2,936
-  Products:
-  Chemical cleaners, cleaning equipment, bathroom products
-  Services:
- daily cleaning, floors maintenance, trash removal and recycling, exterior windows (annually), venetian blinds (annually), elevator services, snow removal

## Process Followed

- Initial Request:                                 11/98
- Team Formed/Objectives Defined:  11/98
-  Research                                         12/98
-  Selection of Attributes:                      1/99
-  Revision of Solicitation:                     2/99
-  Solicitation Issued:                       2/12/99
-  Proposals Received:                        4/99
-  Award:                                              7/99

## Who Was Involved?

- Contract Team Consisted of:
- Facilities Management
- Solicitor’s Office
- Procurement Policy Office
- Environmental Policy Office
- NPS Environmental Management
- U.S. EPA Exposure Assessment Branch

## Getting Started

- Initial Challenges
- Absence of Existing Contract Language
- Absence of Guidelines to Define Compliance
-  Define Objectives and Scope:
- Follow Executive Order 13101
- Comply with CPG
- Custodial worker protection
- Indoor air quality
- Regional environmental considerations
- Waste minimization
- Inclusion of existing third party standards

## What had been done before?What did we want to do?

- Research into Available Standards:
- City of Santa Monica, Yellowstone NP
-  EPA/GSA Custodial Pilot
- Green Seal Paper and Household Cleaner Standards
-  Decisions Regarding Scope of Environmental Requirements, Attribute Selection -  Three parts:
- Chemical cleaning products,
- Recycled content products
- Recycling enhancement strategies

## Who Contract Was Modified

- Incorporation into Solicitation and Specifications
- Section C - Scope of Service
- Section L - Instructions to Offerors
- Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award
- Attachments
- Evaluation Plan:   Environmental Preferability Given 1/3 of Total Rating
- Two Panels:   Technical Evaluation Panel and Environmental

## Cleaning Chemical Characteristics

## Recycled Content Products

## Enhanced Recycling Strategies

- Procedures for monitoring waste/recycling volume
- Procedures for monitoring rates of participation in recycling program
- Procedures for promoting building occupant participation/avoid contamination
- Measures to ensure contractor observance of program

## Section M - Source Selection 

- 30% Environmental
- “  Completeness and thoroughness of submittal addressing environmental preferability/recycled content products and strategies for execution of a successful waste reduction/recycling program”
- Experience - 15%
-    (partially assigned to environmental)

## How Well Did It Work?

- A Lot of Questions at PreBid
- 19 Offers (Roughly Half Understood Environmental Submittal)
- Competitive Range: A Handful of Really Good Submitals
-  Best Value Selected: Best Environmental,  Best Technical,  Lowest Price of Competitive Range

## Update:  Spring 2003

- Chimes, a NISH affiliated work center, working since starting 9/01
- Chimes has now converted almost all of their sites in the DC Metro Area
- Over 20 million s.f. of federal office space cleaned with certified cleaners
- Improving indoor air quality for 90,000 federal office workers and workplace safety for 1,400 disabled workers!!!!

## Gloria, Night Supervisor, + Chemical Portioner

**Gloria, Night Supervisor, + Chemical Portioner**

## R-M Developed Mixing, Application Guidelines

## DOIs Mixing Guidelines

## Environmentally preferable tissue

##    RTU Solution Bottles

-    RTU Solution Bottles

## Our “Fish-Friendly Floors”

## Office Spruce Up

- Resulted in Donation of 150 boxes of Reusable Office Supplies to DCPS

## MIB Office Supply Recycling & Green Office SUPPLIES

- Donation of 27 Pentium II Computers, March 2002, to District of Columbia
- Public Schools

## Green Contracts

- Specification of green products
- Incentives to use green products (performance-based)
- Environmental submittals in response to solicitation
- Source selection factors include  environmental performance criteria

## Environmentally Preferable Services?

- Services that use environmentally preferable products and/or practices
- Custodial Services
- Operation and Maintenance
- Landscaping and Land Management
- Concessioner Operations
- Waste Removal
- Construction and Demolition/Remodeling
- Opportunities exist  with most federal service contracts/construction contracts.

## Guidance Document Resources

- Vendor “List of lists”
- Check list for Assessing Baseline Conditions
- Transition Planning Suggestions
- ASTM Standard E 1971 – Stewardship for the Cleaning of Commercial and Institutional Buildings
- Green Seal Standard
- DOI Custodial Contract Language

## JWOD Certified Green Cleaners

-    St. Louis Lighthouse for the Blind
-  	-  Rochester Midland
-   Blind Industries and Services of Maryland
- 	– Envirox and 3M Twist & Fill

## Resource Link

- http://GreeningInterior.doi.gov