United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency

EPA742-F-97-001

June 1997

Pollution Prevention 

and Toxics

(7409)

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing In Action

Cleaning Products 

Pilot Project Fact Sheet

1EPA

Cleaning products were selected as

the first EPP pilot project, because

they are used throughout the federal

government. The project consisted of

three phases:

• A field test to examine the performance, health and safety, and 

environmental impacts of several 

alternative cleaning products

• An environmental impact assessment conducted by EPA

• Developing a list of environmentally preferable cleaning product

attributes. 

After considering several methods

for highlighting the key environmental attributes, the GSA/EPA team

developed a matrix. It allows purchasers to identify and compare 

commercial cleaning products with

reduced human health and environmental impacts. 

The matrix was first published in

GSA’s February 1996 Commercial

Cleaning Supplies catalog, which was

distributed to more than 15,000 federal government buyers. The catalog

included a 13-page section listing 48

commercially available biodegradable

cleaners and degreasers from 30 suppliers. Additional information on

seven environmental attributes for 28

of the 48 products was voluntarily

provided by the manufacturers and

suppliers. The matrix allows purchasers to compare cleaning products

based on the environmental attributes

most critical for their geographic

region and intended use.

Environmentally

preferable products

are “products and

services [that] have a

lesser or reduced

effect on human

health and the 

environment when

compared to other

products and 

services that serve the

same purpose.”

Executive Order 12873,

Federal Acquisition,

Recycling, and Waste

Prevention

October 20, 1993

Now, federal buildings can be both green and clean, because government

buyers have a tool for comparing cleaning products on the basis of their

environmental attributes. A matrix was developed as part of the

Cleaning Products Pilot Project that makes it easy to select a cleaning product

based on local environmental needs. The project is a cooperative effort between

the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) to facilitate the purchase of environmentally preferable products as required by Executive Order 12873.

The project is the first of many environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP)

pilot projects being developed by EPA, in partnership with other federal agencies, to demonstrate how environmental considerations can be successfully

incorporated into purchasing decisions.

Project Overview

2Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
Following publication of the

matrix, more than 80 companies

requested information on joining

the program. Manufacturers provided environmental attribute information for three additional cleaning

products, which were included in

the matrix published in the July

1997 GSA catalog. GSA also

expanded the matrix to include all of

the cleaning products that meet the

acute toxicity and biodegradability

criteria detailed in the Federal

Supply Schedule Contract for

Biodegradable Cleaners/Degreasers

(solicitation number FTC-92-MT7906B). An excerpt from the revised

matrix is provided on the inside of

this fact sheet.

Environmental 

Attribute Matrix

As shown inside this fact sheet,

the matrix lists the seven environmental attributes selected by the

GSA/EPA team across the top and

provides information for each of the

cleaning products underneath.

None of the attributes is considered

more important than any other.

Each government buyer is allowed

to select the most relevant

attribute(s) for their needs and balance the available environmental

information, along with traditional

factors such as price and performance, when making purchasing

decisions.

The following is a brief description of the seven attributes. Consult

the matrix on the inside of this fact

sheet for more detailed information

on each environmental attribute.

1. Skin Irritation

Some cleaning products can cause skin

redness or swelling.

Products with a

lower skin irritation

potential are more preferable

than those with a higher irritation

potential.

2. Food Chain Exposure 

Some cleaning products contain chemicals that can enter

the food chain when

consumed by aquatic

plants and animals. Chemical

concentrations can increase

throughout the food chain as

these plants and animals are consumed by larger animals.

Products that contain ingredients

that are less likely to accumulate

in this manner are preferable.

3. Air Pollution Potential

Some cleaning products contain volatile

organic compounds

(VOCs) that can

escape during product use. VOCs have been linked

to smog formation, which has

been shown to cause eye, nose,

throat, and lung irritation and to

cause asthma attacks. As a result,

many state and local authorities

have restrictions on the use of

VOCs. The lower the VOC percentage, the more preferable the

product.

4. Fragrances

Fragrances are added

to some cleaning

products to improve

their odor or mask

offensive odors. A

basic principle of pollution prevention is to avoid additives that

are unnecessary, which might

suggest avoiding products with

fragrance additives. Some people,

however, consider fragrances necessary for aesthetic reasons or to

distinguish among cleaning products. It is up to the individual

government purchaser to determine if fragrances are a necessary

ingredient.

5. Dyes

Like fragrances,

some cleaning products contain dyes to

change or enhance

the aesthetics of a

product. While the addition of

dyes contributes little to the

cleaning value of the product, it

may be important for safety reasons, like differentiating between

products and other liquids such as

water. Again, a basic principle of

pollution prevention is to avoid

unnecessary additives, and it is up

to the individual government

purchaser to determine if dyes

are a necessary ingredient.
6. PackagingReduced/Recovered Content

A product’s packaging can account for a

significant portion of

the product’s contribution to the solid

waste stream. EPA’s recommended approach to managing solid

waste is to reduce product packaging and use recovered materials

when packaging is necessary.

Products with reduced packaging

or recovered content packaging

are preferable. Reduced packaging, however, often results in a

product being shipped as a concentrate, which can create additional human health or environmental risks. As a result, the following attribute is related to

product packaging.

7. Product Includes Features to

Minimize Exposure to

Concentrate

Although packaging a

product in concentrated form may

result in reduced

packaging, it raises

the potential that the

end-users of the product will be

exposed to the concentrate.

Exposure to the concentrate may

place the end-user at greater

health risk than exposure to the

ready-to-use product. It is preferable that products shipped as

concentrates are provided in

packaging that minimizes concentrate exposure.

Alternative Methods 

for Identifying

Environmentally

Preferable Products

The environmental attribute

matrix was not the only method

considered to promote the purchase

of environmentally preferable cleaning products. The GSA/EPA team

also considered establishing thresholds for individual environmental

attributes. Products that met the

thresholds would be placed on a list

of “green” cleaning products or be

identified by a “green dot.”

Proponents of this method suggested that this would be the most convenient for government buyers.

Others felt that if minimum environmental performance criteria

were established, manufacturers

would have no incentive to exceed

the minimum criteria. They also

suggested that, although a “green

dot” would make it easier for buyers, it might also obscure vital environmental information including

which environmental attribute(s)

warranted the “green dot.” Such

information is important, because

government purchasers buy cleaning

products for a variety of situations—from remote forest service

outposts to entire military

bases—each of which has unique

environmental and performance

needs.

The environmental attribute

matrix was selected over the “green

dot,” because it allows purchasers to

compare product attributes and

select products that meet their predetermined environmental, performance, and cost requirements.

Environmentally

Preferable Purchasing

Environmentally Preferable

Purchasing (EPP) promotes

federal government use of

products and services that

have reduced impacts on

human health and the

environment. Such purchases are required by

Executive Order 12873,

Federal Acquisition,

Recycling, and Waste

Prevention. The Executive

Order also directed EPA to

develop guidelines to help

federal agencies incorporate environmental preferability into their purchasing

procedures. 
1EPA

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

(7409)

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use

$300

Future EPP Pilot Projects

Although not a project objective,

as the first EPP pilot, the Cleaning

Products Pilot Project is likely to

influence the direction of future

pilots. Some of the lessons learned

from this pilot may be specific to

cleaning products, while others may

be relevant for other product categories. Other EPP projects, for

example, may adopt alternatives to

the environmental attribute matrix to

help government buyers make purchasing decisions. Each environmentally preferable pilot project will be

unique due to the differences

between the product categories, environmental attributes being examined,

and the stakeholders involved.

Additional EPP projects are being

developed and implemented by federal, state, and local government

agencies, as well as in the private sector. Future fact sheets and case studies will document their successes. 

EPA’s Pollution Prevention

Information Clearinghouse

(PPIC) has several EPP documents available, including

Executive Order 12873 on

Federal Acquisition, Recycling,

and Waste Prevention; EPA’s

Guidance on Acquisition of

Environmentally Preferable

Products and Services (60 FR

50722); and the Cleaning

Products Pilot Project Case Study

(EPA742-R-97-002), which

documents the history of and

lessons learned from the pilot

project. 

For copies or additional

information, please contact:

EPA/PPIC

401 M Street, SW. (7409)

Washington, DC 20460

Phone: 202 260-1023

Fax: 202 260-4659

To order a copy of GSA’s

Commercial Cleaning Supplies

catalog, which includes the

most recent update to the 

environmental attribute matrix,

please contact:

GSA/FSS

Paints and Chemicals

Center (10FTI)

400 15th Street, SW.

Auburn, WA 98001-6599

Phone: 800 241-7246

For Additional Information