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Going Green

Benefits of Green Cleaning

Green cleaning is all about reducing risk. Risk is the measure of the probability and severity of harm to human health or the environment. It is based on the type and toxicity of a hazard (that is, its potential effect on plants, animals, humans, and ecosystems) and the type and degree of exposure to that hazard (based on intensity, frequency, and duration). Risk is characterized by evaluating hazard and exposure together, along with the pathways by which people or the environment are likely to become exposed (e.g., through eyes, skin, lungs, or mouth and through contact with contaminated air, water, or soil).

No matter what changes are made to traditional products and processes, cleaning buildings-like all other activities in life-will never be without risk. All risk, however, can be evaluated on a continuum that ranges from very high to very low. Current cleaning practices might pose very high risks or avoidable risks, and changing certain practices and products might reduce unnecessarily hazardous practices with alternatives that are equally effective. Keep in mind, however, that although hazards and exposures generally can be evaluated for humans or the environment, the specific risk to an individual person or individual waterway, for example, will be unique based on individual circumstances, such as pre-existing health conditions, and vulnerabilities (i.e., asthma, heart disease) (for example, children and the elderly are more vulnerable). There are also trade-offs to be considered-for example, using a less-toxic product that requires more scrubbing to be effective-might reduce the risk of inhalation or skin contact, but that might also increase the risk of arm or hand injuries brought on by additional scrubbing.

Green Cleaning benefits include:

  • Reduce health effects to building occupants and janitorial staff, such as skin, eye, and respiratory irritation or burns; allergies; multiple-chemical sensitivity; headaches; nausea or other gastrointestinal ailments; poisoning; cancer; reproductive hazards; and damage to liver, kidneys, and other internal organs.

  • Increase safety by reducing the likelihood and frequency of fires, explosions, spills, and splashes.

  • Reduce environmental impacts, including regional and global environmental issues such as air pollution, water pollution, raw materials resource use, bioaccumulation of chemicals in plants and animals, ozone depletion, and global climate change. Green cleaning also reduces the amount and toxicity of products and chemicals requiring disposal.

  • Reduce costs to building management, tenants, and/or the janitorial company associated with sick leave, health care, productivity loss, and litigation.

  • Increase occupant and worker satisfaction, including improved morale, productivity and efficiency, quality of life, and sense of well-being. This can result from decreased health effects and decreased annoyances such as malodor.

Source: Department of the Interior (www.doi.gov)
 
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