Cleanlink News December 16 2009
Revising the EcoLogo Green Cleaning Standard
The EcoLogo Program is currently revising its standard for hard surface cleaners and is pleased to announce its call for public comment on the preliminary research conducted for this widely used standard.
“Cleaning products play a critical role in keeping indoor and outdoor surfaces safe,” says Scot Case, Executive Director of the EcoLogo Program. “This standard is being revised to ensure it continues to define environmental leadership for chemical products used to clean hard surfaces.”
The preliminary research was conducted to identify potential environmental impacts across the lifecycle of this type of product. Like all EcoLogo standards, this revised standard will take into account the resource extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal of hard surface cleaners to ensure it represents environmental leadership.
The EcoLogo Program is also attempting to achieve greater harmonization with other programs including Green Seal, DfE, GreenGuard, and the Information Based Environmental Label (IBEL) being developed by ISSA. Another possible addition to the standard may be the ability for manufacturers to include additional verified environmental claims below the label (what is known as an environmental product declaration).
The standard review process will be supported by staff at the University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products, leaders in the development of environmental product and material standards.
This stakeholder consultation period will be open for 60 days beginning December 7, 2009. Comments must be received by Thursday, February 4, 2010.
The EcoLogo Program asks that anyone interested in becoming a stakeholder, or an advisory committee member, in the revision of the EcoLogo Hard Surface Cleaners Standard send an email to Jack Geibig at cleanproducts@utk.edu. All feedback about this standard should be forwarded to Jack, as well. To access the discussion document, or for more information on the revision, please visit: www.ecologo.org. For any questions pertaining directly to the EcoLogo standard development and review process itself, please contact Katherine Stewart at: kstewart@ecologo.org, or call: (613) 247-1900 ext. 231.
