| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.34 |
| Liaison | Jennifer Andrews |
| Submission Date | July 29, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of New Hampshire
OP-13: Cleaning Products Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.47 / 1.00 |
Larry
Van Dessel Executive Director of Facilities Services-UNH Facilities Construction and Design |
Does the institution have an institution-wide stated preference to purchase third party certified cleaning and janitorial products?:
A copy of the green cleaning product purchasing policy, directive, or guidelines:
The green cleaning product purchasing policy, directive, or guidelines:
UNH Facilities Housekeeping and DTZ have worked very hard to promote green cleaning on the UNH campus and to remove chemical cleansers and wasteful practices that have negative impacts on human health and the environment. Some of the green cleaning products used include:
* Green Seal® certified products include: neutral /all-purpose cleaners, disinfectants, glass cleaners, carpet cleaners, and pre-spray and extraction shampoos are used throughout campus.
* RTD® Dispensing Systems
* High efficiency filtration vacuum cleaners
* Automatic Floor Scrubbers including a automatic floor stripper that does not use chemicals
* Flat mopping systems using microfiber cloths
* Linpol® Organic Floor Cleaner and Protectant
Paper Products:
* EcoLogo certified SCA 100% toilet paper and roll towels
Mechanical Prevention and Practices:
* Effective mat systems are in place in all buildings, which dramatically reduces the amount of soil and moisture that gets tracked into a building. Have recently tested and are now purchasing mats that are 100% recycled material
* Discretionary use of disinfectants (considered toxic) are used only where necessary. Stripping of floors is only done on an “as needed” basis. We have purchased a floor stripping machine that strips large areas with only plain water or a very small amount of neutral cleaner added to the water.
* Marmoleum® flooring which does not require stripping and floor finishes is encouraged in new buildings. (Marmoleum is made with natural raw materials and installed with solvent free adhesives.)
* Presently, Housekeeping is using a neutral floor cleaner that is “low foam,” which eliminates the need of a foamer therefore using less chemicals and leaving the machine to use the “green” product exclusively.
* Carpet cleaning accomplished with shampoo sprayed carpet (instead of soaking carpet with chemical cleaners) and then extracted with water.
* Carpet care systems use a special "green" formulation that uses no hazardous chemicals, which means no residues or special handling. It also uses 30 times less water than some wet cleaning methods to exceed water conservation standards outlined by the US Green Building Council.
*Housekeeping has just recently purchased a steam cleaner that can be used without chemicals and although it is labor intensive it can be used for places such as the pool deck and locker rooms where normally a strong chemical product would be used.
A brief description of steps the institution has taken to ensure that the purchasing policy, directives, or guidelines are followed:
UNH Housekeeping and UNICCO staff go through regular training.
Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (expenditures on cleaning and janitorial products)?:
Expenditures on Green Seal and/or UL Environment (EcoLogo) certified cleaning and janitorial products:
Total expenditures on cleaning and janitorial products:
Has the institution's main cleaning or housekeeping department(s) and/or contractor(s) adopted a Green Seal or ISSA certified low-impact, ecological (“green”) cleaning program?:
A brief description of the institution’s low-impact, ecological cleaning program:
A copy of the sections of the cleaning contract(s) that reference certified green products:
The sections of the cleaning contract(s) that reference certified green products:
The website URL where information about the institution’s green cleaning initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
DTZ contact: Craig Garland, craig.garland@unh.edu
UNH Housekeeping contacts: Gene Gargano, Jean Mitchell, gene.gargano@unh.edu, jean.mitchell@unh.edu
DTZ contact: Craig Garland, craig.garland@unh.edu
UNH Housekeeping contacts: Gene Gargano, Jean Mitchell, gene.gargano@unh.edu, jean.mitchell@unh.edu
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.