| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.58 |
| Liaison | Steve Mital |
| Submission Date | May 18, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Oregon
OP-13: Cleaning Products Purchasing
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.27 / 1.00 |
Kim
Carson Administrative Program Assist Office of Sustainability |
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:
Have a standard practice of purchasing Green Seal Products and products from the Sustainable Earth Product Line. The Custodial Services at the University of Oregon started our change to green chemicals in 2003. We changed over to green chemicals for several reasons; provided a safer environment for our employees and building users, promoted indoor air quality by decreasing pollutants from chemical use, and reduced health and environmental impact on our campus. We have succeeded in finding highly efficient safe and versatile cleaners without sacrificing our performance in cleaning with minimal increase to our budget. Custodial Services uses green products in our general cleaning, carpet cleaning, as well as disinfecting and cleaning restrooms throughout campus. Our total percentage by volume in using green cleaning products is 99.1%. We are diligently looking for cutting edge chemicals that are safe, versatile and environmentally responsible without forfeiting performance. There are two main areas that we are not yet using green products: floor stripping and waxing, and window cleaning. We are testing new products constantly in these areas and hope to come up with a solution soon. Housing purchases Green Seal Products from Coastwide whenever possible. We were the testers for the Coastwide Products.
A brief description of steps the institution has taken to ensure that the purchasing policy, directives, or guidelines are followed:
Cleaning products are an important part of keeping and maintaining our campus, from using glass cleaner for the windows, or shampoo for the carpeting. We understand how important it is to keep the faculty and staff informed of all the MSDS on the products we use. We have made a commitment to change over to green cleaning products for a healthy building environment. We are using Sustainable Earth products for general cleaning purposes. More on the Material Safety Data Sheet for UO and Sustainable Earth Products here: https://campusops.uoregon.edu/custodial-services/custodial-products We have a commodity code 486 to track green purchases. We are constantly evaluating new green products as they become available as a standard operating procedure. Also always looking at reduction of product usage.
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:
All of the values above are for Calendar Year 2010. The total dollars spent on janitorial supplies is an estimate provided by Bob Swanson- UO Property Coordinator. A big reason for the gap between green and total cleaning supply purchases is possibly that many of the purchases accounted for include more than just "cleaning products" and also include other janitorial products for which there is no Green Seal/EcoLogo alternative. We will work on finding a more refined way to track these purchases in the future. UO Facilities Services purchases nearly all Green Seal certified cleaning products, as does UO Housing. They are working on a written policy to address this. In Athletics, nearly all of the paper, soap and chemical purchases are either EcoLogo or Green Seal Certified. The totals above, except for the total purchases, do not include the EMU.
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:
Have a standard practice of purchasing Green Seal Products and products from the Sustainable Earth Product Line. The Custodial Services at the University of Oregon started our change to green chemicals in 2003. We changed over to green chemicals for several reasons; provided a safer environment for our employees and building users, promoted indoor air quality by decreasing pollutants from chemical use, and reduced health and environmental impact on our campus. We have succeeded in finding highly efficient safe and versatile cleaners without sacrificing our performance in cleaning with minimal increase to our budget. Custodial Services uses green products in our general cleaning, carpet cleaning, as well as disinfecting and cleaning restrooms throughout campus. Our total percentage by volume in using green cleaning products is 99.1%. We are diligently looking for cutting edge chemicals that are safe, versatile and environmentally responsible without forfeiting performance. There are two main areas that we are not yet using green products: floor stripping and waxing, and window cleaning. We are testing new products constantly in these areas and hope to come up with a solution soon. Housing purchases Green Seal Products from Coastwide whenever possible.
The website URL where information about the institution’s green cleaning initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.