ECOLOGO AND GREEN SEAL LAUNCH GREEN HAND SOAP CRITERIA
The EcoLogo
Program(M) and Green Seal Inc., which identify and promote products and
services that are more environmentally responsible – have developed new,
identical audit criteria for hand soap.
The move allows
companies with environmentally preferable products to undergo one audit and
receive both certifications after application.
“This is a brand
new standard for Green Seal and replaces the previous EcoLogo CCD 104 standard
for industrial cleaners created in 1997,” said Linda Chipperfield, director of
Marketing and Outreach for Green Seal. “And it includes criteria for all
industrial and institutional hand cleaner products.”
According to the
new standards, hand cleaners are those products designed to remove organic and
inorganic soil from skin.
Industrial hand
cleaners are usually found in the public washrooms of airports, restaurants,
retail stores, educational facilities and office buildings.
However,
Chipperfield said that the new standards do not apply to hand cleaners used in
households, food preparation operations or medical facilities, nor do they
cover anti-bacterial hand cleaners or hand sanitizers.
“Conventional hand
cleaners may contain unnecessary anti-microbial ingredients, be wastefully
packaged, negatively impact indoor air quality, and/or contain ingredients that
irritate the skins,” said Stewart Fast, a researcher in EcoLogo’s Science and
Certification Group. “And when their active ingredients are washed down drains,
they can negatively affect water ways and aquatic ecosystems.”
According to Fast,
based on these criteria, EcoLogo and Green Seal will award certification to
hand cleaners that:
- Perform as well as or better than
conventional hand cleaners;
- Are biodegradable and have limited
toxicity to aquatic life;
- Are packaged in recyclable
packaging, ideally incorporating recycled content;
- Have eliminated ingredients
considered likely to negatively impact health and the environment.
“Certification
under the new standards indicates reduced impact of all of these variables and
their effect on the health of the individual user and the environment,” Fast
said.
“These standards
are fully up-to-date and give manufacturers the opportunity to expand their
Green product line,” said Environmental Choice Program Vice President, Kevin
Gallagher. “They also allow facility managers and cleaning professionals to
incorporate them into their Green cleaning programs, positively impacting
health and the environment.”
For more
information, visit the ECP web site at www.ecologo.org .
