University of Calgary
OP-11: Cleaning Products Purchasing

All cleaning chemicals are now EcoLogo and/or Green seal certified. We have eliminated the purchase of all other products from our standard inventories. This includes disinfectants but would exclude specific treatments for events such as H1N1 which would require something more aggressive and therefore not certified by Ecologo but this would account for less than .25 percent of our supplies budget. Other products such as equipment purchased are now also all certified (such as the CRI – Carpet Research Institute) for vacuums, extractors, etc. All floor cleaning equipment used are also compliant, battery systems used are gel type, phasing out all lead/acid batteries as replacements are needed. We utilize a full line of Microfiber cloths and mops which are cleaned utilizing EcoLogo certified cleaners. All other products have been eliminated or are in the process of being phased out (utilizing old stock to eliminate any hazardous waste issues). Minimum sustainability standards are specified for paper products, cleaning chemicals, cleaning supplies and small tools in Supply Chain Management's Request for Proposal with respect to green cleaning products (attached). The contract with the selected preferred supplier specifies certified green cleaning products to be delivered (also attached). The University of Calgary is currently developing a Green Cleaning Guideline which will address the sustainability requirements for cleaning products used on the campus. This guideline will require all cleaning products to comply with Green Seal GS-37 or the applicable Environmental Choice standard. All cleaning products on the University of Calgary’s purchasing stock list are being reviewed to confirm compliance with the forthcoming guideline.