Williams College
IN-25: Innovation B

The custodial team uses a technology called Orbio to clean all types of surfaces across campus. Rather than buying and stocking chemical cleaners, or even green certified cleaners, this cleaning product is made from water and salt to create a sodium hydroxide solution (this is the basis of detergents). This method of cleaning has a lot of benefits - it can be re-filled into the same spray bottles and therefore reduces plastic waste; all that is shipped is the salt, so the transportation emissions are drastically reduced; there are no odors or off-gasing agents and therefore it increases indoor air quality and does not impact building users or the custodial staff who clean with it daily in any negative way; there can be many generators around campus, reducing the need to carry or transport large amounts of cleaning product from a central storage facility for use in outbuildings; it creates a multipurpose solution, simplifying the array of cleaning products needed, and lessens the demand on training which product is for use where; because it is not composed of synthetic compounds, it can easily break down and does not pollute water or grounds during use or disposal.