Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with
environmentally friendly
Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...
ingredients and procedures which are designed to preserve human health and environmental quality. Green cleaning techniques and products avoid the use of products which contain toxic
chemicals
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...
, some of which emit
volatile organic compounds
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature
Colloquially, "room temperature" is a range of air temperatures that most people prefer for indoor settings. It feels comfortable to a ...
causing
respiratory
The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies grea ...
,
dermatological
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical ...
and other conditions. Green cleaning can also describe the way residential and industrial cleaning products are manufactured, packaged and distributed. If the manufacturing process is environmentally friendly and the products are
biodegradable
Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegradati ...
, then the term "''green''" or "''
eco-friendly
Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...
''" may apply.
Product labeling programs
Among the product-labeling programs is the
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
's (EPA) Design for the Environment program which labels products that meet EPA's criteria for chemicals. These products are allowed to carry the
Design for the Environment (DfE) label, renamed
EPA Safer Choice
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Safer Choice label, previously known as the Design for the Environment (DfE) label, helps consumers and commercial buyers identify and select products with safer chemical ingredients, without s ...
in 2015. Generally, products which are labelled 'low' or 'zero'
VOC
VOC, VoC or voc may refer to:
Science and technology
* Open-circuit voltage (VOC), the voltage between two terminals when there is no external load connected
* Variant of concern, a category used during the assessment of a new variant of a virus
...
are safer for human and animal health in the home as well as the environment. In addition, EPA's
Toxic Substances Control Act
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a United States law, passed by the 94th United States Congress in 1976 and administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that regulates chemicals not regulated by other U.S. ...
addresses chemicals in the environment and makes regulatory rules to maximize human health. There are also independent product labeling programs for cleaning products and cleaning services offered by nonprofit organizations like
Green Seal
Green Seal is a non-profit environmental standard development and certification organization. Its flagship program is the certification of products and services. Certification is based on Green Seal standards, which contain performance, health, an ...
.
On October 15, 2017, California Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...
signed into law
Senate Bill 258, the
Cleaning Product Right to Know Act. The bill was brought to the floor by
Senator Ricardo Lara and supported by some of the oldest green cleaning manufacturers, such as Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks of
Earth Friendly Products and board member of the
American Sustainable Business Council, as well as mainstream companies who are entering into the green cleaning space such as
SC Johnson
S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (commonly referred to as S. C. Johnson) is an American multinational, privately held manufacturer of household cleaning supplies and other consumer chemicals based in Racine, Wisconsin. In 2017, S. C. Joh ...
who recently purchased
Mrs. Meyers and
Method
Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to:
*Scien ...
. The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act makes California the first state to require ingredient labeling both on product labels and online for cleaning products. Unlike retail packaged food, no federal requirements exist for disclosing ingredients on cleaning products. The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act will require known hazardous chemicals in cleaning products to be listed on both product labels and online by 2020. The legislation lists 34 chemicals found in cleaning products that have been shown to
cause cancer,
birth defect
A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...
s,
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
and other serious health effects:
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1,4-Dioxane
1,4-Dioxane () is a heterocyclic organic compound, classified as an ether. It is a colorless liquid with a faint sweet odor similar to that of diethyl ether. The compound is often called simply dioxane because the other dioxane isomers ( 1,2- ...
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1,1-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethane is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. It is a colorless oily liquid with a chloroform-like odor. It is not easily soluble in water, but miscible with most organic solvents.
Large volumes of 1,1-dichloroethane are manufactured, with ...
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Acrylic acid
Acrylic acid (IUPAC: propenoic acid) is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCOOH. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected directly to a carboxylic acid terminus. This colorless liquid has a ...
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Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, ...
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Benzidine
Benzidine (trivial name), also called 1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (systematic name), is an organic compound with the formula (C6H4NH2)2. It is an aromatic amine. It is a component of a test for cyanide. Related derivatives are used in the produc ...
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1,3-Butadiene
1,3-Butadiene () is the organic compound with the formula (CH2=CH)2. It is a colorless gas that is easily condensed to a liquid. It is important industrially as a precursor to synthetic rubber. The molecule can be viewed as the union of two viny ...
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Carbon tetrachloride
Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (such as tetrachloromethane, also IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry, recognised by the IUPAC, carbon tet in the cleaning industry, Halon-104 in firefighting, and Refrigerant-10 in HVAC ...
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Chloroform
Chloroform, or trichloromethane, is an organic compound with chemical formula, formula Carbon, CHydrogen, HChlorine, Cl3 and a common organic solvent. It is a colorless, strong-smelling, dense liquid produced on a large scale as a precursor to ...
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Ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered Ring (chemistry), ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless a ...
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Nitrilotriacetic acid
Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) is the aminopolycarboxylic acid with the formula N(CH2CO2H)3. It is a colourless solid that is used as a chelating agent, which forms coordination compounds with metal ions (chelates) such as Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, and Fe3 ...
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Butyl benzyl phthalate
Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) is an organic compound historically used a plasticizer, but which has now been largely phased out due to health concerns. It is a phthalate ester of containing benzyl alcohol, and ''n''-butanol tail groups. Like mos ...
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Butyl decyl phthalate
In organic chemistry, butyl is a four-carbon alkyl radical or substituent group with general chemical formula , derived from either of the two isomers (''n''-butane and isobutane) of butane.
The isomer ''n''-butane can connect in two ways, g ...
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Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, diisooctyl phthalate, DEHP; incorrectly — dioctyl phthalate, DIOP) is an organic compound with the formula C6H4(CO2C8H17)2. DEHP is the most common member of the cl ...
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Diethyl phthalate
Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is a phthalate ester. It occurs as a colourless liquid without significant odour but has a bitter, disagreeable taste. It is more dense than water and insoluble in water; hence, it sinks in water.
Synthesis and application ...
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Diisobutyl phthalate
Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) is prepared by esterification process of isobutanol and phthalic anhydride. Its structural formula is C6H4(COOCH2CH(CH3)2)2.
DIBP is an odorless plasticizer and has excellent heat and light stability. It is the lowest ...
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Di(n-octyl) phthalate
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Diisononyl phthalate
Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) is a phthalate used as a plasticizer. DINP is typically a mixture of chemical compounds consisting of various isononyl esters of phthalic acid, and is commonly used in a large variety of plastic items.
Health Issues
...
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Dioctyl phthalate
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, diisooctyl phthalate, DEHP; incorrectly — dioctyl phthalate, DIOP) is an organic compound with the formula C6H4(CO2C8H17)2. DEHP is the most common member of the cl ...
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Butylparaben
Butylparaben, or butyl ''p''-hydroxybenzoate, is an organic compound with the formula . It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. It has proven to be a highly successful antimicrobial preservative in cosmetics. It is also used in ...
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Ethylparaben
Ethylparaben (ethyl ''para''-hydroxybenzoate) is the ethyl ester of ''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid. Its formula is HO-C6H4-CO-O-CH2CH3. It is a member of the class of compounds known as parabens.
It is used as an antifungal preservative. As a food ...
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Isobutylparaben
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Methylparaben
Methylparaben, also methyl paraben, one of the parabens, is a preservative with the chemical formula CH3(C6H4(OH)COO). It is the methyl ester of ''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid.
Natural occurrences
Methylparaben serves as a pheromone for a variety ...
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Propylparaben
Propylparaben, the ''n''-propyl ester of ''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid, occurs as a natural substance found in many plants and some insects, although it is manufactured synthetically for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and foods. It is a member ...
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Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section F ...
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DMDM hydantoin
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Diazolidinyl urea
Diazolidinyl urea is an antimicrobial preservative used in cosmetics. It is chemically related to imidazolidinyl urea which is used in the same way. Diazolidinyl urea acts as a formaldehyde releaser.
It is used in many cosmetics, skin care prod ...
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Glyoxal
Glyoxal is an organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of ...
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Imidazolidinyl urea
Imidazolidinyl urea is an antimicrobial preservative used in cosmetics . It is chemically related to diazolidinyl urea which is used in the same way. Imidazolidinyl urea acts as a formaldehyde releaser.
Safety
Some people have a contact aller ...
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Polyoxymethylene urea
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Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
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2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
Bronopol (INN; chemical name 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol) is an organic compound that is used as an antimicrobial. It is a white solid although commercial samples appear yellow.
The first reported synthesis of bronopol was in 1897.
Bronopol ...
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N-Nitrosodimethylamine
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N-Nitrosodiethylamine
''N''-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) is an organic compound with the formula Et2NNO (Et = C2H5). A member of the nitrosamines, it is a light-sensitive, volatile, clear yellow oil that is soluble in water, lipids, and other organic solvents. It has ...
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1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantane chloride
In the announcement
made by the California State Senate said the bill was in
"response to consumers' demand for transparency."
See also
*
Green Seal
Green Seal is a non-profit environmental standard development and certification organization. Its flagship program is the certification of products and services. Certification is based on Green Seal standards, which contain performance, health, an ...
*
Cleaning agent
Cleaning agents or hard-surface cleaners are substances (usually liquids, powders, sprays, or granules) used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, removin ...
*
Environmental impact of cleaning agents
*
Design for the Environment Design for the Environment (DfE) is a design approach to reduce the overall human health and environmental impact of a product, process or service, where impacts are considered across its life cycle. Different software tools have been developed to a ...
*
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
*
Greenwashing
Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewash"), also called "green sheen", is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Epa.gov
Cleaning products
Cleaning and the environment
Cleaning methods