[Plant Sanitation] Keep it Clean, Keep it Green

The environmental impact of a cleaning product is unquestionably affected by its chemical make-up and even method of manufacturing, but the overall eco-friendliness of a product will depend on the entire life cycle of that product — from manufacture to use to disposal, and every person who is connected with that product — from manufacture to use to disposal.

It is this life-cycle approach that earns cleaning and sanitizing products the Green Seal mark of environmental responsibility and improves environmental sustainability and safety in the facilities where the products are used.

GREEN CERTIFICATION. Founded in 1989 as a U.S. counterpart to environmental certifying agencies arising around the world, Green Seal is a non-profit, independent, third-party organization that certifies products as environmentally friendly, and advises and assists institutions and industry sectors in their efforts to green their purchasing, operations and facilities management functions.

“Like the global programs, we wanted to look at the whole environmental impact from the raw material through the manufacturing process to the packaging and labeling and the impact of the product on the environment while it exists,” said Linda Chipperfield, vice president of marketing and outreach.

Although there is an increasing trend today toward environmental consideration in products, such consideration was in its infancy when the organization was begun. In fact, she said, “We started creating supply and demand at the same time.” The organization writes standards according to the EPA definition of third-party certification; certifies according to ISO standards; and implements procedures conforming to international standards for eco-labeling. Green Seal certifies products in a variety of categories, but GS-37 for Industrial and Institutional Cleaners is, by far, its most popular standard, with more than 100 companies certifying products in this category.

With a number of its own products certified by Green Seal and other certifying organizations, JohnsonDiversey, based in Sturtevant, Wis., takes the life-cycle approach to green cleaning, said George Agius, business development director, JohnsonDiversey North American Food Group. It considers the impact of a product on the environment in its manufacturing methods and recommendations for and training on product preparation, use and disposal, while ensuring that the product’s cleaning properties are effective and safe.

PRODUCT DESIGN. During product development, Agius said, consideration should be given to the type of raw materials employed, using the safest possible materials without compromising performance. The fate of the cleaning product when it reaches the effluent should also be considered. For example:

• A product with a low biochemical oxygen demand reduces the strain on the facility faced with treating the effluent.
• Product raw materials should not decompose into toxic byproducts during effluent treatment.
• Materials should be chosen that do not react with soils to produce undesirable byproducts, e.g., using chlorine dioxide instead of chlorine as a sanitizer, since chlorine produces trihalogenomethanes when reacting with soils.

PRODUCT USE. When using a product, special attention should be given to its intended use and recommended concentration. If the label recommends a one percent product concentration, use one percent and not five. Exceeding the recommended concentration results in waste and could pose a safety hazard. Automating the dispensing of a product can be beneficial in decreasing the environmental footprint and improving the overall safety of a product. By automating the dosage, you factor out human contact, human error and even human forgetfulness. In addition, there is generally less waste because the equipment can be set to precisely measure and monitor the product.

WATER CONSERVATION. Minimizing the amount of water required for cleaning and sanitizing reduces the demand for water and decreases the amount of outgoing wastewater that may require treatment. Water usage includes not only that needed for the particular application, but also that needed for rinsing. Food plant water audits are becoming important instruments to identify and reduce water consumption in a food plant.  

ENERGY. “If you don’t need a high temperature, don’t use it,” Agius said. For example, it is an industry practice to sanitize with high temperatures by bringing the equipment up to 80o C.  “It is very, very energy intensive and very hard on the equipment,” he said. Using a cold chemical sanitizer can reduce the energy and associated carbon dioxide emissions employed to produce that energy.

SAFETY. The product should be the safest possible to personnel using it. Safety precautions during the use of the product should be clearly indicated and appropriate training given to personnel. Ideally, the cleaning product should have only materials that are ‘generally regarded as safe,’ minimizing possible contamination, in case of incidental contact with food, e.g. when it is applied to a food contact surface.
 
THE TREND. With the growing consumer demand for organic products, an increasing number of food manufacturers are seeking third-party validation of their environmental processes, including that of green cleaning with certified products. While Green Seal certification doesn’t certify a food product as organic or green, it does provide an additional way for food processors to differentiate themselves and their products.

And with the improvements in the products themselves and their pricing, manufacturers and processors have become more willing to use them in their facilities. “Green products have changed over the years,” Chipperfield explained. They are not necessarily any more expensive and they work. “They have to perform,” she said. “We won’t certify anything that doesn’t perform as well as other leading products in that category.”

“People are looking for more information and becoming more aware that ‘greenwashing’ is going on,” Chipperfield added, and manufacturers of all products are responding. Green Seal certification has itself grown exponentially, in 2005 the organization had certified 500 products, today it has more than 1,000, she said, with new requests for certification coming in every day. It is a trend that is growing and an operational procedure that puts manufacturers in a good position. “Ultimately this will give them a way to differentiate themselves,” she said.