Sustainable Development and Society - GSA

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Sustainable Development and Society 2. Employ Entryway Systems. Since 80% to 90% of all dirt enters a building on people’s feet, installing and maintaining entryway systems can have an enormous impact on both people’s health, as well as cleaning costs. Grills, grates, mats, etc. should be used both inside and outside to prevent dirt, dust, pollen, and other particles from entering the building. Entryway systems should cover a minimum of 12 feet (when walking across the mats, each foot should hit the mat at least twice). Systems should begin outdoors and be appropriate for weather and other site conditions (i.e. based on the types of soils–sand versus clay). Outdoor systems, including concrete and stone walkways, should shed standing water and be rough enough to scrape soils off shoes prior to entering the building–but not rough enough to cause slips and falls. 3. Janitorial Closets & Chemical Storage/Mixing Areas. Chemical and janitorial equipment storage and mixing areas can have a serious impact on indoor air quality because items off-gas during storage, mixing or spills. Minimize the potential for VOC’s, mold spores, particulates, etc. circulating throughout the building, by building closets with structural deck-to-deck partitions, negative air pressure, and separate, outside exhausts. Well-organized closets and storage areas minimize time to find tools or cleaning products and make it easier to identify foreign objects placed in these areas. 4. Floor Care Systems. One third of a typical maintenance budget ($0.35 to $0.70 per square foot) is devoted to the care and maintenance of floors. Maintaining (i.e., burnishing, stripping, and recoating) floors can create IAQ problems from VOCs and particles, occupational hazards to janitors, and huge environmental burdens. Excellent products are available that are highly durable and contain no metals that can accumulate and become toxic in the environment after disposal. Some jurisdictions may have local requirements to reduce discharge of metals, including those found in traditional floor finishes, into water systems. Equipment and procedures are available that extend the period between stripping for years. Although the first cost is higher, with more coats required, the payback of both labor costs and reduced exposure to cleaning personnel and occupants pays off. 5. Use Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Products. Every year billions of pounds of cleaning products are used in commercial and institutional buildings in the United States. This number increases by a factor of approximately ten, if we consider the chemicals used to produce those cleaning products. Opportunities to reduce impacts through source reduction and pollution prevention strategies are substantial. Traditional cleaning products are not “bad” per se. Over the years, they have contributed to protecting public health and the buildings themselves. However, new technologies allow us to accomplish the same tasks, while reducing overall impacts on human health and the environment. Use existing standards, rather than developing new or even “tweaking” existing ones. Even small product attribute changes require manufacturers to expend large sums to reformulate and test products for compliance. Green Seal’s standard for industrial and institutional cleaners (GS-37) is recommended. 5 Products not covered by GS-37 should meet or be less volatile than the California Code of Regulations maximum allowable. 6 While no federal requirements exist for these product categories, many federal regions have voluntary goals to reduce VOC’s. 6. Biobased/Renewable Resource- Based Cleaning Products. In the early 1900’s, petroleum, a finite and nonrenewable resource, became chemical 81
Sustainable Development and Society Morton Birkin, “Garment Workers,” GSA Fine Arts Program. industry’s feedstock of choice. Disposing of those petroleum-based cleaning products down the drain after a single use is hardly a sustainable practice. New products include solvents, surfactants, and other ingredients, derived from agricultural products such as corn, soy, sugar beets, coconuts and citrus fruits. When purchasing an agriculturally based product, be sure that the renewable resources represent a substantial portion of the active ingredients, not merely cosmetics such as the fragrance. Not only is using biobased/renewable resource-based products a more sustainable practice, but generally, production of these materials is more benign than their petroleum-based counterparts. 7. Use Concentrated Products. Concentrated cleaning products reduce packaging (e.g., bottles, closures, boxes, etc.) and the amount of water being transported, providing environmental and cost savings. However, it’s important to use dilution systems to control the concentration; otherwise the environmental and costs savings can be lost. 8. Selection Of Janitorial Supplies. Billions of pounds of paper (e.g. toilet tissue and hand towels) are used every year in the restroom, substantially impacting our forests, and, if bleached, contributing significant amounts of dioxins to our environment. We can make an important contribution to sustainable practices by utilizing paper containing a high percentage of recycled content and manufactured without chlorine or chlorine compounds. Use plastic trashcan and other liners with a high percentage of recycled content. Both paper products and plastic trashcan liners 82
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GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy
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Foreword and Acknowledgements Alber
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Contents Hugh Pearce Botts, “Cons
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Sustainable Development and Society
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Preface Lillian Richter, “Childre
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True Life Cycle Costing Socio-Econo
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True Life Cycle Costing Toxic Data
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Page 99 and 100: Case Studies and Strategies Stanley
Page 111: Smarter Solutions October 2004 GSA
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