Tag: Healthy Green Buildings

Our New Standard is Defining Sustainability for Paints and Coatings

Posted on by Green Seal

Green Seal’s Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains, and Sealers (GS-11) has been rewarding leading manufacturers for low-VOC content, safer formulas, and effective functional performance since it was first issued in 1993.

Now, Green Seal’s paint certification is the only mark in the marketplace to qualify products for both LEED v4.1 low-emitting materials credit requirements and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly badge — making it simple for health-focused buyers to identify safer products.

Working with Paint Industry Leaders

The North American paints and coatings industry has made major strides in green chemistry innovation in tandem with growing market demand for healthier, greener products. Leading manufacturers have achieved significant reductions in VOC content and hazardous chemical ingredients while maintaining the performance consumers expect.

Green Seal’s original leadership standard for paints and coatings, published in 1993, was the first to set limits on VOCs. Today, Green Seal’s is still the only standard in this product category to restrict carcinogens, reproductive toxins, hazardous air pollutants, alkylphenol ethoxylates, and a host of other chemicals, ensuring certified products are safer for building occupants while providing uncompromising functional performance.

Manufacturer investments and innovations have led to safer supply chains and improved air quality around the world. Case in point: In 2020, paints and coatings meeting Green Seal’s leadership standard prevented more than half a million pounds of VOC pollution across 120 million square feet of LEED-certified building space alone.

Aligning with LEED to Provide Buyers a Simple Choice

Green Seal regularly evaluates our standards for accuracy and relevance to ensure they correctly define sustainability leadership in an evolving marketplace. The updated standard protects indoor air quality; ensures certified products are safer for people and the planet; and aligns with the most recent version of the LEED green building standard (LEED v4.1), a key market driver.

The standard’s three key updates are:

  • Strengthening VOC Content Limits. All products must comply with the VOC limits defined by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CARB VOC limits reduce the potential for the formation of photochemical ozone and smog, which can cause serious respiratory issues.
  • Requiring VOC emissions testing. Products must undergo VOC emissions testing conducted in an environmental chamber according to the State of California’s Department of Public Health Standard Method (CDPH). This test allows Green Seal to confirm low levels of off-gassing after paints are applied, increasing health protections for building occupants and promoting overall healthier indoor environments.
  • Aligning two chemical restrictions with LEED language. A clarification that perchloroethylene and methylene chloride — which Green Seal prohibited in certified products decades ahead of government regulation — are not allowed to be intentionally added to product formulas at any level.

Products certified to Green Seal’s revised standard meet both the chemical content and VOC emissions testing requirements of LEED v4.1, making it easy for green building project managers to identify products that check all the boxes.

Interview from the Front Lines: Cleaning for COVID-19

Posted on by Green Seal

With cleaning workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, Green Seal caught up with Michael Doherty, president of BMS Building Maintenance Service, to learn how the industry-leading green cleaning company is approaching the challenges of operating during a pandemic.   

Certified to Green Seal’s GS-42 commercial cleaning standard since 2014, BMS cleans more than 100 million square feet of space across New York, Chicago and the Mid-Atlantic, including iconic buildings like Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. 

GS: What are your clients asking you for right now, and how are you communicating to them about how you’re addressing the outbreak? 

MD: Now more than ever the importance of the work we do is top of mind for clients.  The biggest concern is how our staff is cleaning their spaces, and whether our procedures and the chemicals we use will disinfect for COVID-19.  In many cases, clients are asking us to increase the frequency of cleaning, particularly for high touch surfaces such as doorknobs, kitchen surfaces and appliances, and restroom fixtures.  Additionally, there’s a high demand for certain supplies such as hand sanitizer liquids and wipes.  We are providing these to clients, and continually working our supply chain to ensure we have stock.

We are communicating through a variety of methods, including mass communications, email, but most importantly, over the phone in real time.  As the situation is evolving so rapidly, voice communication is often the quickest means to get the work done.

GS: How have you had to adjust your operations or internal communications to deal with this crisis?

MD: As the COVID-19 situation began to unfold, BMS established an internal emergency communications team, consisting of company leadership and representatives from our operations, safety, and quality assurance departments.  The team members are in regular communication to evaluate factors affecting our ability to deliver service, and to make operational adjustment to meet new demands.

In many cases, roles and responsibilities have also shifted.  Team members are being pulled from their regular work to focus on critical COVID-related initiatives that wouldn’t normally fall in their scope of responsibility.  It’s an “all hands-on- deck” mentality.  I’m proud of how our team has risen to the occasion.

Our internal communications have also been affected by the fact that all “non-essential” staff is now working from home.  The company is holding more virtual meetings than ever and has established new tools for group communication such as mass-texting.

GS: Have you had to handle any supply chain issues and adjust your procurement? Have you had to quickly switch to different products and conduct new trainings?  

MD: We are working closely with our suppliers to stay abreast of changing supply conditions and supply chain shortages.  Products in highest demand include sanitizing wipes and liquids, disinfecting chemicals, and face masks.  

We are adding safety stock where possible for these critical products.  We are sourcing from multiple suppliers, not relying on one sole vendor or one brand manufacturer.  As worldwide demand for these items continues to grow, shipping times are often in flux, so we are closely tracking all orders.

GS: How are you protecting your frontline employees? 

MD: For our cleaning staff, we are taking proactive approaches to infection prevention and emergency preparedness in response to concerns about COVID‐19, including providing personal protective equipment as necessary, and continued safety and hygiene training.  Additionally, we are closely tracking cases or potential cases in our buildings and notifying our staff as soon as we are notified.

We are also attempting to educate them with whatever information becomes available.


GS: Are you encountering questions about the effectiveness of green cleaning for coronavirus? If so, how are you addressing them? 

MD: The EPA has published a list of approved disinfectants for COVID-19, which has been the number one concern for our clients.  While some disinfectant manufacturers claim to be green, the reality is that EPA considers all disinfectants to be a part of the pesticide family and requires them all to be EPA registered.  

That said, some disinfectants have less harsh ingredients than others.  Product with ingredients such as alcohol, lactic and citric acid, and hydrogen peroxide are examples of what we look for. 

Additionally, another thing to note is that before we disinfect, we clean.  We continue to use the same green products and processes already in place for cleaning.

GS: Can you give us an overview of your protocols for de-contamination of a building that may have had an individual with coronavirus? 

MD: In the regions where we provide this service, we follow very specific protocol.  To start we isolate the area and dispose of any contaminated materials.  We then use an advanced electrostatic disinfecting application that offers 360 degrees of touchless disinfection and sanitizing.  It’s important to note that even with the electrostatic disinfecting application there is no way of knowing if every infected surface has been treated. BMS cannot guarantee surfaces are contamination-free.

After the job is done, we dispose of all PPE according to BMS’s Pathogen Exposure Control Plan, and remove signage and barricades following completion of cleaning and disinfection.

GS: How are you supporting and responding to any fears and concerns or sick leave requests by your staff?  Have you been able to respond to new requests for services with the staff you have?   

MD: We are requiring staff to stay home if they are sick or experiencing any symptoms of acute respiratory illness. Additionally, if staff has had contact with someone who has or may have coronavirus, we are requiring them to stay home.  We are closely tracking staffing, and continually assessing the need to shift staffing to maximize resources.

GS: With more people teleworking, have you been able to shift work hours for your cleaning crews? 

MD: As more clients are work remotely, tenant spaces are shutting down completely.  Our goal is and will be to continue to reallocate those cleaning crews to other projects to the best of our ability.   

In many cases we are rotating the cleaning crews methodically to avoid an entire crew being infected should one person become infected.  

Our cleaning staff are on the front lines of this pandemic, working tirelessly, day and night. The work they do will save lives, and we could not be more grateful to them.  

GS: When was the last time you had to implement these kinds of emergency protocols? For example – during flu season at a school, or during the 2009 H1N1?

MD: In 2009 during H1N1 we provided continuous sanitizing of public areas in buildings.  But unlike what we are dealing with today, we did no heavy-duty disinfecting of tenant spaces.  

Other comparable events would be the emergency procedures the company implemented after 9/11 and after Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

GS: What are some lessons that you’ve learned in this tough time and while addressing urgent requests?

MD: Keeping spaces clean and helping keep clients healthy has always been our goal.  We have seen validation of this goal and the work we already do.  That said, we have also learned more than we’d like to about infectious disease protocol.  However, we have also adapted our practices to major disinfecting of tenant and building spaces in accordance with CDC protocol.  We have learned that communication between management and building staff is critical in extended emergencies.  It is vital to make line managers and cleaning staff feel informed, valuable, and safe.   Also, we have learned that working by telecommunication is not nearly as painful as we had anticipated.

Mike Doherty is President of BMS and its subsidiary companies. He has over 35 years of experience in the building service industry. Since 1998, he has run all operations for BMS and is currently responsible for janitorial, security, architectural surface maintenance and window cleaning services managing more than 2,800 employees.

Serving Our Stakeholders During the COVID-19 Health Crisis

Posted on by Green Seal

Green Seal is closely monitoring developments regarding the novel coronavirus COVID-19, which was declared a national emergency by the White House and a pandemic by the World Health Organization. During this emerging and rapidly changing situation, we rely on the CDC for updated information as it becomes available. 

Green Seal is committed to providing trusted information and resources on staying safe and healthy amid the challenges caused by COVID-19. Whether you’re a consumer, business owner, school leader or Green Seal certified provider, we have resources for you at www.greenseal.org/coronavirus.


Many Green Seal certified producers and providers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing vital cleaning products, cleaning services, hygienic products, and lodging or food services while meeting the highest sustainability standard in the market. Green Seal is absolutely committed to serving these stakeholders with the highest quality support. To that end, Green Seal is taking the following steps

  • To reduce unnecessary added workloads on overburdened teams, Green Seal is suspending compliance monitoring activity until the crisis has abated.
  • Due to extreme impacts to the fiber supply chain, Green Seal will temporarily make reasonable accommodations to fiber sourcing compliance for certified paper producers, while also requiring periodic reporting on fiber content. This measure will aid in the continued market flow of hygienic and other paper products that consistently meet the highest sustainability standard in the market.
  • Green Seal will conduct virtual audits instead of in-person audits where necessary. This will allow any companies that have submitted for new certification evaluations to achieve conditional Green Seal certifications in a timely manner.

To protect the health of our staff and the general public, Green Seal transitioned to operating as a virtual workplace for all staff beginning March 12th.  While this measure allows us to do our part in our communities, we have taken steps to ensure that this will not affect our ongoing operations and customer support. 

We will continue to update this blog and our COVID-19 Resources page as new information and resources become available – and we are always available for questions here. 

Thank you for allowing Green Seal to serve you during this challenging time. 

BMS: An Interview with Green Seal CEO Doug Gatlin

Posted on by Doug Gatlin

Green Seal partner Building Maintenance Service (BMS) sat down with Green Seal CEO Doug Gatlin to discuss green cleaning, sustainability in the janitorial industry, and why being Green Seal certified matters now more than ever.

WHY IS THIRD-PARTY VALIDATION IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CLEANING SERVICES INDUSTRY?

Green cleaning is a common term these days in the cleaning industry. The concept has been around for a long time.  However, in recent years, the sustainability community has actively embraced it.  They are better quantifying its impacts and promoting its value. Thanks to national benchmarks such as LEED as well as  Green Seal’s Green Cleaning Services Standard, green cleaning has become more common.  The knowledge of best practices has become more standardized within the industry.  Many facility teams, building managers, and office managers are utilizing some elements of green cleaning.  That said, green cleaning is a series of continuous improvement steps.  It is based on core principles that include training, site-specific plans, careful chemical management, and environmentally preferable purchasing.  In most cases we’ve seen, when a group says they’re implementing green cleaning, there are often major gaps in the implementation, the level of rigor, and the results.  A third-party certification process confirms the application of actual green cleaning procedures and benefits.

HOW DOES GS-42 CERTIFICATION BENEFIT JANITORIAL COMPANIES AND THEIR CLIENTS?

We’ve heard from cleaning companies of all sizes that simply the act of applying for certification is beneficial.  In completing the checklists, you can quickly identify gaps in what you were doing, assumptions you made, and communications that should have been developed that never were. It helps you get a bird’s-eye view of your own business.  During the process, you’re speaking with a facilities management expert.  This person can help you dive into the best practices of green cleaning and the unique ways to develop your site-specific plans.

Commercial properties that choose certified green cleaning services attract higher quality tenants. Consumers today are demanding a higher level of social and environmental consciousness. Green cleaning delivers on those priorities by reducing the building’s environmental impact and promoting the health and wellbeing of building occupants – as well as some of society’s unsung heroes: custodial workers.

Building occupant productivity is also a benefit. Occupants of green office buildings report three fewer sick days each year and a 5% increase in overall productivity.  This has a direct connection to indoor air quality. In fact, a 2018 study from the U.S. Green Building Council found that 80% of green building occupants say the enhanced air quality improves their happiness and productivity.

HOW DO CLEANING CHEMICAL CHOICES IMPACT BUILDING OCCUPANT HEALTH?

VOCs are one of the most common hazards in today’s buildings.  They can cause allergic responses, exacerbate asthma, or other respiratory issues, cause headaches, eye irritation, or dizziness, prevent us from feeling our best – or, at worst, send people to the emergency room.

Young people, sick people, pregnant women, and the tens of millions of Americans who suffer from asthma are especially at risk from exposure.  One in seven cases of adult asthma can be attributed to the use of spray cleaners.

Cleaning professionals are on the front lines of these impacts. A large body of research has found that both domestic and professional cleaning work is associated with a higher risk of asthma and other respiratory issues. In fact, the first long term study on the topic recently found that cleaning with conventional products is as bad for your lungs as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day over 10-20 years.

The good news is that you easily mitigate these risks by simply switching to green-certified products.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS FOR CLEANING CHEMICALS? 

We start by looking at function. It’s important for us to understand the intended function of a product.  In many cases there are several.  This helps us understand why a certain active chemical ingredient may be necessary or beneficial. Once we understand those two pieces, we conduct a marketing review by looking at safety data sheets or European regulations, which frequently home in on chemicals of concern before the U.S. does.  We identify the known toxic chemicals that are in most cleaning products.  Then we look at the products that have been designed without those toxic chemicals.  We independently validate that these products still function to industry standards.

By focusing on those leadership products, we’re able to craft a profile that looks at everything from the raw materials and production processes to the formula and the end of life of the product.  We zero in on the best opportunities for reducing environmental and human health impacts. We strive to create standards that are achievable for the top 20 percent of the industry. As the industry catches, we review and increase the performance thresholds where it makes sense, so that the Green Seal mark continues to set a leadership benchmark.

DO GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS (OR LACK THEREOF) IMPACT HOW YOU DEFINE YOUR STANDARDS, AND IF SO, HOW?

 We rely on a number of authoritative lists to screen product formulations for chemicals of concern. These lists range from those set by international bodies, such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s list of carcinogens, to those set by professional associations, such as the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics’s list of asthmagens. In between, of course, are federal and state lists by U.S. EPA and California.

By referencing multiple sources, we ensure that we have the most health-protective standards based on the latest science. Green Seal’s standard development is guided by the precautionary principle – if there is a lack of full scientific certainty on the suspected health and environmental health hazards of a chemical, we prohibit it until it’s proven to be safe. That’s why commonly found toxins like methylene chloride and 1,4-dioxane – which have only recently spurred widespread public concern in the U.S. – have been prohibited in Green Seal-certified products for decades.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE YOU HAVE SEEN FOR CLEANING SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ADOPT GS-42 STANDARDS?

We see employee turnover and maintaining buy-in as two of the biggest challenges.  Green cleaning itself is not intuitive.  It’s a careful, conscious process of monitoring, setting baselines, and understanding opportunities for where chemicals are unnecessary or overused, and shifting to better practices.  It is a continuous improvement game.  It works best with the buy-in of your teams—in particular, custodial managers, who can lead a culture shift.

In some cases, building occupants need to be educated about green cleaning.  We’re conditioned to think that a bleach smell or a lavender fragrance signifies “clean.” It can also be hard to overcome the misconception that constant cleaning is beneficial.  Many times, it’s counterproductive, and it unnecessarily increases chemical exposure.

It’s important to convey the concept of green cleaning to the building occupants. They must find value in this new way of working with non-fragrance products, in restricting cleaning schedules to off-hours, and in restricting the use of disinfectants and sanitizers to high-touch surfaces. But increasingly, we’ve seen that building tenants and occupants are aware of the benefits.  They are requesting green cleaning, even if they don’t yet understand all the details.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CONCERN AS IT RELATES TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE CLEANING INDUSTRY?

Water use. The more we can encourage the shipping of concentrated products, the more we can reduce the unnecessary emissions of shipping water.  There’s an emerging concept in Europe where water itself is not required as frequently in cleaning.  That could be interesting in the future as well.

We’re also concerned about the overuse of disinfecting products because of the potential for the development of microbial resistance to these products.

HOW DO YOU SEE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CLEANING INDUSTRY CHANGING OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? 

Green cleaning will be better understood. We’re going to see reductions in water use, more careful application of chemical-based products, and a shift to more evidence and quantification of green cleaning and effective cleaning.  There will be more demand from building occupants for third-party certified services and products that protect and promote health and wellness.  You can already see that in popular shared workspaces like WeWork – they offer snacks, coffee, and spaces that only use green products.

From Building Maintenance Service Blog – November 7, 2019. Contact us to learn more about BMS’s Sustainability initiatives, including our Green Seal (GS-42) certification.

BMS Cleans Over 100 Million Square Feet of Space

Posted on by Green Seal
WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN TO BMS?

Because the environmental impact of the janitorial industry is so enormous, so is our potential to reduce it. As a responsible company committed to sustainability, it’s our obligation to offset this however we can. Annually the janitorial industry consumes 6.2 billion pounds of mostly petroleum-based chemicals. Additionally, our industry goes through about 30 million trees worth of sanitary paper and one billion pounds of equipment. Not to mention a huge amount of packaging and equipment is disposed of each year.

WHY DO YOU PRIORITIZE GREEN CLEANING?

It’s no longer a trend, but an expectation. While BMS is leading this effort, we now see that almost all cleaning companies have green cleaning programs. The benefits reach beyond statistics. Green cleaning has a significant impact on the health of janitorial workers and building occupants who are now breathing cleaner indoor air with less exposure to harmful chemicals that can cause asthma and other serious health conditions.

Being Green Seal certified gives BMS leverage with prospects. In a competitive market, being able to showcase points of differentiation is key. Our BMS Green Clean℠ program was designed to enhance human health and foster sustainability within the commercial real estate, hospitality and education spaces we clean.
WHY DID YOU PURSUE GREEN SEAL CERTIFICATION? 

Third-party auditing from Green Seal demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability in our operations. It’s critical to us that our sustainable practices and procedures are best-in-class. Being Green Seal certified is an important part of ensuring we maintain our standards. It helps us ensure sustainability becomes a part of our corporate culture. Our staff receives annual Green Seal training, which results in companywide buy-in. And regular Green Seal recertification ensures our continued adherence to best practic

DO YOU HIGHLIGHT YOUR GREEN CLEANING PRACTICES WITH CUSTOMERS?

Being Green Seal certified gives BMS leverage with prospects. In a competitive market, being able to showcase points of differentiation is key. We are proud to share our sustainability practices with our customers! Our BMS Green Clean℠ program is Green Seal certified, and was designed to enhance human health and foster sustainability within the commercial real estate, hospitality and education spaces we clean.

DOES CLEANING WITH GREEN PRODUCTS COST MORE?

It is a common misconception that green products are more expensive and less effective. This is false. These products are never more costly than traditional chemicals, and are equally, and in many cases more, effective. In fact, when used properly, they should cost less. Microfiber dusting cloths, dilution control systems, efficient machinery and ample staff training provide tangible savings. The only cleaning program offered by BMS is a sustainable one. We have built green cleaning into our everyday operations and clean to LEED standards all the time.

HOW ARE YOU DOING ON OFFSETTING YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS?

We annually track our sustainable efforts using the tools available to us. Our last Sustainability Report outlined the following environmental savings, and we have Green Seal to thank for helping us achieve these statistics: 

  • 81% purchasing of Certified “Green” products 
  • 92.8 tons of packaging reduction by purchasing chemical concentrates 
  • Over 531,551 gallons of water use reduction 
  • Use of 2.3 million pounds of recycled paper 
  • 1,500 of gallons of chemical reduction 
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

BMS cleans over 100 million square feet of space across New York, Chicago and the Mid-Atlantic. The statistics show that it is essential that our industry act now by investing in green cleaning practices. Collectively, we can make a tremendous impact. All of us, businesses and individuals, have a part to play in protecting the environment.

Green Cleaning Your Way to LEED and Well Beyond

Posted on by Marion Stecklow

Much attention is focused on energy savings in buildings when attempting to achieve sustainability. That is a good thing! LEED certification is certainly the most significant, motivating factor in creating and maintaining sustainable buildings. Although the ROI (Return on Investment) for building or renovating and maintaining a property to LEED standards is significant, the initial investment can be daunting. Nevertheless, the growing market demand and government regulations, coupled with significant energy costs savings, are inspiring building owners to obtain LEED certification for their properties, or at least follow the standards.

An often overlooked component of the LEED EBOM (Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance) is the section under EQ-Indoor Environmental Quality-Prerequisite 3 and Credits 3.1-3.9. This is unfortunate because the green cleaning portion of the standard can provide 6 or more points at little or no cost to the building owner. More and more cleaning contractors and in-house facilities staff are achieving certification to Green Seal’s GS-42, and many are aware of the LEED EBOM requirements for cleaning.

Those who have achieved GS-42 certification are ready and available to assist property managers with providing the documents and materials required for submission to the LEED AP. What a big help to the Property Manager! Also, high APPA audit scores and compliance with Custodial Effectiveness and High Performance Cleaning is easily available for LEED O&M credits when a GS-42 certified cleaning service is employed.

Green Cleaning – Above and Beyond the Pursuit of LEED Certification

Beyond LEED, the business of cleaning is going through a huge metamorphosis. It is no longer considered enough to push a broom and “slop” a mop. Through intensive training and achievement of GS-42 certification, cleaning companies and in-house services have elevated their staff to trained professionals who understand the importance of their occupation.

Green, healthy cleaning is a vital contribution to public health and the environment, considers the comfort and well-being of building occupants while maintaining the life span and appearance of surfaces in commercial and institutional buildings. So, let’s give more recognition and respect to cleaners, particularly those professionals who take pride in their work and are advancing the industry!