Not so many years ago, distributors of commercial cleaning products would only venture to stock a handful of green chemical cleaners, and often, there was little or no demand for these products. Fast forward to today, and it is an entirely different picture. In a recent survey conducted by ISSA and Sanitary Maintenance magazine, distributors reported that almost one-third of their total sales were green cleaning products, and they covered the gamut of commercial cleaning products—chemical cleaners, powered equipment, paper and plastics, and every other janitorial product.
While this statistic is a wonderful testament to green cleaning gaining traction in the marketplace, the cleaning industry (and green cleaning market in particular) will continue to evolve and take on new characteristics in the near future. Changes to green building certifications, new green cleaning products, purchasers’ demand for transparency, and a greater focus on cleaning for health will all affect the green cleaning marketplace.
LEEDING the Way
To assess the future direction of green cleaning, it is helpful first to look at how the green building market is growing. The dramatic expansion in green buildings, fueled by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, will continue to shape the market for green cleaning products and services. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) has a robust green cleaning component, and, to a large extent, the evolution of the green cleaning marketplace has mirrored its green cleaning provisions. The LEED program continues to grow exponentially and its influence on green cleaning will continue to grow as well. Consider the following:
• Overall, LEED-registered floor area is up 45 percent compared with last year’s registrations
• LEED certification is expected to reach 2 billion square feet in 2012
• LEED registrations rose by 53 percent overseas and 39 percent in the United States in the past year
• LEED-EBOM experienced an 18 percent system-wide increase in registered floor area.
This illustrates the importance of looking at the LEED program and its treatment of green cleaning when considering the future of green cleaning. Presently, the LEED-EBOM standard is being revised with a finalized program expected in November 2012. The current draft provides insight into the direction green cleaning will be headed in the not too distant future.
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