To earn this credit, 75% of your cleaning products and materials purchases must meet the credit criteria. You can earn exemplary performance if 100% of your purchases meet the criteria.
Using environmentally friendly cleaning products is one of the easier and more effective green operations strategies to implement and can usually be achieved at no cost premium. It can be challenging, though, to get the proper product information from vendors and to determine how effective the products will be in practice. While there are plenty of green cleaning products available, the results of any given product may vary, and it may take your team time to switch to new products and assess them.
Builds off the prerequisite
To achieve EQp3: Green Cleaning Policy, you have to develop a policy that addresses the requirements of this credit. The goal of this credit is to implement that policy to at least the 75% compliance threshold.
Finding a trusted source
Sourcing products can be the most difficult aspect of this credit. Doing it may mean working with your vendor to find compliant products, or doing research on your own—which can be time-consuming.
Having a trusted vendor who understands the LEED requirements can save time, but teams still should still independently assess the products their vendors recommend to ensure they are compliant. Review the Safety Data Sheets and other documentation provided with products and make sure that they explicitly demonstrate credit compliance. Also take note that while many companies promote their products as “green,” that doesn’t mean that they meet the specific requirements of this credit.
Getting your staff on board
Finding cleaning products that meet this credit is getting easier all the time—most major cleaning supply companies offer compliant products. You may find that your cleaning staff is resistant to switching away from products whose performance they know and trust.
Once you source new cleaning supplies that comply with this credit, plan on a staff evaluation period before you commit to any bulk purchases. This will help determine whether the products work and will give staff the opportunity to adjust their expectations and become accustomed to the new products.
Use of nonchemical cleaning alternatives
Eliminating the need for cleaning chemicals by using devices that use steam, or ionized or electrolyzed water can count toward credit achievement. According to the LEED Reference Guide, you can follow these steps to count nonchemical methods toward credit compliance.
1. Provide a narrative description of the nonchemical cleaning product or method and describe what cleaning chemicals it replaces.
2. Analyze the value of using the nonchemical alternative based on one year of cost data. Account for any changes in occupancy between the baseline year and the performance period or other factors that affect the need for cleaning products.
3. Track the total cost of all cleaning products and materials purchased during the performance period, as is required by the credit, and add the amortized cost for the nonchemical cleaning alternative for the performance period.
4. Perform credit threshold calculations, as described in Step 3, by using the assumed value of the nonchemical cleaning alternatives.
Changes from LEED 2009
The threshold for credit achievement has increased from 30% to 75% in LEED v4, and the exemplary performance threshold has increased from 60% to 100%. The EPA Safer Choice Standard (previously known as "Design for the Environment") is now an acceptable sustainability standard. Cleaning with nonchemical strategies such as ionized water can now contribute to credit compliance, if it eliminates chemical use.
Readiness Review Questions
- Who is responsible for selecting cleaning products and materials? Who can provide an inventory of products currently in use?
- If a vendor currently handles product sourcing, do they have access to LEED-compliant options?
- Will the use of green cleaning products increase the cost of custodial services?