GCA Honorable Mention (Sustainability) Higher Education: University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota
Program Information
Total number of students: 11,500
Total square footage maintained: 3,400,000
Total number of custodians: 77
Total annual cleaning budget: $5,750,000
Green cleaning team members: Christine Lovejoy and Chris Stevens (Custodial Mgrs.); Doug Greenwood, Jeff Johnson, Jim Pohl, Garth Sundeen, Tom Pawlowicz, Heather Ashbaugh, Barb Pierson, Ed Kruse (Custodial Supervisors).
The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Green Cleaning program, started in 2007, is part of a growing sustainability effort undertaken by student groups, faculty and staff, and in the Duluth community. The program’s key elements include the use of sustainable cleaning products; education, training, and motivation for custodial staff to work in an environmentally responsible manner; communication with custodial staff to build awareness of and responsibility for our environmental policy; conservation of energy, water, and other resources without compromising standards for cleaning; full awareness of and cooperation with current legislation and industry standards; purchasing policies that favor products with high post-consumer recycled content and/or packaging; use of cleaning equipment that causes minimal impact to indoor air quality; and the elimination of phosphates and aerosol products.
UMD’s cleaning procedures and strategies clearly define selection criteria for equipment and products, favoring products that meet the Green Seal standard GS-37 where applicable, use of “Green Label” vacuums that capture most particulates and operate at a low decibel level, and use of high filtration burnishers and auto scrubbers that eliminate the use of chemicals. The school recently installed four Orbio os3 on-site generation systems throughout the campus.
Custodial training covers environmentally preferred products and cleaning processes, along with proper handling, use and disposal of conventional chemicals and packaging. Staff members are required to attend mandatory safety training on topics such as radiation awareness, safety data sheets, and personal protective equipment.