Biobased Product: A commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that utilizes biological products or renewable domestic agricultural (plant, animal, and marine) or forestry materials.
CIMS: A product of ISSA, the Cleaning Industry Management Standard sets forth a management framework designed to assist building service contractors and in-house service providers develop quality, customercentered organizations, based on universally accepted principles that have proven to be the hallmarks of well-managed, successful cleaning operations. www.issa.com/standard
DfE: The Design for Environment (DfE) program is an EPA partnership program which partners the EPA with individual industry sectors to compare and improve performance, human health and environmental risks of existing and alternative products. www.epa.gov/dfe
Energy Star: A voluntary labeling program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy that identifies energy-efficient products. www.energystar.gov
Environmental Choice Program (ECP): A Canadian organization that creates green standards for a variety of products and provides product certification. www.environmentalchoice.com
Environmentally Preferable: Products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.
EPA: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to protect human health and the environment. www.epa.gov
EPP: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing is a federal-wide program that encourages and assists Executive agencies in the purchasing of environmentally-preferable products and services. www.epa.gov/epp
Forest Stewardship Council: Items carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.
Green: To be "Green" means reducing the negative impact on human and environmental health through cleaning.
GreenBlue: Works with industry coalitions to develop tools and practices to implement sustainable industrial systems design. www.greenblue.org
Green Chemistry: The design of chemical products and processes that reduces or eliminates the use and generation of hazardous substances.
Green Cleaning: Incorporates products and methods that help improve the health and environment of a building and its occupants.
Green Cleaning University: Mission is to transform the cleaning industry by providing education and resources to individuals interested in developing knowledge of the issues, skills and techniques involved in creating and maintaining healthy, high-performance facilities. www.greencleaninguniversity.org
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI): Focuses on establishing acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings. GEI's mission is to improve public health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air. www.greenguard.org
Green Guidelines for Healthcare: The healthcare sector's first sustainable design tool kit integrating enhanced environmental and health principles and practices into the planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of their facilities. www.gghc.org
Green Hotels Association: Brings together hotels interested in environmental issues and encourages, promotes and supports the "greening" of the lodging industry. www.greenhotels.com
Green Label: The Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) indoor air quality standards for carpet, adhesives and cushion materials. www.carpet-rug.org
Green Seal: An independent, non-profit organization that creates green standards for a variety of products and provides product certification. www.greenseal.org
Greenstar Certified: Its purpose is to achieve a cleaner, healthier and sustainable world through the identification and promotion of products that are produced and used in an environmentally-sound manner. www.greenstarcertified.org
Healthy Schools Program: Provides real tools and solutions to help schools become healthier places for both students and teachers. www.healthyschools.org
HE (high efficiency): Concentrated laundry detergents that are lowsudsing and for use with low water, high-efficiency washing machines
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E): Its purpose is to educate health care professionals about pollution-prevention opportunities and provide a wealth of practical tools and resources to facilitate the industry's movement toward environmental sustainability. www.h2e-online.org
IAQ: Indoor Air Quality deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants. The IAQ may be compromised by microbial contaminants, chemicals, or any mass or energy stressor that can induce health effects.
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Building Rating System created by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council).
LEED-CI: LEED for Commercial Interiors is the recognized standard for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce environmental footprint.
LEED-EB: LEED for Existing Buildings is a set of performance standards for the sustainable operation of existing buildings where the majority of the interior or exterior surfaces remain unchanged.
LEED-H: LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance "green" homes.
LEED-NC: LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations. LEED-NC is a green rating system for new and existing commercial and institutional buildings. Launched in 2002.
Life Cycle: The progression of a product from research and development to use and disposal.
Reduced-risk: Industry terminology that indicates an environmentallypreferable disinfectant.
Sustainability: To clean in a way that will not harm future generations - ability to do the same thing by minimizing the impact of cleaning on people and the environment.
Sustainable Products: Sustainable (green) products have less environmental and human health impact than other products in the same category and with the same function.
Tools for Schools (TfS): Tools for Schools is a program developed by the EPA to help schools improve the indoor-air quality of their buildings. www.epa.gov/iaq/schools
U.S. Green Building Council: A membership organization comprised of owners, manufacturers, service providers, and architects that has become the leading proponent of green building in the United States. www.usgbc.org
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): VOCs are gases which are emitted from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects.
WOOLSAFE: A worldwide accreditation program for the promotion and proper care for wool carpet and upholstery. In addition, it identifies carpet and cleaning chemicals suitable for use on wool.
*Glossary from the Spartan® Sustainable Products brochure
