Cornell Sees Green

July 10th, 2013 • BY

A post on the (Ithaca, NY) Chronicle Online, notes that Cornell University’s 378-member custodial crew has been cleaning green for more than 30 years.

As reported by writer Amanda Garris on November 1, “Cornell has been at the cutting edge of green cleaning since it teamed up with SC Johnson & Son Inc. — headed by the late environmentalist and Cornell Presidential Councillor Samuel C. Johnson ’50 — three decades ago, said Stephen Devlen, associate director of Building Care in Facilities Management.”

The author goes on to explain that “five years ago, custodians on the Ithaca campus began using a line of Green Seal-certified products manufactured by Johnson (now known as Diversey), which are free of toxins, irritants, and carcinogens. They are also biodegradable and low in phosphorus, so they don’t contribute to excessive nutrients and algal blooms in local waterways. The latest addition is Alpha HP, an accelerated hydrogen peroxide all-purpose cleaner, with good green cleaning performance and disinfectant properties.”

Garris adds that Cornell’s Devlen also conducts regular training for the university’s custodians “on green cleaning principles and practices that can reduce the need for chemicals.”