Key Sustainable Products Standards
Public Buildings Service
U.S. General Services Administration
OFFICE OF ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT
OFFICE OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
OFFICE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES PROGRAMS
OFFICE OF LEASING
September 2014
Introduction
As part of an effort to simplify sustainable purchasing at the Public Buildings Service
(PBS) and improve PBS’s sustainable purchasing performance, the Offices of
Acquisition Management, Design and Construction, Facilities Management and
Services Programs, and Leasing have identified the products that PBS uses most
frequently, developed clear sustainability standards for them, and planned an
educational and promotional campaign to boost their purchase at PBS. These products
have been called “Key Sustainable Products” or “KSPs.” The KSP standards have
been posted on a special PBS-specific page in the Green Procurement Compilation
(www.sftool.gov/greenprocurement).
The KSP standards were selected to meet all applicable Federally-required
environmental performance attributes for each product. The Federally-required
environmental performance attributes as of the date of this report are: recovered
content, biobased, less-ozone-depleting, less-toxic, energy-efficient, and water-efficient.
Wherever possible, widely-used third-party standards (i.e. standards developed by
outside organizations) that meet or exceed Federal green purchasing requirements and
do not add to the cost of products were included to make identification of compliant
products easier. Finally, the use of each of the third-party standards was determined
not to pose any barriers to international trade.
The specific rationale for inclusion of each of the third-party standards used is as
follows:
The Green Seal GS-01 standard was used for paper towels and bathroom tissue
because it meets or exceeds the Federal recycled content requirement.
The UL 126 standard was used for wastebasket liners because it meets or
exceeds the Federal recycled content requirement.
The Green Seal GS-41 standard and the UL 2784 standard were used for hand
soap because both meet or exceed the Federal requirements for less-toxic and
less-ozone-depleting chemicals.
The Green Seal GS-37 standard and the UL 2759 standard were used for hand
soap because both meet or exceed the Federal requirements for less-toxic and
less-ozone-depleting chemicals.
The NSF-140 Gold standard was used for nylon carpet because it meets or
exceeds the Federal requirements for less-toxic and less-ozone-depleting
chemicals.
The Greenguard Gold standard was used for gypsum board and the California
Section 01350 standard was used for acoustical ceiling tile because these are
the standards used for reduced VOC emissions in the gypsum board and
acoustical ceiling tile industries, respectively.
2
For two product categories, tradeoffs had to be made where some products had some
Federal attributes and other products had different Federal attributes. For example,
interior latex paints suitable for commercial use that meet the Federal recycled content
and USDA BioPreferred paint standards generally have higher VOC levels than paints
that do not meet these standards. Therefore, we excluded these requirements in favor
of standards requiring low VOC levels until products with all three attributes become
available on the market. Likewise, the availability on the market of hand soaps suitable
for commercial use that are USDA BioPreferred as well as less-hazardous and low-
VOC (in the form of Green Seal and UL-certified products) is very low. Therefore, we
excluded the Federal biobased requirement until products with all three attributes
become available.
Table 1 below lists the Key Sustainable Products and standards. The purpose of this
report is to provide the rationale for each KSP standard. The report will also show that
the specification of these products with the environmental standards listed in this report
will have little or no effect on cost or availability.
3
TABLE 1 - PBS KEY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS AND STANDARDS
Product Sustainability Standard
Nylon carpet
NSF 140 Gold certification and
≥ 10% post-consumer recovered content
Interior latex paint
≤ 50 grams per liter (g/L) VOCs post-tint (i.e. SCAQMD Rule 1113
standard)
Gypsum board
Greenguard Gold certification
Acoustical ceiling tiles
Meets the California Section 01350 standard for low-VOC materials
and
Total recycled content ≥ 20% and
Recyclable in a closed loop process and
USDA BioPreferred and
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) available
Concrete (ready-mix and site-
mix)
1
≥ 15% fly ash or
≥ 25% ground granulated blast-furnace (GGBF) slag
Wastebasket liners (24” x 33” or
smaller)
2
≥ 20% post-consumer recycled content or
UL 126 (formerly CCD 126)
Paper towels
≥ 50% post-consumer recycled content and
100% total recycled content
OR
Green Seal (GS-1)
Bathroom tissue
≥ 25% post-consumer recycled content and
100% total recycled content
OR
Green Seal (GS-1)
Hand Soap
USDA BioPreferred
AND
Green Seal (GS-41) or
EcoLogo (UL 2784) or
EPA Design for the Environment (DfE)
Multipurpose Cleaner
Green Seal (GS-41) or
EcoLogo (UL 2784) or
EPA Design for the Environment (DfE)
1
For leasing, this standard only applies to new lease construction projects.
2
This standard does not yet apply to leases.
4
Key Sustainable Product Standards
Nylon Carpet
PBS Standard:
● ≥ 10% post-consumer recovered content; and
● NSF 140 Gold level
Rationale:
This standard meets three of the six
1
required Federal attributes - recovered content,
less-ozone-depleting, and less-toxic. Currently, neither recycled nor biobased content
recommendations for nylon carpet have been made by EPA and USDA – only for
polyester carpet, which has limited durability and is generally not used in offices.
Recycled content nylon carpet is, however, available on the market. We found no
biobased nylon carpet. The NSF-140 standard at the Gold level requires minimization
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (making the carpet less-ozone-depleting) and
persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (“PBT”) chemicals (making the carpet less-toxic).
Tables 2 and 3 show that the NSF-140 Gold standard has been almost universally
adopted in the carpet industry and 10% post-consumer recovered content is commonly
available. Using the NSF 140 standard has the added benefit of ensuring that specific
performance standards in the following areas are met: texture appearance retention
rating (TARR), tuft bind, delamination strength, flammability, electrostatic propensity,
and colorfastness to light.
The market data in Tables 2 and 3 show, on average, little or no price difference
between both broadloom and modular carpet that meets the PBS standard and carpet
that does not. For broadloom carpet, the average price per square yard for carpet
meeting the PBS standard was $24.32, virtually the same as the average price per
square yard, which was $23.41. For modular carpet, the price per square yard for
carpet meeting the PBS standard was lower than the average - $24.66 compared with
$28.95.
1
The six required Federal attributes are recovered content, biobased, non-ozone-depleting, less-toxic,
energy-efficient, and water-efficient.
5
TABLE 2
PRICES, NYLON BROADLOOM CARPET
Product NSF 140 Level
Recovered
content
Meets PBS
Standard?
Price/Square
Yard
Product #1 Gold 13-24% pre- and
post-consumer
Unknown $14.52
Product #2 Gold 21% post- and/or
pre-consumer
Unknown $18.58
Product #3 Platinum 25% pre-
consumer and
14% post-
consumer
Yes $18.67
Product #4 None 13% post-
consumer
No $22.85
Product #5 Platinum 25% pre-
consumer and
14% post-
consumer
Yes $23.41
Product #6 Gold 10% post-
consumer or 20%
pre-consumer
Unknown $23.49
Product #7 Platinum 10% post-
consumer
Yes $24.25
Product #8 Gold 13-24% pre- and
post-consumer
Unknown $25.05
Product #9 Gold 10% post-
consumer or 20%
pre-consumer
Unknown $25.28
Product #10 Gold 13-24% pre- and
post-consumer
Unknown $26.28
Product #11 None 13% post-
consumer
No $26.41
Product #12 Gold 10% post-
consumer or 20%
pre-consumer
Unknown $26.63
Product #13 Platinum 10% post-
consumer
Yes $28.87
Average all
$23.41
Average meets PBS standard
$23.80
Source: GSA Multiple Award Schedules, randomly selected, April 2014.
6
TABLE 3
PRICES, NYLON MODULAR CARPET
Product NSF 140 Level
Recovered
content
Meets PBS
Standard?
Price/Square
Yard
Product #1 Gold 25% pre-
consumer
No $19.42
Product #2 Platinum 7% pre-consumer
and 10% post-
consumer
Yes $24.55
Product #3 Platinum 7% pre-consumer
and 10% post-
consumer
Yes $24.55
Product #4 Gold 14% pre-
consumer and
11% post-
consumer
Yes $24.88
Product #5 Gold Unspecified
recovered content
Unknown $27.06
Product #6 Gold 25% pre-
consumer
No $29.87
Product #7 Gold 14-19% pre-
consumer
No $31.92
Product #8 Platinum Unspecified
recovered content
Unknown $33.52
Product #9 Gold Unspecified
recovered content
Unknown $36.80
Product #10 Gold 14-19% pre-
consumer
No $36.95
Average all
$28.95
Average meets PBS standard
$24.66
Source: GSA Multiple Award Schedules, randomly selected, April 2014.
Interior Paint
PBS Standard:
● ≤ 50 g/L VOCs post-tint (i.e. SCAQMD Rule 1113 standard)
Rationale:
The PBS standard meets two of the six required Federal attributes - less-ozone-
depleting and less-toxic. Interior paint can be purchased with a number of
environmental attributes, but, in the case of paint, these attributes are not found
together. Some paints have very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).
Other paints have recycled content. Still others are considered biobased. Because
VOC’s negatively affect the occupants of a building directly (as opposed to the
environment at large), PBS’s sustainability standard for paint focuses exclusively on
VOC’s – requiring a VOC level of
≤ 50 g/L VOCs, including colorants added at the point
7
of sale. As indicated in Table 4, all paints sampled for this report had VOCs ≤ 50 g/L
and they are available at reasonable prices. Contractors should check with the
manufacturer to determine whether the VOC levels advertised are pre-tint or post-tint. If
a paint meets the most current South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
requirements for flat and non-flat interior paints, it will be considered compliant with the
PBS standard.
The best comparative price information was found on Consumer Reports (last updated
May 2013). Prices per gallon for the 14 best-performing interior eggshell, satin, and
semi-gloss finish paints were obtained from the Consumer Reports paint buying guide;
these are the paints are shown in Table 4. Based on these data, there is only a very
small relative price difference between paints that meet the PBS standard and those
that do not. On average, paints that meet the PBS standard are $40 per gallon; those
that do not are $35 per gallon. Given that the range of prices per gallon for the paints
on the list is $25 to $68, this is a small difference.
8
TABLE 4
PRICES, EGGSHELL/SATIN/SEMI-GLOSS INTERIOR PAINTS
Product
VOC
level
(g/L)*
Same
VOC
Level
After
Tinting? Meets PBS Standard?
Price
per
Gallon
Product #1 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss <5 No Yes $25
Product #2 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss <5 No Yes $25
Prodcut #3 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss
Enamel <5 No Yes $27
Product #4 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss
Enamel ≤50 No No $27
Product #5 - Eggshell/Semi-
Gloss ≤50 No No $28
Product #6 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss <5 No Yes $29
Product #7 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss ≤50 No No $30
Product #8 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss
Enamel ≤50 No No $32
Product #9 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss
Enamel ≤50 No No $34
Product #10 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss ≤50 No No $34
Product #11-
Eggshell/Pearl/Semi-Gloss <5 Yes Yes $50
Product #12 - Eggshell/Semi-
Gloss <5 Yes Yes $57
Product #13 -
Matte/Satin/Semi-Gloss ≤50 No No $63
Product #14 -
Eggshell/Satin/Semi-Gloss ≤50 Yes Yes $68
Average, paints that meet PBS
standard $40
Average, paints that do not meet
PBS standard $35
*<5 g/L is considered "zero
VOC."
Sources: Prices from Consumer Reports; VOC content from manufacturer Technical Data Sheets,
MSDS's, and websites, April 2014.
9
Gypsum Board
PBS Standard:
Greenguard Gold certification
Rationale:
The PBS standard encompasses two of the six required Federal attributes - less-ozone-
depleting and less-toxic. The Greenguard Gold standard ensures that certified products
emit low or no VOCs and VOCs are both ozone-depleting and toxic.
As Table 5 indicates, Greenguard Gold gypsum board is widely available. This table
lists all 5/8” gypsum board available in 4’ x 8’ sheets on the Home Depot and Lowes
websites. Three of these five products possess the Greenguard Gold designation.
TABLE 5
PRICES, GYPSUM BOARD
PRODUCT Greenguard Gold ?
Meets PBS
Standard? Price per 4' x 8' sheet
Product #1 Yes Yes $11.48
Product #2 Yes Yes $11.48
Product #3 Yes Yes $11.48
Product #4 No Yes $11.48
Product #5 No Yes $11.78
Acoustical Ceiling Tiles
PBS Standard:
● California Section 01350 standard for low-VOC materials;
2
● Total recycled content ≥ 20%;
● Recyclable in a closed loop process;
3
● USDA BioPreferred; and
● Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) available.
2
This standard is also sometimes referred to as the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
standard or the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS) standard. Greenguard Gold
(formerly Greenguard Children & Schools) certified products exceed this standard.
3
I.e., the manufacturer has a take-back program through which it picks up used ceiling tiles and uses it to
make new panels.
10
Rationale:
The PBS standard encompasses four of the six required Federal attributes - less-ozone-
depleting and less-toxic (via reduced VOC’s), recycled content, and biobased. Ceiling
tiles (composite panels) are a designated item under the USDA BioPreferred program.
Though they are not a designated item under the EPA CPG (recovered content)
program, ceiling tile is widely available with recycled content and closed-loop recycling
is a common practice in the industry. As Table 6 shows, total recycled content of 20%
or more appears to be universally available. Reduced VOC’s – through compliance
with California Section 01350 or an equivalent standard – also appears to be widely
available.
No third-party standard that encompasses several environmental attributes has been
widely adopted by the industry yet; this is why the PBS standard lists five different
attributes separately. However, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – detailed
summaries of the environmental attributes of a product in a format certified by a
reputable third-party organization – are widely available in the ceiling tile industry and
almost all of the attributes in the PBS standard are presented in that document.
Table 6 shows pricing information for 12 acoustical ceiling tile lines. The vast majority if
not all acoustical ceiling tiles suitable for office buildings are made only three
manufacturers. Of these three, two make tiles that are USDA BioPreferred. Pricing
information for more than a handful of lines was only available from one website; all
lines listed on that site for one manufacturer and the three BioPreferred lines from
another were included. The average price per square foot for those meeting the PBS
standard ($2.23) was less than that for those that did not meet the PBS standard
($2.93).
11
TABLE 6
PRICES, ACOUSTICAL CEILING TILES
Product Recycled
Content
≥20%?
USDA
BioPreferred
?
Closed
Loop?
CA
01350?
EPD? Meets
PBS
Standa
rd?
Price
per S
F
Product #1
25-50% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $1.09
Product #2
56% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $1.55
Product #3
52% Yes No No No No $2.31
Product #4
69% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $2.31
Product #5
69% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $2.31
Product #6
51% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $2.31
Product #7
40% Yes No No No No $2.31
Product #8
24-49% No Yes Yes No No $2.31
Product #9
86% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $2.92
Product #10
86% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $3.08
Product #11
75-81% No Yes Yes Yes No $3.08
Product #12
63-82% No Yes Yes Yes No $4.63
Average, tiles that meet PBS standard $2.23
Average, tiles that do not meet PBS standard $2.93
Source: www.ceilingtilesbyus.com and manufacturer websites, September 2014.
Concrete (Ready-Mix and Site-Mix)
PBS Standard:
Recycled content in the form of
o ≥ 15% fly ash or
o ≥ 25% ground granulated blast-furnace (GGBF) slag
Rationale:
Typically, concrete can be purchased with only one Federally-required attribute –
recovered content. The PBS standard is EPA’s recommended minimum recovered
content standard for concrete. Fly ash and GGBF slag are considered recovered-
content materials; they are by-products from the production of coal and iron/steel-
making, respectively. The construction industry already commonly uses fly ash and
slag at the levels in the PBS standard. The use of these materials in concrete also
significantly reduces the amount of energy and CO
2
used in the production of concrete,
making concrete meeting the PBS standard less-ozone-depleting as well.
The price of concrete varies regionally based on a variety of factors, especially the cost
of fuel. Fly ash and GGBF slag are already commonly-used ingredients in concrete, so
there is expected to be no price impact as a result of using the PBS standard.
12
Wastebasket Liners (24” x 33” or smaller)
PBS Standard:
≥ 20% post-consumer recycled content or
UL 126 (formerly CCD 126)
Rationale:
Currently, recovered content is the only Federal attribute that applies to plastic trash
bags – USDA has not yet designated these products as part of their BioPreferred
program.
4
EPA recommends a minimum of 10% post-consumer recycled content.
Table 7 below shows that most wastebasket liners that are available with post-
consumer recycled content have at least 30% post-consumer content and are
comparable in price to those with less than 30%. However, since the recycled content
of a product is often difficult to ascertain, we adopted the 20% post-consumer
requirement of UL 126 so that people can identify the recycled content simply by looking
for the UL designation. Although the UL designation has the added advantage of taking
into account other environmental attributes as well, either the post-consumer content
percentage or the UL designation meets the KSP standard.
4
As of the date of this report, USDA has not yet designated these products as part of their BioPreferred
program. There are a number of biobased, biodegradable trash bags available, but none were found in
sizes appropriate for wastebaskets and these bags, for all sizes, were significantly more expensive than
their non-biobased/non-biodegradable counterparts.
13
-
TABLE 7
PRICES, WASTEBASKET LINERS
Product Size
Post
Consumer
Recycled
Content
UL 126?
Price
per bag
Product
#1
7 gal 30%
Yes
$0.03
Product
#2
7-10
gal
None
No
$0.03
Product
#3
7-10
gal
None
No
$0.05
Product
#4
10 gal 30%
No
$0.08
Product
#5
8 gal 10%
No
$0.09
Product
#6
7-10
gal
10%
No
$0.11
Product
#7
7-10
gal
30%
No
$0.16
Average price, liner meeting PBS standard $0.03
Average price, liners not meeting PBS standard $0.09
Source: Various retail websites that list the recovered content of trash bags offered,
April 2014.
Paper Towels
PBS Standard:
≥ 50% post-consumer recycled content and 100% total recycled content
OR
Green Seal (GS-1)
Rationale:
The PBS standard encompasses the only Federal attribute applicable to paper towels –
recycled content. The EPA recommends a minimum of 40% post-consumer recovered
content and 100% total recovered content for paper towels. However, all paper towel
lines found which contain recovered content reported post-consumer recovered content
of at least 40%, so the PBS standard was set at 50%. Two of the six product lines
contained both 50% post-consumer content and 100% total recovered content. 50%
post-consumer content and 100% total content is also the Green Seal standard GS-1
standard. In addition, Green Seal standard GS-1 requires that the paper towels they
14
-
certify meet certain functional performance requirements and include other
environmental standards, such as those related to chemicals used in the manufacturing
process and packaging.
Table 8 lists six commercial paper towel lines containing various levels of recovered
content. The average price per 100 feet for those lines that meet the PBS standard
($1.06) is lower than that for lines that did not meet the standard ($1.38).
TABLE 8
PRICES, COMMERCIAL ROLL PAPER TOWELS WITH RECOVERED CONTENT
Product
Total
Recycled
Content
Post
Consumer
Recycled
Content
Green
Seal?
Price
per 100
feet
Product #1 100% 88%
No
$0.81
Product #2 100% 40%
No
$1.20
Product #3 60% 40%
No
$1.25
Product #4 100% 50%
Yes
$1.27
Product #5 100% 50%
Yes
$1.32
Product #6 50% 40%
No
$1.81
Average - meets PBS standard $1.06
Average - does not meet PBS standard $1.38
Source: Roll towels on Grainger and Uline websites for which total and post-consumer
percentages available, April 2014.
Bathroom Tissue
PBS Standard:
≥ 25% post-consumer recycled content and 100% total recycled content
OR
Green Seal (GS-1)
Rationale:
The PBS standard encompasses the only Federal attribute applicable to bathroom
tissue – recycled content. The EPA recommends a minimum of 20% post-consumer
recovered content and 100% total recovered content for bathroom tissue. However, all
but one bathroom tissue line found which contain recovered content reported post-
consumer recovered content of at least 20%, so the PBS standard was set at 25%.
Table 9 shows that six of the seven products with post-consumer recycled content
15
-
contain at least 25% post-consumer content. 25% post-consumer content and 100%
total content is also the Green Seal GS-1 standard. In addition, Green Seal standard
GS-1 requires that the paper towels they certify meet certain functional performance
requirements and include other environmental standards, such as those related to
chemicals used in the manufacturing process and packaging.
Table 9 lists eight widely-available commercial bathroom tissue lines containing various
levels of recovered fiber. Prices per 1,000 feet range from $2.67 to $8.78. The
average price for lines meeting the PBS standard ($5.71) is lower than that for lines that
do not meet the PBS standard ($5.82).
TABLE 9
PRICES, COMMERCIAL BATHROOM TISSUE WITH RECOVERED CONTENT
Product
Total
Recycled
Content
Post
Consumer
Recycled
Content
Green
Seal?
Price
per
1,000
feet
Product #1 65% 65%
No
$2.67
Product #2 100% 88%
No
$3.25
Product #3 45% 30%
No
$3.79
Product #4 100% 30%
No
$5.75
Product #5 100% 40%
Yes
$5.75
Product #6 0% 0%
No
$8.06
Product #7 100% 25%
Yes
$8.11
Product #8 25% 20%
No
$8.78
Average - meets PBS standard $5.71
Average - does not meet PBS standard $5.82
Source: Tissue paper on various janitorial supply websites for which total and
post-consumer percentages available, April 2014 (price for
Product #5 from July 2015).
Hand Soap
PBS Standard:
USDA BioPreferred
AND
Green Seal standard GS-41, EcoLogo standard UL 2784, or EPA Design for the
Environment (DfE) designated
16
-
-
Rationale:
The Green Seal, EcoLogo, and DfE standards all require less-ozone-depleting (via low
VOC’s) and use of less-toxic substances – two of the required Federal environmental
attributes. In addition, the PBS standard meets the biobased requirement: hand
cleaners are a designated product category under the USDA BioPreferred program. A
review of all commercial foaming
5
hand cleaners listed on the USDA BioPreferred
website found that eleven of them were also Green Seal, EcoLogo, or EPA Design for
the Environment (DfE) designated. This was considered a sufficient number to justify
including all attributes in the PBS standard.
Table 10 lists several commercial foaming hand soaps and their respective prices for a
standard size refill. The average price for hand soaps meeting the PBS standard -
$20.35- is lower than that for hand soaps that do not meet the standard - $26.41.
TABLE 10
PRICES, FOAMING HAND SOAP FOR COMMERCIAL USE
Product
EPA Design
for the
Environment
Green Seal
(GS 41) or
EcoLogo (UL
2784)
USDA Bio
Preferred
Price per 1250
mL
Product #1 Yes No Yes $14.73
Product #2 No No No $15.32
Product #3 No Yes Yes $16.82
Product #4 No Yes Yes $17.95
Product #5 No Yes No $18.00
Product #6 No No No $19.32
Product #7 No Yes No $19.68
Product #8
No No No $21.15
Product #9 No Yes Yes $24.05
Product #10 No No No $26.02
Product #11 No Yes Yes $28.19
Product #12 No Yes No $33.48
Product #13 No Yes No $33.60
Product #14 No Yes No $34.43
Product #15 No Yes No $34.55
Product #16 No Yes No $35.02
Average, products that meet PBS standard $20.35
Average, products that do not meet PBS standard $26.41
Source: Various janitorial supply websites, April 2014.
5
Only foaming soaps should be used because they require significantly less product and water than
liquid soaps.
17
Multipurpose Cleaner
PBS Standard:
Green Seal standard GS-41, EcoLogo standard UL 2784, or EPA Design for the
Environment (DfE) designated
Rationale:
The Green Seal, EcoLogo, and DfE standards all require less-ozone-depleting (via low
VOCs) and use of less-toxic substances – two of the required Federal environmental
attributes. Based on a review of all commercial floor cleaners listed on the USDA
BioPreferred website, there are only two floor cleaners that have both the USDA
BioPreferred designation and Green Seal, EcoLogo, or DfE designation. However,
based on the data in Table 11, these cleaners are significantly more expensive than
cleaners with only the Green Seal, EcoLogo, or DfE designation – averaging $35.79 per
gallon compared with $15.91 per gallon for the latter group. Because VOCs and
hazardous substances negatively affect the occupants of a building directly and
commercial floor cleaner with all applicable standards is significantly more expensive,
PBS is not currently requiring that floor cleaner used by contractors in its buildings be
USDA BioPreferred.
18
Product
Recommended
Dilution Ratio
EPA Design for
the Environment
Green Seal (GS-
37)
or EcoLogo
(UL 2759)
BioPreferred? Price per Gallon
Product #1
Product #2
1:32 to 1:128
Yes
No No
$12.79
Product #3
1:32 to 1:512
No
No
No
$13.00
Product #4
1:32 to 1:128 No
Yes
No
$13.21
Product #5
1:32 to 1:128
No Yes
No
$17.61
Product #6
1:32 to 1:128
No
Yes
No $20.03
Product #7
1:32 to 1:128
Yes
Yes
Yes $24.00
Product #8
1:128
No
Yes
Yes
$36.00
Product #9
1:64 to 1:16
No
Yes
Yes $47.36
1:32 to 1:128
No
No No
$10.26
Average, no 3rd-party certification and not BioPreferred
$11.63
Average, with 3rd-party certification only
$15.91
Average with 3rd-party certification and BioPreferred
$35.79
Source: Various websites, April 2014 and July 2015
TABLE 11
PRICES, MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
