Green Cleaning Schools Act
The Green Cleaning Schools Act requires the use of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in all Illinois public and non-public elementary and secondary schools with 50 or more students.
As charged by the Act, the Illinois Green Governments Coordinating Council worked with various state agencies and stakeholders to establish guidelines and specifications for use by the schools. Please note that the guidelines and specifications document contains both a mandatory section (requirements) and an advisory section (recommendations). Questions regarding the Act or the guidelines and specifications should be directed to:
Kate Tomford
Office of Lt. Governor Pat Quinn
100 W. Randolph, Suite 15-200
Chicago IL 60601
Phone: 312/814-5220
Fax: 312/814-4862
The Office of Lt. Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois Green Governments Coordinating Council do not endorse any particular green cleaning products, vendors, purchasing cooperatives, or procurement methods.
Compliance with the Green Cleaning Schools Act does not waive schools' responsibilities to fully comply with any other statute, rule, regulation, or requirement to which they may be subject, including, but not limited to, any procurement regulation.
Key documents for implementation
- Guidelines and Specifications
- Application Form for Alternative Qualification
- Exemption Notification Form for Schools
- List of Qualified Supplies (current as of 12.10.2008)
- Sample Invitation for Bids
Training Documents
- Fact Sheet on the Green Cleaning Schools Act
- Frequently Asked Questions prepared by the Healthy Schools Campaign
- Inventory Self-Assessment prepared by the Healthy Schools Campaign
- Benefits of Green Cleaning
- Overview of the Guidelines and Specifications
Procurement Resources
Please note that public schools are eligible to purchase off of state contracts.
- State of Illinois Master Contracts for Green Janitorial Products
(Click "Green Contracts" in the left-hand column, then click the blue triangle next to "Janitorial and Household" to view links to individual contracts.) - State of Illinois Joint Purchasing Program
- Illinois Correctional Industries Catalog (see link to Environmentally Preferred Products)
Documents for Alternative Qualification
- Summary list of alternative qualification requirements
- Confidentiality form (optional)
- Checklist for meeting Green Seal GS-37
- Checklist for meeting Green Seal GS-41
- Checklist for meeting Green Seal GS-9
- Checklist for meeting EcoLogo CCD-104
- Checklists for meeting other EcoLogo standards coming soon
Alternative Qualification Standards
- EcoLogo CCD-104
- EcoLogo CCD-146
- EcoLogo CCD-148
- EcoLogo CCD-86
- Green Seal GS-37
- Green Seal GS-41
- Green Seal GS-9
Links to Other Resources
- GreenCleanSchools.org
- GreenCleanIllinois.org
- GreeningSchools.org
- Healthy Schools for Healthy Learning
- Green Seal
- EcoLogo
- U.S. EPA Design for the Environment: Formulator Program
- U.S. EPA Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3)
Illinois Green Cleaning in the News
- Oswego C.U.S.D. #308 in Oswego, Illinois won Honorable Mention in the 2008 National Green Cleaning in Schools Awards, co-sponsored by the Healthy Schools Campaign, American School & University Magazine, and the Green Cleaning Network.
- School Nutrition Magazine (Jan. 2009 issue), "It May Be Green -- But Is It Clean?"