The American Cleaning Institute's (ACI) just-released 2013 Sustainability Report shows overall decreases by member companies in four environmental metric data points: energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and solid waste generation.
In 2012, 24 ACI member companies, including cleaning product makers and suppliers, contributed environmental metrics data reflecting U.S. cleaning product-related production. To ensure year-to-year comparability in all data categories, only companies whose data spanned all three reporting years (2009, 2010 and 2011) are presented in the Report.
The U.S. cleaning product industry’s second biennial sustainability report showcases continual adoption of sustainability practices within the cleaning products supply chain. It also highlights how ACI and its members are improving product safety and transparency and giving back to those in need.
“As an organization representing the cleaning product supply chain, we are proud of our industry’s progress in sustainability and transparency,” said Ernie Rosenberg, ACI President and CEO. “We continue to build the pathway for all ACI member companies to showcase sustainability successes and challenges that are integral to doing business in today’s marketplace.”
Among the findings of the 2012 ACI Sustainability Metrics Program:
- Overall, 2011 showed a reduction in the industry’s footprint for all four environmental metrics compared to 2009. During this period, energy use decreased 9 percent, greenhouse gas emissions decreased 7 percent, water use decreased 5 percent and solid waste generation decreased 17 percent.
- There was continuous improvement in the energy use profile per cleaning product produced. From 2009 to 2010 energy use saw a 6 percent decrease and from 2010 to 2011 this metric decreased 4 percent.
- There was a 12 percent decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2010 to 2011.
- Clean the World collects and recycles discarded soaps, shampoos, conditioners and other hygiene products from more than 1,200 participating hotels and hospitality partners and distributes them to those in need.
- Cleaning for a Reason provides free household cleanings for women undergoing treatment for cancer.
ACI’s scientific and research programs contribute tools, data and insight that ACI member companies use to assess the safety and effectiveness of cleaning products and their ingredients:
- The ACI Cleaning Product Ingredient Inventory is a detailed online inventory of ingredients used in consumer cleaning products which promotes the responsible management of ACI members’ products and the safety of the ingredients in them.
- iSTREEM™ is a Web-based computer model which forecasts chemical concentrations in U.S. waterways resulting from the use of those chemicals in consumer products that are disposed down the drain.
- ACI continues to contribute to the science of cleaning products through highly-regarded research and reports, which can be viewed at ACIscience.org.