Cleaning Supplies
Throughout our research in determining the best practices for sustainable or green living on campus, we split objects that are normally found in a dorm room into categories in an effort to inform our community of choices they can make to become more sustainable. We will be taking a look into the environmental impact of cleaning products that are common. Comparison of Dawn dish soap and Seventh generation dish soap, Clorox wipes and Green depot all purpose cleaning spray, and Bounty paper towels and cloth or cotton towels.
But, how is one dish soap different from another, or cleaning spray compared to sanitary wipes and cloth to paper? Each of these products have their own life cycle that must be taken into consideration when purchasing your next batch of cleaning supplies.
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Dish Soap
Comparing Dawn dish soap and Seventh generation dish soap, each of which has its own pros and cons. First we will compare CO2 output for both brands in every aspect from production, through distribution and disposal. But, why is CO2 an important thing to consider while purchasing your next dish soap? CO2, although a naturally occurring gas, is emitted at very high levels by human life and industry, and is one of several greenhouse gases that are responsible for what some believe to be climate change. CO2 comes into the picture for both Dawn and Seventh generation during the production and distribution phases of each of their products. In the production aspect of both brands, plastic bottles, which are produced for containers of each respective product, are made by the process of creating Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) a thermoplastic polymer (T. (Ed.), 2017). In order to access the materials required to create this substance, we must first extract crude oil from beneath the earth’s surface (Makheia, 2012). The creation of this plastic PET is done by chemical reactions. CO2 is used in the process of blow molding where the PET plastic that has been shaped into the desired container is molded then cooled by pressurized carbon dioxide (T. (Ed.), 2017). With both brands partaking in these processes of creating PET and blow molding, a similar level of CO2 is released from each. Seventh Generation stands apart from Dawn is their use of approximately 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic (Seventh Generation, 2011). Although Seventh Generation still may have to reshape recycled bottles by the same means of blow molding, creation of new plastics is essentially cut out of the mix, limiting new plastic waste. This aspect in the disposal phase gives Seventh Generation the upper hand. Product transport is also responsible for CO2 emission for both companies. Seventh Generation has gone ahead and established a network of five distribution centers strategically located throughout the United States. From 2008-2009 by concentrating dish soaps and other products, they were able to reduce green house gas emissions by 36% (Seventh Generation, 2011). Product life comes into consideration in the use phase, where Seventh Generation urges their consumer to use cold water in an effort to cut out the overuse of fresh water resources. A life cycle assessment of their liquid dish soap revealed that over 90% of total energy use during a products life came from use concerning human behavior (Seventh Generation, 2011).
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Cleaner
A major concern when comparing Clorox wipes to Green depot All-Purpose Cleaner comes in a few different aspects that we looked at in both of these products life cycle analyses. A majority of CO2 emissions that are a result of the production of Clorox wipes come in the form of paper production. Paper towels, similar to paper, are made by the harvest of trees which are then chipped into pulp and then a churning process with chemical additives (Lacoma T., 2017) Although Green Depot all-purpose cleaner does not contain paper products, both products are considered multi-surface cleaners. From harvesting of trees, to pulp and eventually paper towel production, CO2 emissions and H20 use are notably higher in Clorox wipes as both production of the wipes, and chemical ingredients contribute to these measurements. Similar to the plastic production mentioned in the above paragraph, Clorox and Green Depot also store their products in plastic containers. Where Clorox containers must either be disposed of in the trash or recycled, Green depot gives the option of refilling and reusing their cleaning spray bottles (Green Depot all purpose cleaner, 2017). Green Depot is also backed by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment label, one that is awarded to products that are both safe for consumers and the environment. The active cleaning ingredient in Green depot’s cleaner is Alcohol Ethoxylate, a surfactant produced from natural mid cut alcohol. This alternative to nonylphenol ethoxylates has proven to be safer for fish and other aquatic organisms (GreenDepot, 2017). Green depot’s All-purpose cleaner is water-soluble, non-allergenic, and biodegradable. A major sway in the use of each of these products comes during disposal of Clorox wipes, in comparison to reuse of GreenDepot containers and reuse of cloth or cotton towels associated with use.
Towels
Comparison of Bounty paper towels and generic cloth towels revealed some similarities and differences among their production, distribution, and use life cycles. Terry towels, a specific form of cloth towel is formed from the gathering of cotton fiber together and twisting them (Raichurkar, u/k). Production of Bounty paper towels is gone about in the same way as many other paper products. First trees are harvested, chipped into pulp, and then placed in a churning process where chemicals are added to bleach the pulp (Lacoma T., 2017). In terms of environmental effects of the paper industry, deforestation and other means of timber harvest raise concerns for this product. Each process consumes both energy and H2O in the production phase (Lacoma T., 2017). Although H2O is used in production of both products, we saw an increase of water use when consumers rewashed their cloth towels. While looking at the distribution of both Bounty paper towels and cloth towels, we noticed little to no difference in distribution. Specifically while looking into the disposal of Bounty and cloth towels, reuse of cloth towels proved the better choice compared to adding to land fills.
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References
GreenDepot. (2017). Green Cleaning: All Purpose cleaner [Brochure]. Retrieved October, 2017, from http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/assets/images/docs/GDAllPurpose_FactSheet.pdf
Ingwersen, W., Gausman, M., Weisbrod, A., Sengupta, D., Lee, S., Bare, J., . . . Ceja, M. (2015). Detailed life cycle assessment of Bounty ® paper towel operations in the United States. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131(509), 522nd ser., 509-522. doi:10.1107/s0108768104030617/bs5012sup1.cif
Lacoma, T. (2017, April 24). Process for Making Paper Towels. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from https://sciencing.com/process-making-paper-towels-5242274.html
Makheia, C. (2012). Paprec Group Raw material producer of the 21st century. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from https://www.paprec.com/en/understanding-recycling/recycling-plastic/making-plastic-extracting-raw-material
Raichurkar, P. P. (u/k). Textiles. Terry towels and terry towel fabrics. Specifications and methods of test. Short Term Course On Terry Towel Manufacturing, 1-95. doi:10.3403/30087396
Seventh Generation. (2011). Seventh Generation 2020 vison for sustainability [Brochure]. Retrieved October, 2017, from https://www.seventhgeneration.com/sites/default/files/assets/pdf/2011_SevGen_Corporate-Consciousness.pdf
T. (Ed.). (2017, December 4). Plastic Bottle Manufacturing. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/materials-handling/plastic-bottle-manufacturing/
Dawn Dish Soap & Seventh Generation Dish Soap
Dawn Dish Soap: $2.50 / 21 fl/oz
Seventh Generation Dish Soap: $2.89 / 25 fl/oz
Clorox Cleaning Wipes & Green Depot All-Purpose Cleaner
Clorox Cleaning Wipes: $4.20 / container
Green Depot All-Purpose Cleaner: $4.95-5.25 / container
Bounty Paper Towels & Cloth Towels
Bounty Paper Towels: $4.35-5.00 / roll
Cloth Towels: ~$3.99 / towel
What We Use
Dish Soap
When it comes to dish soaps, Seventh Generation is the greener choice. During the processes of production and distribution, the CO2 output is lower than other options. Water usage will depend on the consumer’s choice so we feel as though it was unfair to rank that section. The containers are created from recycled plastics which helps limit the overall products of new plastic adding to plastic waste (Seventh Generation, 2011).
Cleaner
We chose Green Depot All-Purpose Cleaner (spray) compared to Clorox wipes. The CO2 emissions were considerably lower in both production and distribution phases of the spray. With no wipes, Green Depot All-Purpose Cleaner doesn’t contribute to the disposal stage (Green Depot All-Purpose Cleaner, 2016).
Towels
Since cloth towels have lower CO2 emissions (than that of paper towels), a longer life, and virtually free from landfills, they are the greener choice (Ingwersen et al., 2015).
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