Sustainable Cleaning Programs on Campus

Across the country, colleges and universities have instituted green cleaning programs for the health of their campus environments as well as the people who study, work and teach in their facilities. Here is a small sampling of initiatives in place.

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Cornell University’s Department of Building Care works to ensure that the facilities on campus are maintained using the safest and most sustainable “Green Seal Certified” cleaning products. The university also makes sure to train all employees on the ideal usage of green cleaning products to ensure their ideal use.

Harper College
Palatine, IL
As part of its commitment to the Climate Leadership Commitments (formerly the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment), Harper College has undertaken steps to clean sustainably using aqueous ozone technology.

The University of Tennessee Knoxville
Knoxville, TN
The University of Tennessee (UT) is dedicated to a clean, safe and accessible study and work environment. In order to achieve these things, UT has a Green Cleaning Program. The program began in 2006 when the university became the first in the nation to be Green Seal Cleaning Certified.

Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
Oberlin College is a leader in the higher education green cleaning movement, dedicated to reducing the environmental impact made. The Facilities Management Department works closely with vendors to ensure that the products used on Oberlin’s campus are on the cutting edge of sustainability.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) indicates that in order to build and maintain a sustainable building, it has adopted the MMA Green Cleaning Practices. This program is being piloted campus-wide. The green cleaning practices include the use of green cleaning chemicals, employing cleaning processes that benefit public health and the environment and purchasing environmentally preferable janitorial products.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • school building with glowing circuit board patterns

    AI Is Coming to Schools — But Most School Buildings Still Run on Institutional Memory

    As school districts race to introduce AI into classrooms, administration, and curriculum planning, another conversation is happening behind the scenes: How prepared are school facilities themselves for the operational demands AI will create?

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Lawrence Group Announces Three New Hires

    Integrated planning and design firm Lawrence Group, based in St. Louis, Mo., recently welcomed three new staff members, according to a news release.

  • Health & Science Building

    Health & Science Building

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Health & Science Building has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.