Posted by Charlotte Salter, on October 10, 2012.
Choosing cleaning products to help keep your family safe and care for the environment is now easy with the release of a new sustainable cleaning logo.
Shoppers across the UK can now see the new Charter for Sustainable Cleaning logo on cleaning products. Starting with laundry detergents and fabric conditioners in 2012, the Charter logo will be found in future on many other cleaning products.
CleanSmart answers your questions about green cleaning…What should I look for when trying to decide what products to buy?
When you’re shopping for cleaning products, you want to make the right choice and buy products that will clean sustainably – that perform well and help reduce your family’s impact on the planet. Wouldn’t it be great if companies made this all clear on their products, to help you sort through the options? Well, over 170 manufacturers and retailers are committed to doing just that all over Europe. With the new Charter logo, it’s going to become much easier to spot sustainable cleaning products on the shelves.
Sounds great. But do products that comply to a high standard of sustainability really clean as effectively as all the other products available?
You might think that cleaning products which are more sustainable won’t clean as well, but you really don’t have to sacrifice performance. Cleaning products carrying the Charter logo can take on the toughest cleaning jobs, and you’ll find the logo on many of the brands you know and love. Buying a product with the Charter logo on it means you can be reassured that the company, and the product, is meeting the highest level of sustainability.
What else can I do to help lighten my family’s impact on the planet?
There are many ways we can all do our bit at home. You might not realize that the biggest impact the cleaning industry has on the environment comes from when people actually use the products at home. Products displaying the Charter logo can help you get involved in making a difference. They show you what you can do to save energy and water, from running full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine, to washing at lower temperatures and using recycled packaging when possible. And you can find cleaning and hygiene tips, like how to ensure you use the correct amount every time you clean and avoid under-filling the machine. Following these tips will help save your family money, energy and water.
So how does it feel to clean your home with products that are more sustainable?
Cleaning sustainably feels great because you know it’s a smart choice. When you use a product displaying the Charter logo, you can always be sure you’re cleaning with a product that is safe, and lowers your impact on the environment. The Charter takes into account many important issues, from the working conditions of the people that manufacture the product, to ingredients that use less resources like water and energy. And best of all – you get simple tips that help you do your bit when you’re using the product. That means most of the hard work has already been done for you! All you have to do is make a few changes to clean smart.
What else can we do to clean green?
Did you know that if everyone who washes at 40°C or higher were to wash at 10 degrees lower, the energy saved would be equivalent to lighting every home in Poland?Find out more about green cleaning.
