Illinois Schools Clean Green

By Margaret Lyons in News on May 15, 2008 9:40PM

The Green Cleaning Schools Act went into effect in Illinois on May 9, making us the second state in the nation to require that schools develop "green cleaning" plans and use cleaning supplies that meet EPA standards. Great, there goes our idea to sell boiling ammonia cancer splash lunchtable cleanser in a get-rich-quick scheme. Sigh. Guess we're going to have to market bottled hippie tears. Oh, we kid.

The law does not include penalties for schools that don't comply, and no one is conducting inspections to make sure schools are using less-toxic options to mop up barf. According to the Healthy School Campaign, the nonprofit group that promotes legislation such as this, schools need to comply with green guidelines in six categories: bathroom cleaners, carpet cleaners, general purpose and hard floor surface cleaners, glass, window and mirror cleaners, hand cleaners and hand soaps, and paper products. Green green, green green green, so very green, green. [AP, Healthy Schools Campaign, green wall by Chloeloe]