SAN FRANCISCO—Safeway and Lucky store janitors rallied last month in San Francisco demanding safer, greener cleaning products, reports New American Media. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) janitors followed demands made in February 2009 by Southern Californian SEIU janitors, who dressed up as fruits and vegetables and picketed outside the 2009 National Grocers Association Convention in Las Vegas.
“The health impacts of chemicals are front and center, and the problems are significant,” said SEIU spokesperson Rachele Huenneknes in the New America Media article. “We don’t often see on a contract survey, literally 100 percent of workers saying, ‘I get a headache when I use these chemicals,’ and 100 percent saying, ‘No, I don’t have gloves.’ That’s the reason why at this particular time, there’s a push.”
Not only are the janitors requesting greener products, but they also want protective gear and training to be provided.
Natural products retailers are aware of the risks involved in conventional cleaning products. The ingredients of concern in conventional products are “an endless list,” according to Steve Zeitler, co-founder, Citra Solv LLC. Many conventional cleaning products contain:
- petroleum distillate oils, which can cause tumors and are made from nonrenewable oils;
- phosphates, which are common in dishwasher detergents and can cause algae blooms in lakes and rivers where dead algae and organic matter fill water bodies;
- chlorine, which is caustic, meaning it can burn skin and eyes and induce asthma;
- synthetic fragrances, which can contain phthalates, chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive-system harm;
- synthetic dyes, which can irritate the skin and cause asthma;
- alkyphenol ethoxylates, which are suspected hormone disrupters that don’t readily biodegrade;
- dioxins, linked with weakened immune systems, decreased fertility and birth defects;
- carcinogens, which can cause allergic reactions, dermatitis, headaches and immune dysfunctions; and
- disinfectants, which have been so overused, they have created super germs that have become even more resistant.