Background

Since incorporation in 1991, Clean Control Corporation has made an effort to produce effective products using the safest chemicals possible.

Environmental preferability has been a cornerstone from the foundation of Clean Control Corporation, having formulated cleaning products without 2-butoxy ethanol (a toxic solvent) and phthalate esters (fragrance carriers suspected of having adverse environmental effects).

Sustainability Awareness

Over the last three decades there has been increasing study regarding the sustainability of our global human impact and the interrelated problems of environmental stress and competition for non-renewable raw materials, land, and energy.

Customers want an easy and trustworthy way to identify goods and services that are healthier and reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and natural resources while delivering the performance they expect.

Clean Control Corporation recognizes the benefits of competing on innovation rather than on price. Implementing sustainable practices, producing less waste and reducing energy use requires innovation and continuous improvement.

These improvements include product design; as well as, suppliers and raw material selection. Additionally, sustainability in marketing occurs as “green” branding or “eco” labeling.

Our Innovations

One aspect of Clean Control Corporations efforts in the area of sustainability is our work with third party certifiers such as Green Seal and U.S. EPA Safer Choice Label.

Green Seal develops life cycle-based sustainability standards for products, services and companies and offer third-party certification for those that meet the criteria in the standard. Green Seal has been actively identifying and promoting sustainability in the marketplace, and helping organizations be greener in a real and effective way since 1989.

Safer Choice works directly with EPA’s Green Chemistry specialists to identify and recommend safer chemicals, continuously raising the bar and redefining the meaning of environmentally preferable products. Safer Choice helps by sharing information and guiding the development of safer products.

Product Design

By considering sustainability in the development of cleaning chemicals, we can have a reduced human impact on several areas of environmental stress that impact the nitrogen cycle, phosphorous cycle, water and energy use, aquatic toxicity, reproductive, developmental and estrogenic effects.

Nitrogen – Although essential for many biological processes; use of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and monoethanolamine (MEA) is causing dramatic environmental changes, including surface and groundwater pollution and ocean dead zones. Nitrogen compounds are highly toxic to fish and the discharge from wastewater treatment plants must be closely monitored. Clean Control Corporation has lead the industry in development of floor strippers and concentrated laundry detergents without MEA.

Phosphorous – Although essential for many biological processes; use of phosphorous compounds such as inorganic phosphates results in increased amounts of phosphorus as pollutants in bodies of water resulting in eutrophication. Eutrophication devastates water ecosystems. Clean Control Corporation does not formulate with inorganic phosphates.

Water and Energy Use – Trends in energy use, water availability, and water demand suggest that the U.S. will continue to face issues related to the development, utilization, and management of the critical resources of water. Reducing the amount of water and energy used in cleaning helps reverse these trends. Clean Control Corporation has recently developed a concentrated laundry detergent for use in cold water.

In 2009 we upgraded lighting in our manufacturing faculty with energy efficient fluorescent lighting designed to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 133,000 kWh annually. Additionally, in 2011 we installed 150 kW ground-mounted array solar panels offsetting our electrical usage by an estimated 392,000 kWh annually. Combined, these offset an estimated 70% of our annual electrical consumption.

Packaging – Concentrated products use less packaging. Additionally, Clean Control Corporation has phased out PVC packaging and works closely with customers to reduce corrugation without compromising container integrity.

Aquatic Toxicity – Use surfactants that biodegrade readily to non-polluting substances, which helps relieve stress on the environment, especially threats to aquatic life. By avoiding environmentally harmful builders or extreme pH in these formulations, the environmental profile and safety characteristics of cleaning products are further enhanced. Safer sequestrants biodegrade readily to non-hazardous compounds and protect against environmental loading of metals. Clean Control Corporation does not formulate with alkylphenol ethoxylate and works with Green Seal and the Safer Choice Label program to develop inherently safer products and processes.

Reproductive, Developmental and Estrogenic Effects – Studies indicate potential reproductive, developmental and estrogenic effects with certain commonly used builders and surfactants. Dietary exposure to borates (i.e. Borax) is implicated in developmental effects to fetuses. Several studies describe the estrogenic activity of nonylphenol in aquatic environments. Clean Control Corporation has recently developed a concentrated laundry detergent replacing borax. Clean Control Corporation does not formulate with alkylphenol ethoxylate, 2-butoxy ethanol or phthalate esters.

Supplier and Raw Material Selection

Clean Control Corporation encourages suppliers to participate in our innovation and sustainability goals. Sources of additional information:

GreenBlue – GreenBlue is a nonprofit institute that stimulates the creative redesign of industry by focusing the expertise of professional communities to create practical solutions, resources, and opportunities for implementing sustainability. For more on GreenBlue projects and partnerships see www.greenblue.org/.

CleanGredients – CleanGredients is a one-stop online database of institutional and industrial (I&I) cleaning ingredients designed to help formulators identify ingredients that have potential environmental and/or human health and safety benefits and provide opportunity for manufacturers and producers of cleaning ingredients to showcase their ingredients with potential environmental and/or human health and safety benefits.

For more on CleanGredients see www.cleangredients.org/home.

Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) – SDSI recognizes environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of safer surfactants. For more on SDSI see http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/sdsi.htm. For more on Clean Control Corporation’s participation in this program see odobanprofessional.com.

Biomonitoring California maintains an updated list of designated chemicals that can be viewed and downloaded. A panel of experts, the Scientific Guidance Panel (SGP), makes recommendations regarding the Program’s design and implementation, and makes specific recommendations regarding chemicals that are priorities for biomonitoring in California and provide scientific peer review for Biomonitoring California.

Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award recognizes program participants who demonstrated leadership in furthering safer chemistry and products. For more on Clean Control Corporation’s participation in this program see Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award Winners 2016.

Clean Control Corporation continually works with our suppliers in response to voluntary industry requirements, customer requirements and in consideration of all statutory requirements and regulatory guidelines to move towards safer ingredients.

Ingredient Disclosure

Clean Control Corporation continually works on priority chemicals and transparency emerging issues for:

1. Making disclosure easier and more consistent, building trusted relationships along the supply chain and facilitating a willingness to share information;
2. the process of prioritizing chemicals;
3. Facilitating more research and development into alternative chemicals;
4. Exploring what stakeholders can do to contribute toward the industry’s sustainability efforts; and
5. Engaging and educating consumers on the science behind priority chemicals in a way that is meaningful and accessible.

Recycling

Clean Control Corporation recycles manufacturing materials such as corrugated packaging (cardboard), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) containers. In addition, Clean Control Corporation participates in promoting recycling in the local community.

Accepting the Challenge for the Future

Sustainability is a major challenge for the community at large. Clean Control Corporation has decided to accept the challenge, facing the future and the interests of coming generations by working with our suppliers, customers, the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Label and Green Seal Certification Programs, the CSPA Product Care® Steward program and other partners to reduce the impact of our products on the environment through innovation and a process of continuous improvement.