CCD-147: Floor Care Products

*Please note: there is an interpretation associated with this standard. It is available for viewing at the end of the PDF document

Floor care products are used to condition, restore and improve the finish of floor surfaces such as concrete, ceramic or vinyl tile, linoleum, rubber and marble. They may contain corrosive chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, and toxic chemicals. These, in turn, may lead to impacts on human health, reduced interior air quality, ground level ozone, photochemical smog, and increased mortality of fish and other aquatic organisms.

The EcoLogo^TM Program addresses these challenges by establishing strict limits on toxicity, VOCs, biodegradability and the physical properties of the products themselves. The net environmental benefit will be a reduction in human health impacts, less potential for smog formation and diminished aquatic toxicity.

To be authorized to carry the EcoLogo, floor care products must:

• Be effective;
• Provide a surface with good slip resistance;
• Include detailed instructions for proper use and disposal;
• Not be formulated with:
  • propellants,
  • isocyanates, polymers of urethane, or more than 50 ppm of unpolymerized monomers,
  • aromatic or halogenated solvents,
  • glycol ethers or their acetates (ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether),
  • alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants (APEOs),
  • dibutyl phtalate or perfluorooctane sulfonates,
  • chemicals classified as being carcinogenic or causing developmental or reproductive toxicity,
  • chemicals classified as an endocrine disruptor,
  • toxic metals, including but not limited to arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, silver and mercury, and
  • organic ingredients that are bioaccumulating;
• Not be sold as a “spray and buff” product;
• If labelled as a neutralizer, be formulated only with food grade acids;
• Be readily biodegradable;
• Contain no more than the following level of VOCs:
  • finishes and sealers: 7% (flexible flooring) or 10% (non-resilient flooring),
  • strippers and neutralizers: 7%,
  • restorers: 3%; and
• Demonstrate low toxicity:
  • combination finish and sealer : LC₅₀ greater than 10mg/l for crustaceans, and LD₅₀ greater than 6,000 mg/kg for mammals,
  • sealers: LC₅₀ greater than 10,000 mg/l for crustaceans, and LD₅₀ greater than 6,000 mg/kg for mammals,
  • strippers: EC₅₀ greater than 10 mg/l for microorganisms, and LD₅₀ greater than 4,000 mg/kg for mammals,
  • neutralizers: EC₅₀ greater than 20 mg/l for microorganisms, and LD₅₀ greater than 4,000 mg/kg for mammal, and
  • restorers: LC₅₀ greater than 5,000 mg/l for crustaceans, and LD₅₀ greater than 6,000 mg/kg for mammals.