Cleaning up our act: why sustainable cleaning should be part of every environmental action plan
By Mark Jankovich, Founder and Managing Director, Delphis Eco
When organisations develop an environmental action plan, they tend to focus first on the most visible areas of impact: energy, water, transport and waste. Quite rightly, these are major priorities where change can deliver measurable benefits. But one of the simplest and most immediate sustainability opportunities is often forgotten: cleaning. Every organisation cleans, yet cleaning products and processes rarely receive the same scrutiny as energy use, recycling or business travel. Because cleaning is seen as a routine operational necessity, the products being bought, how they are used and what happens when they are rinsed away can easily escape attention.
That makes cleaning something of a hidden sustainability win. It is an area where organisations can take practical action without major capital investment, while potentially reducing harmful chemicals, virgin plastic, energy use, waste and unnecessary product consumption. Whether you run an office, school, restaurant, care setting, sports facility, factory, visitor attraction or community building, cleaning products are part of the daily rhythm of operations. They are bought, transported, stored, diluted, used, discharged into wastewater systems and replaced. The reality is that cleaning is not just a hygiene issue. It is a water issue, a packaging issue, a carbon issue, a health issue and, increasingly, a biodiversity issue. For organisations looking to strengthen their environmental action plans, it deserves far more attention.
What are cleaning products doing to water sources?
Many conventional cleaning products contain chemicals such as surfactants, phosphates, phosphonates, chelating agents, solvents, fragrances and disinfecting agents. When these products are rinsed away, they do not simply disappear. They enter wastewater systems and, depending on the substance and the treatment process, can ultimately contribute to the chemical load entering rivers and waterways. This matters because the UK’s rivers are already under extraordinary pressure. Environment Agency data shows that only a small proportion of English rivers achieve good ecological status, while citizen science projects such as Earthwatch’s WaterBlitz have highlighted widespread nutrient pollution, including high levels of nitrates and phosphates in many freshwater sites.
Cleaning products are not the only cause of river pollution. Sewage discharges, agricultural run-off, road pollution, pet treatments and wider industrial activity all play a role. But cleaning products are part of the wider chemical cocktail entering our water systems, and they are one area where every organisation can make a practical choice. The most obvious issue is nutrient pollution. Phosphates and phosphonates, traditionally used in some detergents and cleaning products, can contribute to eutrophication. This is where excess nutrients encourage algal blooms. When that plant material dies and decomposes, oxygen levels in the water fall, which can harm or kill fish, invertebrates and aquatic plants. Some surfactants can also be harmful to aquatic life, while persistent chemicals can remain in the environment for long periods. Others can contribute to indoor air quality issues before they even reach the drain. In short, what we pour down the sink matters.
What ingredients should organisations look to avoid?
The challenge for buyers is that many cleaning products do not make their environmental impact obvious. Some ingredients sound highly technical, while others are hidden behind broad descriptions. However, there are several groups of ingredients worth questioning.
Phosphates and phosphonates
These are often used in detergents and cleaning products to soften water or boost performance. Their environmental concern is their contribution to nutrient pollution and eutrophication, where excess nutrients encourage algal growth and reduce oxygen levels in water.
APEs
APEs, or alkylphenol ethoxylates, are a group of surfactants historically used in some cleaning and industrial products. When they break down, they can form nonylphenols, which are persistent, toxic to aquatic life and associated with endocrine-disrupting effects.
EDTA
EDTA, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, is a chelating agent used in some household and commercial cleaning formulations. It is persistent in the environment and can remobilise heavy metals, allowing them to move more easily through water systems.
VOCs
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are commonly found in solvent-based cleaners, degreasers, air fresheners, polishes and fragranced products. They evaporate under normal indoor conditions and can contribute to indoor air pollution, particularly affecting people with asthma, allergies or other respiratory conditions.
Chlorine-based bleach
Bleach is widely used because it is cheap, familiar and powerful. But it is also corrosive, hazardous to handle and capable of irritating the skin and lungs. It can also produce harmful fumes if mixed with other chemicals. From an environmental perspective, it is often used too widely and too frequently, including in situations where a safer, more targeted product would be appropriate. That does not mean organisations should compromise on hygiene. It means understanding where disinfection is genuinely required, choosing the right product for the task, following contact times and dilution instructions, and avoiding bleach as a catch-all solution.
If very little detail is on the bottle, how do you find out what is in your current products?
A good starting point is to ask your supplier for the Safety Data Sheet, often called an SDS. Every professional cleaning product should have one. It will not always tell you everything about the full formulation, because some ingredients may be protected as commercially confidential, but it should identify hazardous substances, classifications, handling requirements, storage advice and disposal information. You can also ask for technical data sheets, environmental statements, allergen or fragrance information, biodegradability information and details of any independent accreditations. If a supplier cannot provide clear information, that is a warning sign.
Transparency is an important part of responsible procurement. For organisations reviewing their cleaning regimes, I would suggest creating a simple product inventory. List every cleaning product currently used, where it is used, how often it is used, whether it is diluted or ready-to-use, what packaging it comes in, whether staff have been trained to use it correctly, and whether there is a lower-impact alternative. Very often, organisations discover they have far more products than they need. Rationalising the range can reduce waste, improve safety, simplify training and reduce cost.
Where does the environmental impact of a cleaning product lie?
There is no single answer. The impact lies across the whole lifecycle.
Ingredients
The ingredients determine what is released into wastewater and the wider environment. Questions to ask include: Are they plant-based? Are they readily biodegradable? Are they toxic to aquatic life? Are they derived from petrochemicals? Do they contain phosphates, EDTA, APEs, VOCs or other substances of concern?
Performance temperature
A product that only works effectively with very hot water may increase energy use. Products that perform well at lower temperatures can help reduce operational carbon, particularly in larger organisations where cleaning is frequent and water heating is significant.
Dilution and dosing
Concentrated products can reduce transport emissions, packaging volumes and storage requirements. However, they only deliver those benefits if they are dosed correctly. Overdosing remains common and wastes product, money and resources.
Packaging
Packaging is another important part of a product’s environmental impact. Buyers should consider how much packaging is used, whether it contains recycled material, whether it can be recycled after use, and whether concentrated or refillable formats could reduce overall material consumption. Using post-consumer recycled plastic can significantly reduce reliance on virgin plastic and support a more circular approach to packaging. Delphis Eco was an early pioneer of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, demonstrating that professional cleaning products can move away from virgin plastic without compromising functionality. However, recycled content is only one part of the picture. Recyclability, refill systems, closed-loop schemes, pack size and the amount of product transported should all form part of the assessment.
Supply chain
Organisations should also consider where a product is manufactured, how far it travels and whether the manufacturer is measuring and reducing its own carbon footprint. Credible environmental governance should form part of the purchasing decision.
Use and training
Even the best product can be wasted if staff are not trained, dilution systems are poorly managed or products are used in the wrong setting. Sustainable cleaning is therefore about both product choice and process discipline.
How can organisations judge whether an ‘eco’ product is genuinely credible?
Terms such as “eco”, “green”, “natural” and “environmentally friendly” are used very widely, but on their own they provide little assurance. They are not substitutes for evidence. Buyers should look beyond the language on the front of the bottle and ask what independent standards, testing or verification sit behind the claim. A credible environmental product should be able to demonstrate both lower impact and effective performance. One of the most useful benchmarks is the EU Ecolabel, which Delphis Eco products carry across its range. It assesses products against independently defined criteria covering areas such as hazardous substances, raw materials, packaging, environmental impact and product performance, providing buyers with a far more reliable basis for comparison than marketing language alone. Other accreditations and corporate credentials can also provide useful context.
B Corp certification, for example, assesses a company’s wider social and environmental performance. Awards, recognised standards and external commitments may also offer reassurance, but they should support rather than replace product-specific evidence. The key question for any buyer is simple: what proof sits behind the claim? A responsible supplier should be able to explain clearly what makes its products lower impact, which independent standards they meet, how their performance has been tested and where the supporting evidence can be found. If those answers are vague, difficult to obtain or based mainly on words such as “natural” or “green”, buyers should treat that as a warning sign.
Are eco products appropriate for clinical and food preparation settings?
Yes, provided the right product is used for the right task and meets the standards required for that setting. There is a common misconception that sustainable cleaning products are suitable only for light-duty use. In reality, professional eco products can perform effectively in demanding environments, including food preparation areas and healthcare support settings. The important distinction is between cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning removes dirt, grease and organic matter, while disinfection is required in specific higher-risk situations to reduce microorganisms to a safe level. Buyers should therefore check product efficacy, relevant EN standards, contact times and food-safe claims where appropriate, and ensure products fit their existing hygiene protocols. The aim is not to choose “green at any cost”. It is to achieve high standards of hygiene and performance with the lowest practical environmental impact.
What is the problem with bleach, and what should be used instead?
Bleach has its place in specific infection-control scenarios, but it is overused. Too often, it is treated as the default answer to every cleaning challenge. The problems are practical as well as environmental. Bleach can irritate skin, eyes and lungs. It can damage surfaces and fabrics. It can create dangerous fumes when mixed with other chemicals. It can also give a false sense of security if it is used on dirty surfaces without proper cleaning first, because organic matter can reduce disinfectant effectiveness. Instead of reaching automatically for bleach, organisations should ask: what is the risk, what are we trying to remove or control, and what is the least harmful effective product for that task? For general cleaning, a high-quality, plant-based, biodegradable cleaner may be more appropriate. For washrooms, kitchens and food preparation areas, choose products specifically designed for those environments and supported by clear efficacy and safety information. For disinfection, use a targeted disinfectant only where required and ensure staff follow the correct dilution, contact time and application method. Reducing bleach use is not about lowering standards. It is about being more precise, safer and more responsible.
What should organisations look for in a lower-impact cleaning range?
A responsible cleaning range should minimise harm across ingredients, packaging, use and disposal. Look for products that are free from APEs, EDTA, phosphates, phosphonates and unnecessary VOCs. Choose formulations that are readily biodegradable, effective at lower temperatures where possible, and suitable for professional use. Prioritise concentrated products and controlled dosing systems to reduce waste. Ask for packaging made from recycled material, ideally 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, and check whether the packaging is recyclable after use. Also look for independent verification. EU Ecolabel accreditation is one of the strongest indicators that a product has been assessed against robust environmental and performance criteria. Supplier transparency is equally important. You should be able to access Safety Data Sheets, technical information, environmental credentials and clear usage guidance. Finally, choose a range that helps staff do the right thing easily. Too many products can lead to confusion, overdosing and misuse. A simpler, well-labelled, properly supported range can improve both environmental performance and cleaning standards.
Four actions you can take now
Sustainable cleaning does not have to begin with a complete overhaul. There are several straightforward actions organisations can take immediately:
- Ask for the evidence
Request Safety Data Sheets and technical information for every professional cleaning product you use. Ask suppliers to explain the ingredients, environmental credentials, dilution requirements and appropriate applications.
- Audit your cleaning cupboard
Create a simple inventory of the products used across your organisation. Identify duplication, products that are rarely used, ready-to-use products that could be replaced with concentrates, and any formulations containing substances of concern.
- Check for independent certification
Look beyond words such as “green”, “natural” or “eco-friendly”. Check whether products carry credible, independent certifications such as the EU Ecolabel and ask suppliers to substantiate their environmental claims.
- Review where bleach is genuinely necessary
Identify where bleach is being used routinely rather than in response to a specific hygiene or infection-control requirement. Replace it with a safer, task-specific alternative wherever appropriate, while continuing to follow the relevant hygiene standards and risk assessments.
These initial steps can help organisations reduce unnecessary chemical use, simplify their cleaning ranges, improve staff safety and identify opportunities to cut packaging, waste and cost.
Cleaning as an environmental action
These actions may appear relatively small, but together they can make cleaning a meaningful and measurable part of an organisation’s wider environmental action plan. Switching to lower-impact cleaning products will not solve the river pollution crisis on its own. But it can help reduce the chemical burden entering our water systems, cut reliance on virgin plastic, improve indoor environments and support a more responsible supply chain. Environmental progress is often associated with major commitments and long-term targets. But it is also shaped by the products organisations buy every week, the processes they put in place and the standards they expect from suppliers. Cleaning may happen behind the scenes, but its impact does not stay there. It flows into our workplaces, our waterways and the wider environment. So, when your organisation next reviews its sustainability priorities, procurement policies or operational practices, make sure cleaning products are part of the conversation. Audit what you use, ask suppliers for the evidence, and look for lower-impact alternatives that meet the performance standards your organisation needs. Cleaning should no longer be the forgotten part of an environmental action plan.
This article is written by Mark Jankovich is Founder and Managing Director of Delphis Eco. Awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2022, Delphis Eco is the UK’s leading manufacturer of professional, plant-based cleaning products, sold in pioneering 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. As a certified B Corporation with EU Ecolabel accreditation, Royal Warrant status, and commitments to The Climate Pledge and Race to Zero, Delphis Eco works with organisations across hospitality, facilities management, education, healthcare, retail and the public sector to help them clean effectively while reducing environmental impact.