Car Cleaning Chemicals

Green purchasing guidance for car cleaning chemicals, including:

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) states, “When making purchasing, construction, leasing, and other decisions that affect state government’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other toxic substances, agencies shall explicitly consider the benefits and costs (including the social costs of carbon) of available options to avoid those emissions. Where cost-effective and workable solutions are available that will reduce or eliminate emissions, decision makers shall select the lower-emissions options.” It further states that “reducing…the use of dangerous toxics in the products state agencies purchase will all have a direct positive effect on human health, particularly for vulnerable children.” Accordingly, vehicle washing chemicals must be free of chemicals of concern, including:
- 2-butoxyethanol (“butyl”) as well as nonyl phenol ethoxylate (NPE) and other alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs); and
- Prop 65 chemicals (e.g., phthalates), which are known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm
Purchasers should encourage suppliers to offer vehicle cleaners and waxes that have earned one or more of the following third-party certifications:
- Safer Choice, Green Seal, UL ECOLOGO
- Cradle to Cradle Product Certificate or Material Health Certificate: v3.1 at the Gold level or higher OR v4.0 at the Silver level or higher

These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:

Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.

Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options: