American Cleaning Institute Launches Charter for Sustainable Cleaning The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) has launched the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning, a voluntary initiative to promote and demonstrate continual improvement in the cleaning products industry’s sustainability proile. The charter was unveiled during the ACI’s 2014 Annual Meeting & Industry Convention. The charter, which is designed to go beyond basic legal requirements, provides a framework for driving the industry toward common sustainability goals. It requires companies to have systems in place for continual assessment, review and improvement of sustainability performance, including raw material selection, resource use, and occupational health and safety at every important stage of the product life cycle. “By participating in the charter, companies will have a means of demonstrating their commitment to continuous improvement in key aspects of sustainability relative to the cleaning product supply chain,” said Ernie Rosenberg, ACI president & CEO. The charter exists as a guideline for best practices in sustainability and consists of three required components: “ACI’s Charter for Sustainable Cleaning creates a credible industry-wide initiative for continual assessment, review and improvement of sustainability performance at major stages of the product life cycle,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI vice president of sustainability initiatives. The ACI charter is based in part on the A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning, a voluntary initiative of the European soaps, detergents and maintenance products industry developed by ACI’s sister trade association, A.I.S.E. 1 Charter companies must formally commit to the ACI Principles for Sustainability. 2 Charter companies must participate in ACI’s Sustainability Metrics Program. 3 Charter companies must work toward implementing a set of Essential Sustainability Procedures and Activities (SPAs), which apply to the design, raw material use, manufacture, consumer use and disposal of products and packaging to become members of the Charter. China send out air pollution inspectors CHINA’S environment ministry says it has sent inspectors to Beijing and other areas of the country to inspect polluting industries and check construction sites amid a spell of severe air pollution. Twelve teams will inspect factories, including those producing steel, coal, glass and cement, in Beijing, nearby Tianjin city and neighbouring Hebei province, as well as their surrounding areas, the ministry said. The teams will review the local governments’ responses to the bad air over the past few days, it said, adding that any violations found would be publicised. The government is eager to bring about a visible improvement in China’s bad air, which has caused discontent among its citizens and tarnished the country’s image abroad. While heavily polluting industries have emissions standards, they are not necessarily enforced, and local governments often still favour pollution-intensive projects that can generate economic growth. Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, on Sunday ordered 20 per cent of private vehicles off the roads in urban areas based licence plate numbers, the oficial Xinhua News Agency reported. On Friday, Beijing raised its pollution alert to the second-highest level for the irst time, which meant some manufacturing plants had to suspend or reduce production, and that demolition work, barbecues and ireworks were banned. Xinhua said that almost all provinces in central and east China had had serious air pollution since Friday, and that Beijing and ive provinces in northern and eastern China had reported “severe smog.” Page 3
CMM – Archives 2014 WFBSC Brochure: 22
