Floor care is one of the most important cleaning tasks in any facility care routine. However, the daily and ongoing use of floor pads can ultimately lead to a large amount of waste, causing a negative impact on the environment. In an effort to help facility managers meet their sustainability goals, 3M announced today that several of the company’s floor pads received Green Seal’s Certification of Environmental Innovation under the GS-20 standard. The Environmental Innovation program recognizes products that significantly reduce environmental impact through product innovation. Floor pads from 3M achieved certification based on a design for significantly improved performance, durability, or both, extending the useful life of the floor pad and reducing solid waste generation.

The Green Seal GS-20 certified floor pads from 3M include:

• 3M™ Black Stripper Pad 7200
• 3M™ High Productivity Pad 7300
• Scotch-Brite™ Surface Preparation Pad
• Scotch-Brite™ Surface Preparation Pad Plus
• 3M™ Blue Cleaner Pad 5300
• Scotch-Brite™ Clean & Shine Pad
• Scotch-Brite™ Purple Diamond Floor Pad Plus
• 3M™ Sky Blue Hi-Performance Burnish Pad 3050

The environmental benefits that floor pads from 3M provide include:

• Floor pads from 3M have improved function at initial use and mid-life, and improved durability, meaning they get the job done faster or require fewer pads to get the job done over time.
• Many floor pads by 3M are produced in a “zero-landfill” facility, resulting in less waste in landfills. Additionally, the waste created during the manufacturing process is reused or recycled.
• Many floor pads by 3M are produced using water-based resins or contain at least 50 to 100 percent post-consumer recycled materials and is 100 percent recyclable.

Green Seal’s Environmental Innovation Standard evaluation of product innovation includes two major steps – a comparison of the product to mainstream offerings that provide the same function, and third-party verification that the product innovation delivers environmental impact reduction. In addition, the product innovation is considered against any major tradeoffs that may occur to ensure net environmental benefit.

“Sustainability is at the core of our product development, and all of our floor pads have at least one key sustainability attribute,” says Tom Neu marketing & business development manager for 3M Commercial Solutions Division. “From the raw materials that go into the pads to the composition of our packaging, we pay close attention to the entire lifecycle of the product in an effort to reduce its environmental impact.”

“Green Seal is excited to recognize floor pads from 3M under the Environmental Innovation standard,” stated Doug Gatlin, Green Seal’s Chief Executive Officer. “These floor pads are a great example of a product innovation that achieves the triple bottom line - providing lifecycle impact reduction and environmental benefits without sacrificing product quality and efficiency.”

To learn more about 3M Floor Pads, visit www.3m.com/floorpads.