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Safer Products, Cleaners and Disinfectants

Schools face a number of issues related to toxics such as chemical use in laboratories and art rooms, building materials and indoor air quality, pesticide use and janitorial cleaning. Schools also have a tremendous opportunity to improve the learning environment and incorporate pollution prevention concepts into their curriculum. Beginning with their own practices, they can identify environmentally preferable cleaning products from the State's procurement contract, promote alternatives to pesticides by developing an integrated pest management policy and plan, centralize chemical purchasing and use less toxic art supplies and building materials during construction and renovation projects.

The TURI projects on this site show how many Massachusetts school systems are creatively incorporating toxics use reduction into their policies and daily operations.

Cleaning for Healthier Schools and Infection Control Workgroup Statewide

The National Cleaning for Healthier Schools and Infection Control Workgroup completed a project to generate information on disinfection, sanitization, and hand hygiene options and product selection to help reduce the use of unnecessary disinfectants in schools. Read more...

Worcester Public Schools: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing for Vehicles and Buildings Maintenence

The Worcester Public School System (WPS) encompasses 62 school and operations buildings and grounds. This project focused on products and their uses for building trades and transportation workers. Read more...

Worcester Public Schools: Toxic Use Reduction Strategies for Pathogen and Asthma Reduction in Schools

Worcester Public Schools undertook a significant new initiative to minimize the use of products containing asthmagens and hazardous chemicals in school buses and kitchens. Read more...

Combating Everyday Chemical Exposures through Hands-on Environmental Health Curriculum, a Mobile App, and Peer to Peer Mentoring

Silent Spring Institute and the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition partnered on a project to reduce high school students’ exposures to common carcinogens, endocrine‐disrupting chemicals, and asthmagens. Read more...

Early Education and Care - Green Cleaning and Asthma Home Visiting

The Springfield Childcare and Healthy Homes Pilot Project and Square One trained staff and parents on how to decrease the use of toxic cleaning and pest control materials in homes and at Square One facilities. Read more...

Safe, Healthy, Affordable, Responsible Environments (SHARE) for Early Childhood Education in Greater Boston

Many environmental toxins are introduced to childcare facilities through the products care providers purchase. Read more...

MassCOSH Cleaning For a Healthy Start

The project team’s goal was to eliminate toxic chemical use in Head Start child-care facilities in underserved Boston neighborhoods Read more...