World Ozone Day 2026: The Chemical Cleaners in Your Building Are Part of a Bigger Environmental Problem

Every year on September 16, the world talks about the ozone layer. We talk about the Montreal Protocol, one of the most successful environmental agreements in history, and how the world came together to phase out substances that were damaging the protective layer around our planet. But there is another environmental conversation that rarely enters the discussion when we talk about our buildings. What chemicals are we using to keep them clean? Walk into a typical commercial building and you will find an entire collection of cleaning products working in the background. Toilet cleaners, floor cleaners, drain cleaners, surface sprays, disinfectants, urinal blocks, air fresheners and fragrances. They are all there for one reason: to make the building cleaner, fresher and more hygienic. And that is exactly where the conversation needs to become more interesting. Because cleaning something does not automatically mean the process is environmentally responsible.

The lesson the Montreal Protocol gave us

The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 after scientists established that certain human-made chemicals were damaging the stratospheric ozone layer. Substances such as CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform were brought under international controls because of their impact on ozone. September 16 was later designated by the United Nations as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The important lesson is bigger than ozone itself. The world discovered that chemicals used every day could create consequences far beyond the place where they were used. A chemical could be released in one country and contribute to an environmental problem affecting the entire planet.

That changed the way industries thought about chemicals. Today, we need to apply the same thinking to our buildings. Not every cleaning chemical damages the ozone layer, and it would be scientifically incorrect to suggest that they do. But cleaning products can still have environmental consequences through VOC emissions, indoor air quality, wastewater pollution and the chemicals that eventually leave our buildings through drains or into the atmosphere.

When "Fresh" doesn't necessarily mean clean

Think about the smell of a freshly cleaned washroom. That strong phinal , floral or "fresh" fragrance immediately tells us something, doesn't it? The room must be clean. We have been conditioned to associate fragrance with cleanliness. But fragrance and cleanliness are two completely different things. Many cleaning products, disinfectants and air fresheners can release volatile organic compounds, commonly known as VOCs, into indoor air. Some VOCs can contribute to indoor air-quality concerns, while certain VOCs released into the atmosphere can participate in chemical reactions that contribute to ground-level ozone and smog.

And this is where an important distinction needs to be made. The ozone layer high in the atmosphere protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Ground-level ozone is an air pollutant. They are not the same thing. But both conversations lead us back to the same principle:The chemistry we choose matters. A building can be spotless and still have a cleaning system that deserves a closer look.

What happens to the chemicals after they go down the drain?

There is another side to the story that facility teams often see every day but rarely connect with sustainability. The drain. A cleaner is used. The surface looks good. The bathroom smells fresh. The job is done. But the chemical hasn't disappeared. It has entered a wastewater stream. This is particularly important for commercial facilities where cleaning chemicals are used every day, often in large quantities. Toilet cleaners, drain cleaners, disinfectants, floor cleaners and other products eventually become part of the building's wastewater or waste-management system.

Some ingredients can create additional environmental concerns when they reach water systems. Phosphorus-containing compounds, for example, can contribute to nutrient pollution when present in wastewater and eventually entering water bodies. So the sustainability question becomes much larger than the bottle sitting on a housekeeping shelf.

It becomes a lifecycle question. Where did this product come from, how was it used, and where does it go after use?

Stronger chemistry doesn't always mean better cleaning

There is a common assumption in facility management that a stronger-smelling chemical must be a stronger cleaner. It makes sense psychologically. If a cleaner smells powerful, feels harsh and leaves a strong fragrance behind, it feels like it has done a serious job. But effective cleaning is not about how aggressive a product feels. It is about whether it achieves the required hygiene outcome safely and efficiently. That creates an opportunity for facility managers to rethink routine cleaning protocols. Instead of automatically reaching for the strongest chemical available, teams can evaluate whether a lower-impact, biodegradable or bio-enzyme-based alternative can achieve the same purpose. This is not about compromising hygiene. It is about avoiding unnecessary chemistry.

Start with the housekeeping cupboard

For sustainability and ESG teams, one of the simplest places to start may be the least glamorous place in the building: the housekeeping store. Take an inventory of every cleaning product being used. Look at the ingredients. Look at the quantities. Look at how often they are used. Look at whether multiple products are performing essentially the same job. Look at whether fragrance is being used to mask odor or whether the actual source of the odor is being addressed.

Do we really need this chemistry?

If the answer is yes, use it responsibly and according to the intended application. If the answer is no, look for a better alternative. This is where sustainability becomes practical. It is not another ESG presentation. It is a change in procurement. It is a change in housekeeping SOPs. It is a change in what gets purchased every month.

What does a greener cleaning protocol look like?

A greener cleaning protocol does not mean replacing every conventional chemical overnight. It starts with making better decisions. Use biodegradable formulations where suitable. Reduce unnecessary fragrance. Review VOC-heavy products. Avoid environmentally problematic ingredients wherever safer alternatives can perform the same function. Train housekeeping teams on correct dilution and application. Reduce overuse. And most importantly, choose source-control solutions wherever possible instead of simply masking problems. This last point is particularly important in washrooms. If an unpleasant odour is coming from its source, continuously adding fragrance to the room does not solve the underlying problem. It simply adds another chemical layer. A better approach is to control the source of the odour itself. Don't mask the problem. Solve it.

This is where Zerodor Care comes in

At Ekam Eco Solutions, this thinking is behind Zerodor Care. The idea is simple: everyday cleaning should not automatically mean relying on harsh chemistry. Zerodor Care brings together products such as handwash, dishwash, toilet cleaner, drain cleaner, multipurpose cleaner, floor cleaner and freshener, with formulations designed around plant-based and bio-enzyme approaches and a focus on biodegradable cleaning. The goal is not to make cleaning complicated. It is to make the chemistry behind cleaning more thoughtful. For example, a bio-enzyme approach can be considered for applications where biological action can help break down organic matter. A source-control approach can reduce the need to continuously mask unpleasant odors with fragrance. And choosing formulations without unnecessary harsh ingredients can reduce the chemical burden associated with everyday cleaning. Because the real question isn't whether a building should be cleaned. Of course it should. The question is how we clean it.

Sustainability doesn't stop at solar panels

When organisations talk about green buildings, the conversation usually moves toward energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, waste management and carbon emissions. All of these matter. But sustainability also lives in the smaller decisions that happen every single day. The cleaner purchased by procurement. The product diluted by housekeeping. The chemical poured into a drain. The fragrance sprayed into a washroom. The toilet cleaner used every morning. The drain treatment used every week. These decisions may seem insignificant individually. Multiply them by hundreds of washrooms, thousands of employees and 365 days a year, and suddenly they become part of the environmental footprint of a building. That is why World Ozone Day is a useful reminder. The Montreal Protocol showed the world that changing the chemistry of everyday systems can create enormous environmental benefits. We can apply the same mindset to our buildings.

The cleanest building is not just the one that looks clean

A truly sustainable building should make us think beyond appearances. A shiny floor is good. A spotless washroom is good. A fresh-smelling office is good. But what if the process used to create that "clean" environment adds unnecessary chemicals to the air and wastewater?What if the fragrance is masking an odour problem rather than solving it? What if a harsh chemical is being used simply because that is how the facility has always done things? These are small questions. But sustainability has always been built from small questions. The Montreal Protocol began with scientists asking what was happening to a layer of atmosphere most people could not even see. This World Ozone Day, let's look beyond the visible cleanliness of our buildings and start paying attention to the chemistry behind it. Because a building shouldn't just be clean. It should be clean responsibly.