The South Portland School Department is going green with cleaning products.

The city’s five elementary schools, two middle schools and high school have moved toward a standard set of cleansers and products that are nontoxic and will not harm the environment, said Greg Marles, the new director of Buildings and Grounds.

The schools also will stop using aerosol sprays for pump bottles, since the fine mist from aerosol can be inhaled and irritate the lungs.

Marles noted that disinfectants that kill germs will continue to be used, but that the products will have fewer harsh chemicals that may affect the environment or cause health concerns.

Marles said the school department aims to be a Maine leader in using green products.

Although he did not yet have final figures, Marles is predicting a cost savings from the switch, because the school department also is changing how it buys custodial products.

It has begun making bulk orders from just a few vendors, rather than using a variety of vendors and products at individual schools.

“Buying in bulk saves money. There has been no standardization, just different products per individual schools,” said Marles, noting that schools and custodians often relied on favorite products rather than a uniform method for selecting and buying them.

Marles said that, for example, the school department will save $5 a case by buying a standard size of plastic trash bags from a single vendor. He estimates the schools use 700 cases of plastic garbage bags per year.

Instead of purchasing calcium chloride, an ice melter that can harm vegetation, he said the schools will now use an alternative called Enviromelt, which has calcium magnesium acetate, considered safe for plantings.

He said the cost will drop from $12.50 per 50-pound bag to $9.50.

Under a newly created system, janitors also will use dispensing sensors that automatically measure concentrated amounts of cleansers, rather than just pouring products into a bucket and guessing how much is needed.

Marles predicted that there will be big cost savings by precisely measuring products, based on a manufacturer’s guidelines.

But first the schools will finish using existing inventory of cleansers, or unused products will be returned for refunds.

Marles said he sought the lowest bids on custodial supplies that included everything from hand soap to floor cleaners.

He specified that all the products must be green-seal certified, meaning they meet industry standards for commercial cleansers that are safe for the environment and people.

With paper products, he requested that they meet federal standards for recycled product content.

The new cleansers are from a company called Genesan, which develops environmentally-friendly commercial cleaning products. For example, the Pol Clean-brand cleanser for surfaces is biodegradable and its emissions are not considered harmful to breathe.

The green products will extend to new foaming, alcohol-free hand soap in the schools and new dispensers, provided for free by the vendor.

Marles, who has two sons in South Portland schools, described the purchases as a first step in moving the schools toward “a greener environment,” focused on health safety and efficiencies.??He recently issued a “request for qualifications” for companies to undertake an efficiency audit of the city’s schools.

He is asking companies to present their qualifications for conducting energy audits that would be funded through the cost savings they yield.??For example, he said the school department already is starting to upgrade lighting in high-traffic areas at the schools.

He said that by updating the lighting fixtures in Beal Gym and installing high-efficiency bulbs the new installation will pay for itself in savings in just six months.??The school department is working with a company that allows it to fund the installation through the initial savings it yields.

Upgrading the lighting at the high school gym will yield an annual savings of $3,253. Upgrading the lighting at Memorial Gym will bring $1,437 in savings a year.