Cleaning CAM: what they require of companies and how to prove compliance
The CAM for cleaning and sanitation services set requirements on detergents, equipment, training and consumption reporting. Here is what they ask of companies and which documents you need to prove compliance.
The cleaning CAM are the minimum environmental criteria that contracting authorities must include in tenders for cleaning and sanitation services and for the supply of detergents. The reference in force in October 2026 is the Ministerial Decree of 29 January 2021, amended by the corrective decree of 24 September 2021. They require detergents with an ecolabel or equivalent, durable equipment, trained staff and an annual report on the products consumed.
What the cleaning CAM are and which decree applies today
The minimum environmental criteria (CAM) are the environmental requirements that the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) sets for each category of public procurement. For cleaning, the reference text is the ministerial decree of 29 January 2021, published in Official Gazette no. 42 of 19 February 2021, which replaced the old 2012 CAM. A corrective decree of 24 September 2021 then revised some points, for example on the substances allowed in detergents.
The decree covers four areas:
- cleaning services for buildings and other civil-use premises (offices, schools, barracks);
- cleaning and sanitation services for healthcare facilities, with specific criteria agreed with the Ministry of Health;
- supply of detergents for routine cleaning and for specific uses;
- supply of personal hygiene products, such as soaps and tissue paper.
In the MASE programme for 2026, revision work concerns other categories (linen rental and laundry, printers and cartridges, roads, public green spaces, lighting), so the 2021 cleaning CAM remain the ones to apply. Before each tender it is still worth checking the list of CAM in force on the Ministry’s website.
When they are mandatory
The Public Contracts Code (Legislative Decree 36/2023, Article 57) requires contracting authorities to include in tender documents at least the technical specifications and contract clauses of the CAM, for the entire value of the contract. Award criteria, on the other hand, must be taken into account when the tender is awarded on the most economically advantageous tender basis, which is the rule in labour-intensive services such as cleaning.
For a cleaning company this means two things: the minimum requirements are a condition for bidding and for performing the contract, while the award criteria make the difference in the ranking. The general framework is explained in the guide to environmental criteria in public tenders; here we look at what the cleaning sector actually requires.
What they require: service requirements
Detergents and disinfectants
Detergents for routine cleaning (multi-purpose, glass, sanitary) must carry the EU Ecolabel or an equivalent Type I ecolabel, such as Nordic Swan or Blauer Engel. Concentrated products, to be diluted at least 1:100, may lack the label but must meet the decree’s criteria. In any case they must be used with dosing systems, for example water-soluble capsules, dosing bottles or automatic dilution units. Disinfectants must be authorised as medical-surgical aids or biocides and used according to a sustainable use protocol, to be agreed with the contracting authority.
Equipment and auxiliary products
- reusable flat microfibre cloths for wet cleaning, at least 30% of them carrying a label compliant with UNI EN ISO 14024;
- trolleys, buckets and containers made of at least 50% recycled plastic by weight, colour-coded by use;
- electric machines (scrubber-dryers, vacuum cleaners, pressure washers), with a technical data sheet, replaceable parts and plastic components marked for recycling;
- a ban on products that only deodorise or perfume, sawdust, animal-origin feather dusters and wet mop fringes.
Staff and management
Staff must receive specific training on products, dosages, techniques and waste management: if the company does not hold the EU Ecolabel for cleaning services, it must submit a programme of at least 16 hours within 60 days of the start of the service. Also required are a quality management system with an appointed manager, separate collection of the waste produced and application of the sector’s collective labour agreement.
Annual consumption report
Every year the company sends the contracting authority an electronic report on the detergents and microfibre products purchased and consumed, with manufacturer, trade name, quantity (litres or pieces), intended use and labels held. It is the requirement that most often causes difficulty, because it means reconstructing consumption from invoices and delivery notes for each contract.
How to prove compliance
Each criterion indicates the accepted means of proof. In summary:
| Requirement | What it requires | How you prove it |
|---|---|---|
| Routine detergents | EU Ecolabel or equivalent Type I, dosing systems | Signed product list, licences or labels; for concentrates, test reports from a UNI EN ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory |
| Detergents for specific uses | Compliance with the criteria or ISO 14024 label | Product list, labels, safety data sheets and manufacturer declarations |
| Machines | Electric, durable, repairable | Technical data sheets, user manual, maintenance log |
| Microfibre and containers | 30% labelled microfibre, at least 50% recycled plastic | Technical data sheets, invoices, certifications such as Plastica Seconda Vita or ReMade in Italy |
| Training | At least 16 hours on the specified topics | EU Ecolabel licence for cleaning services, or programme, trainers, attendance and tests within 60 days |
| Consumption report | Products and quantities by type, once a year | Electronic report backed by invoices and delivery notes |
Checks do not stop at the tender: the contract manager can carry out on-site inspections, request documents and take product samples for laboratory analysis. So keep a file for each contract, updated throughout its execution.
Award criteria: where to gain points
The award criteria that recur most often in tenders are:
- an EU Ecolabel licence for cleaning services (Decision (EU) 2018/680), with a higher score if obtained with at least 26 points in the optional criteria;
- an ISO 14001 environmental management system or EMAS registration covering cleaning activities;
- ecolabelled detergents in recycled plastic packaging, with scores rising above 30%, 50% and 80% recycled content;
- fragrance-free detergents, unbleached tissue paper, exclusive use of labelled microfibre;
- products with a carbon footprint certified to UNI EN ISO/TS 14067, or made by SA 8000 certified companies;
- innovative cleaning techniques, backed by a comparative LCA study demonstrating their environmental advantage.
The decree indicates which criteria to reward, but the weightings are set by the contracting authority in the tender rules. Read them carefully: a few points on environmental criteria often decide the ranking between offers that are similar on price.
Product and process certifications work in a similar way in the other CAM too: for a comparison see CAM certifications for manufacturers.
How to organise yourself to comply without effort
- Build a qualified product list: for each detergent, microfibre item and container keep the label, licence or test report, with its expiry date.
- Align purchasing: agree stable product codes with suppliers and invoices that state the destination site or contract.
- Record consumption by contract month by month, instead of reconstructing it at year end.
- Plan training with registers, tests and materials kept for inspections.
- Prepare the disinfectant protocol: if the specifications do not already state how to use them, it must be drawn up together with the contracting authority within three months of the start of the contract, with measures to reduce their use.
- Consider the EU Ecolabel for services: it simplifies several means of proof and earns points in tenders.
The same data is useful beyond the tender too. Consumption of detergents, recycled plastic and waste feeds the circular economy and sustainable procurement indicators that private clients ask for more and more often. With Envify you can upload invoices and Excel files as they are: the AI extracts the data and organises it, a useful basis for both the annual report and the sustainability report.
The cleaning CAM in force are those of the Ministerial Decree of 29 January 2021, with the corrective decree of 24 September 2021. Labelled and dosed detergents, microfibre and recycled plastic, documented training and an annual consumption report are minimum requirements: to win, what matters most is the EU Ecolabel for services and well-organised documentation.
