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The green movement continues to grow stronger and stronger every year. There’s no question about that. With more accessible information, better training and a greater overall understanding of what it means to be green, facility managers across the country are embracing green as mainstream. Along...
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We are all familiar with the traditional “Best Of” lists that clutter our in-boxes at the end of every year. After all, the close of a year provides a great benchmark for looking back. What I wasn’t expecting — and what seems to be all the buzz — was a very popular “Worst...
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Last week, the U.S. Green Building Council announced the passage of LEED 2009, the updated version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program. Unfortunately for building service contractors, this revision removes three green cleaning credits from the program. Under the...
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In a recent discussion with a coworker, I uncovered some interesting questions regarding some of the current laws requiring green initiatives — such as green cleaning in schools throughout New York and Illinois, government buildings in New Jersey, etc. With these laws already in place, my first...
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When it comes to innovative cleaning products, the professional cleaner is often the first to know of a breakthrough. Microfiber was available to commercial cleaners long before it was available in retail stores. Green initiatives are certainly not a new concept to cleaners, but have just recently hit...
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While at the ISSA show in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit in on an expert panel that spoke about the current trends in the jan/san industry. One topic that was of significance was daycleaning and how it has been gaining momentum in the industry. And really, no one should be surprised...
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Last month I received some staggering responses when Sanitary Maintenance surveyed nearly 450 jan/san distribution professionals asking them their current stance on green and what they’re doing as a business to go green. Let me just say this: Some jan/san distributors are guilty of not practicing...
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Today, regardless of where you go, it is hard to miss all the “green” labels. Whether for retail or commercial use, green product claims are everywhere. By one count, manufacturers launched at least 325 new supposedly environmentally friendly products in 2007, up from just 5 in 2002. But...
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Too much information is not always a good thing. The New York Times story, “That Buzz in Your Ear May Be Green Noise,” discusses the multitude of agencies and organizations spouting off on the greenest practices and products. According to the story, consumers are growing tiresome of the rapidly...
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As I was growing up, Earth Day was always surrounded by recycling efforts and experts encouraging you to plant a tree. Although both are still very important today, the focus of Earth Day has certainly evolved. Today, everywhere you look there is a push toward green building, green manufacturing and...
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Earlier this year, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) made changes to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings certification. I was surprised how little building service contractors were excited by these new requirements. Under the new LEED for Existing Buildings...
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In his latest blog post, Deputy Editor Nick Bragg wrote about how its one thing to sell green cleaning products, but its another to back up those sales by making your own facilities environmentally conscious. It’s definitely an industry trend and jan/san distributors are not alone. Many manufacturers...
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Jan/san distributors, if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk. For years, you’ve been selling, promoting and training end user customers on the benefits of going green. However, your credibility could get thrown right out the window because your company in fact...
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You know the tides have changed when the Catholic Church acknowledges environmental offenses as a sin of modern times. In a recent interview with the Vatican newspaper, a high-ranking church official said bioethics and pollution are a few “new sins” that people need to address. It makes sense...
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Consumers should educate themselves on “green” products and manufacturers that are suspected of “green washing.” Be skeptical of what is printed on product packages and at the very least, educate yourself on the terminology associated with green. In some cases, consumers might...