PLYMOUTH, MINN.—With the path to economic recovery still uncertain, all types of facilities—from healthcare and schools to hospitality and commercial office buildings—are feeling the budget squeeze for maintenance staffing and cleaning-equipment purchases. Floor cleaning is one area where productivity gains can help facilities deal with staff reductions and economic pressures. It is an inescapable fact that labor accounts for 90 percent of the cost to clean a facility. Even in times of reduced cleaning staff, there is never a choice to do less cleaning. There are, however, several strategies that can reduce the labor required for floor cleaning while maintaining...

RALEIGH, N.C.—In October, the Raleigh Convention Center joined an elite group of convention centers—those that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In Raleigh’s case, it earned LEED Silver, joining the Phoenix Convention Center, Spokane (Wash.) Convention Center Expansion, and the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., as LEED Silver recipients. The Raleigh facility earned the LEED designation a little more than a year after the center opened in September 2008. The Raleigh Convention Center is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh. According to Laurie Okun, director of...

MINNEAPOLIS—Advance’s EcoFlex System introduces a new level of scrubber flexibility that ends compromises between green cleaning and the cleanliness of floors. Now available on the Advenger rider-scrubber and coming soon on additional Advance scrubbers, the EcoFlex System lets operators easily control the level of cleaning performance needed to scrub hard floors while using environmentally preferable methods. “Cleaning green makes sense for a lot of reasons,” says Sara Thurston, commercial market manager for Advance. “However, every facility, surface type and cleaning program is different, so assuming that the same green cleaning technique will work in every situation just isn’t realistic.” The EcoFlex...

PATTERSON, N.Y.—Golden Group International, Ltd. (GGI) recently introduced Sani SAC to the hospitality industry. It is a sanitary, sealable, degradable plastic bag, and is the company’s environmentally friendly solution for the disposal of tampons/napkins, diapers and other similar items in public restrooms. GGI has created a 50-bag box, a 125-bag roll and a 5-bag handi-pack that can be used as a courtesy item in a hotel room. Jackie Transue, president of GGI, said she had the idea for founding GGI in 2007 while traveling on business as the president of her own mortgage company. She said practically every restroom in...

Hotels and restaurants that have been taking steps to green their cleaning operations may mistakenly be setting back their green cleaning programs as a result of H1N1 and other public health concerns that have surfaced in recent years. The problem is that eradicating from surfaces the germs, bacteria, and pathogens that can spread these diseases often requires the use of powerful, EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectants which they erroneously believe cannot be part of a green cleaning program. In the United States today, there are no disinfectants that can be marketed or labeled as green. Currently, disinfectants are classified as pesticides, which are...

NEW YORK—The total number of exhibitors may have been less than previous years due to the economy and other factors but the number of vendors offering green products and services was stronger than ever at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS). The event was held November 8 to 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Visitors to the show found exhibitors featuring amenity bottles that biodegrade much faster than traditional plastic bottles; dispensers that eliminate amenity bottles altogether; a nonprofit that matches up hotels with other nonprofits to help eliminate food, toiletry...

NATIONAL REPORT—Efforts to green practices in the lodging industry involve many cutting-edge initiatives. But simple steps can also be effective, especially when dealing with an issue that remains problematic. The disposal of feminine care products is a topic no one wants to talk about but the impact on the environment and the health and safety of guests and employees is significant. Toilets are a convenient and quick way to get rid of personal care products. Out of sight, out of mind. But with each unnecessary flush, between 1 and 3.5 gallons of water is wasted. To be water efficient, according...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Reel Mowers, Etc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Reel Mowers specializes in reel mower sales. The company’s quiet, non-polluting manual reel mowers provide a superior scissors cut, save money, and are safer and easier to maintain than power mowers. Reel mowers are available in different sizes. Reel Mowers, Etc. also sells other products including blade sharpening kits, wagons, garden cultivators, compost bins, and grass catchers. For golf course putting greens, the company offers several mower styles. For additional information, call (888) 384-1033, e-mail marjorieking@reelmowersetc.com, or...

CINCINNATI—The Procter & Gamble Company has released its 2009 Sustainability Report titled “Designed to Matter.” The report outlines P&G’s progress in improving the environmental profile of products and operations and delivery of several new, sustainable product innovations. The report is available for viewing at www.pg.com/sustainability. “A fundamental reason why P&G has been in business for 172 years is the clarity and constancy of our company’s purpose—to touch and improve consumers’ lives with branded products and services,” said Bob McDonald, P&G chief executive and executive sponsor of sustainability. “To fulfill this purpose, we must grow responsibly and sustainably and ensure that...

CARLSBAD, CALIF.—When Hassan Ghamlouch heard that lotus turned ordinary tap water into a chemical-free cleaner that is faster and stronger than chlorine bleach, he found it hard to believe—until he actually saw what it could do. “I was reluctant at first, but an easy convert after the astonishing results,” said Ghamlouch, director of housing at the University of California at Riverside. The lotus Chemical-free Cleaning System uses standard 110 volt power to turn tap water into liquefied ozone—a powerful natural cleaner. “Our chemical-free system is greener, cleaner, and costs less,” said Davis Gravelsins, vice president of marketing with Tersano Inc....