NEW YORK—Green Shield Certified, a new seal of approval for eco-friendly pest control providers, has been introduced. Green Shield certification offers pest control companies and their customers a new standard for smarter, more effective pest control without unnecessary pesticides. The program is endorsed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), and Physicians for Social Responsibility of Greater Los Angeles. “Green Shield Certified is the next generation of pest control service,” says Jonathan Kaplan, a senior policy specialist at NRDC. “These certified companies are proving that knowledge and prevention can provide more effective,...

CHICAGO—Tornado announced that its recently released CK LW 13/1 vacuum cleaner has just earned the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label certification. The Green Label on a vacuum cleaner tells users that the machine meets the highest standards of operation, efficiency and performance, which can help lower overall cleaning costs and improve worker productivity, as it protects the environment. To earn the certification, the performance of the vacuum cleaner is evaluated in three key areas: • Soil removal—how efficiently the machine removes soil from a test carpet area; • Dust containment—the amount of dust released into the air when using the vacuum cleaner;...

ROCKLAND, ME.—Quietly, yet tenaciously, the Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine are working hard to reduce their environmental impact. All three have been certified by the State of Maine as Hospitality Environmental Leaders, making them the first known B&B association in New England totally dedicated to sustainable eco-tourism. Beginning on October 3, in recognition of National Change a Lightbulb Day, the inns will offer an Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) to each guest. With each bulb, more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions will be saved from entering the atmosphere. “If just 100 guests change their lightbulbs with...

One of the legacies of the Industrial Revolution is the introduction of cleaning chemicals into the marketplace. Since WWII, more than 75,000 industrial chemicals have been registered with the EPA. Of those, less than 2 percent have been tested for toxicity, birth defects, and cancer. Moreover, chemical companies are under no legal or regulatory obligation to study the long term health effects their products have on the human body, nor are they required to fully disclose all of the ingredients in their products. Citing proprietary privilege, they only report on active ingredients. This accounts for less than 5 percent...

BERKELEY, CALIF.—Vaska Inc. has introduced a line of botanical laundry and housekeeping products for institutional and hospitality use. Vaska has been rigorously testing its new formulas at a fully operating commercial laundry facility with both heavy and light soils—with excellent results, surprising the non-green skeptics. Vaska’s cleaning equals top-tier non-green laundry formulas, without toxic repercussions to either personal safety or the environment. Founder Julia Fry’s background in fashion and textile design led to her passion for laundry products that didn’t compromise fabrics or cleaning action. “I grew up backpacking with my aunt and uncle who were forest rangers in Colorado, back...

BOULDER, COLO.—If you would like to learn about the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites’ zero waste program, I suggest checking with the property’s Ambassador of Cool (owner Dan King)—or maybe its Green Goddess (environmental champion Diane Schevene). Believe it or not, those are the titles the two have given themselves. Both have worked hard to push the property toward zero waste. Is zero waste possible in a hotel that has a full-service restaurant, 3,800 square feet of meeting space and 162 guestrooms? It is if one considers only the waste generated by staff. Because the hotel cannot control what guests...

READING, PA.—EcoLogo, North America’s oldest Green-certification organization, announced that several products made by a variety of jansan manufacturers have recently been Green certified and may now place the well-known EcoLogo mark on their packaging and marketing materials. In addition to meeting EcoLogo’s stringent requirements, Green certification means, among other things, that the products and their ingredients have been analyzed and verified by independent, accredited laboratories and have been shown to have a reduced impact on the environment. Additionally, these products are made with ingredients that are rapidly biodegradable and nontoxic, meet specific ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards, and are not...

FRANKLIN PARK, ILL.—Sloan Valve Company’s new HYSO sensor-operated door handle dispenser automatically releases a burst of cleaner on a door handle on a pre-set basis. The battery-powered dispenser is a welcome convenience that helps address the concerns of germ-conscious users who appreciate restroom cleanliness. The HYSO dispenser is ideal for handles on public restroom exits and stalls. Other applications include doorknobs and handles in hospital patient rooms, assisted-living facilities, medical centers/laboratories, school classrooms, foodservice establishments and health clubs. The dispenser mounts inches above the target surface and only releases cleaner when the sensor detects that users are out of range. By...

PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—Burke Supply, one of the largest and, at nearly 60 years old, one of the oldest jansan distributors in the New York City area, has just partnered with Enviro-Solutions to market the company’s green cleaning products and supplies. Burke Supply has approximately 180 employees and serves more than 9,000 customers. Enviro-Solutions is a leading manufacturer of environmentally preferable, green-certified cleaning products based in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. “We are proud that Burke has become an Enviro-Solutions distributor,” says Mike Sawchuk, the company’s vice president and general manager. “Not only are they one of the largest distributorships in the country, but...

HOUSTON—Facility management professionals from around the world will converge on the Big Easy to analyze the latest industry trends and rediscover New Orleans during the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) World Workplace 2007 Conference & Expo, Oct. 24-26, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in the heart of New Orleans. Long recognized as the world’s premier educational and networking conference for facility managers, World Workplace brings industry leaders from the world’s top business and government organizations together with educators and exhibitors to focus on the future of facility management. Now in its 28th year, the conference will...