ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab introduces the Syncra Hand Hygiene System, an innovation that provides touch-free water and soap delivery to back-of-house restaurant handwashing stations, helping to improve employee handwashing compliance and restaurant food safety.Syncra utilizes a “smart system” with a pre-programmed, yet adjustable, three-step process for handwashing and rinsing that uses up to 50 percent less water than traditional handwashing and delivers consistent results with bacteria-eliminating chemistry.“An estimated 80 percent of all infections are transmitted by hands,” said Dr. Ruth Petran, Vice President of Food Safety at Ecolab. “By using the Syncra Hand Hygiene System, restaurant workers can help prevent...

CHICAGO—PortionPac Chemical Corp. announced that SFSPac Degreaser has met the criteria set forth by Green Seal to attain certification under the GS-37 standard. In meeting GS-37 (Cleaning Products for Industrial and Institutional Use), SFSPac Degreaser has surpassed the Standard’s strict environmental benchmarks and performs as well as or better than other cleaners in its class.“Our ultimate goal was to offer a complete food safety and sanitation program that is 100 percent Green Seal certified and EPA-registered,” said PortionPac President Burt Klein. “We have realized this goal with the certification of SFSPac Degreaser, providing a truly unique sanitation program to...

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Lighting Science Group Corp. and Intellectual Ventures’ Global Good announced a research agreement to collaborate on the development of next-generation light technologies for pest control. Based on Global Good’s photonic fence invention and Lighting Science’s light-control technology, the joint development effort will focus on field-ready prototypes that offer an environmentally-responsible alternative to chemical pesticides. Lighting Science plans to leverage this development effort to create a new company to bring highly efficient and effective pest control products for health, commercial and residential use around the world.Combining low-cost sensors and laser technology with software to identify, track, and eliminate insects,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Seal, the nation’s first independent nonprofit certifier of sustainable products and services, has introduced a revised version of GS-42, its standard for Commercial and Institutional Cleaning Services.The revised standard has been reorganized to make the requirements needed for certification clearer and more streamlined. General criteria and leadership levels for the standard, however, have not changed. Any service currently certified does not need to meet additional requirements to maintain certification.Green Seal revised the standard to clarify requirements and ensure that they are consistent for all applicants, while upholding current leadership and protection levels. Additionally, criteria are refined to...

ROSWELL, GA.—Kimberly-Clark Professional announced the launch of GreenHarvest products, an offering that incorporates rapidly renewable plant-based fiber, such as wheat straw and bamboo, into Kleenex and Scott brand towel and tissue products.Kimberly-Clark Professional is the first major towel and tissue manufacturer in North America to introduce products made with 20 percent plant fiber in place of tree fiber or recycled fiber. These products required the development of an entirely new supply chain to directly obtain wheat straw from U.S. farmers and the creation of a new manufacturing process for converting plant fiber into pulp.“In a resource-constrained, digital world, with...

If you had to stay in a hotel room with an unpleasant smell, poor air circulation or loud noises from the air-conditioning unit, you would likely want to change rooms. You might even vow to avoid the hotel or add negative feedback to a review site to warn other travelers. Today, it’s easier than ever for hotel guests to share details of their unpleasant experiences on the Internet using social media. Negative reviews can be extremely damaging to a hotel’s reputation and the bottom line. A successful hotel operation will ensure that service and customer satisfaction are at the forefront...

NATIONAL REPORT—Water treatment for systems such as cooling towers, chillers, heat exchangers and evaporative condensers has traditionally been one that has required the use of hazardous chemicals—e.g. chlorine, bromine, isothiazolinone, molybdate, phosphonate—to control calcium, bacteria, algae, scale, corrosion and biofilm. Because of the toxicity of the water treated with chemicals, it cannot be reused on property. A number of suppliers, however, have developed chemical free or similarly safe treatment systems that allow for the reuse of blow-down water while still providing a means to keep systems clean and running efficiently. Chemical free treatments vary from the introduction of atomic...

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Every year, approximately 48 million Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses, 128,000 of which are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. Foodborne illnesses are caused by consuming food or beverages that are contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or even toxic chemicals that are often carried and transported by fruit flies. Aunt Fannie’s has found a solution with FlyPunch!, an all-natural, non-toxic fruit fly pesticide that is safe to use around food.The FlyPunch! solution attracts and kills flies naturally, eliminating the threats of fruit flies, and harmful cleansing products. Aunt Fannie’s founder and CEO, Mat Franken, explains, “Our product is really versatile,...

PLYMOUTH, MINN.—One of the most challenging issues cleaning personnel must deal with is malodor eradication. Often, even once the source of the odor has been removed, odors persist because they have penetrated carpets, wall coverings, furniture, etc. One of the fastest, most effective, and safest ways to tackle persistent malodors is with an ozone generator. However, contractors must know that ozone can be hazardous to people, plants, and pets. They should not be present when an ozone generator is in use.U.S. Products, a leading manufacturer of ozone generators, also believes cleaning contractors should know the following about ozone generators:•   ...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes GreenEarth Cleaning as an advertising partner. The GreenEarth dry cleaning process uses liquid silicone in place of petrochemicals. Essentially liquified sand, silicone is non-hazardous and non-toxic to the environment. When released to the environment, it safely breaks down into the three natural elements it is made from: sand (SiO2) and trace amounts of water and carbon dioxide. Liquid silicone is chemically inert, meaning it doesn’t chemically react with fabric fibers. It just carries the detergent to clothes and gently carries away the dirt and oil. It also...