ANN ARBOR, MICH.—High levels of hazardous chemicals were found in garden hoses for the second year in a row. Researchers at the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Ecology Center found phthalates and the toxic chemical BPA in the water of a new hose that had been sitting outside in the sun for just two days. Findings include BPA levels of 0.34 to 0.91 ppm in the hose water, a level that is three to nine times higher than safe drinking water standards. The phthalate DEHP was found at concentrations of 0.017 to 0.011 ppm in the hose water, which is two...

Since its founding in 1989, Green Seal, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., has developed standards for more than 375 categories of products and services, from paints and adhesives to cleaning products. These standards are designed to address the environmental and social impacts of a product using a lifecycle approach—considering everything from the raw materials used to make the product to the manufacturing process and the product’s eventual disposal. This evaluation involves independent, third-party testing protocols using state-of-the-art scientific technologies that are internationally accepted. One of Green Seal’s latest standards applies specifically to the hotel and hospitality industries for...

SAN DIEGO—Nonsmoking rooms in hotels operating a partial smoking ban don’t protect their occupants from tobacco smoke, reveals research published online in Tobacco Control. Non-smokers should give hotels that allow smoking in certain rooms a wide berth, say the authors, and instead choose completely smoke free hotels.The researchers analyzed the surfaces and air quality of rooms for evidence of tobacco smoke pollution (nicotine and 3EP), known as third hand smoke, in a random sample of budget to mid-range hotels in San Diego. Ten hotels in the sample operated complete bans and 30 operated partial smoking bans, providing designated nonsmoking...

When it comes to green cleaning, an often underemphasized area is the need for matting at all hotel entries. Stopping dust, soils, and contaminants before they ever enter a facility helps reduce the need for cleaning and enhances indoor environmental quality. This is why it makes sense to place effective matting systems at the heart of any green cleaning program. The most effective type of mats are referred to as high-performance mats, which are higher-quality mats that have a performance life of several years. These mats are often part of what is called a soil “source control” strategy. Hotel managers, even...

LANCASTER, PA.—Foodservice operations must fend off a continuous onslaught of potentially harmful germs and bacteria. Restaurants and other foodservice operations must be ever diligent to keep food preparation and serving areas thoroughly sanitized and disinfected to prevent potentially deadly outbreaks from such bacteria as salmonella and E-coli. Even a minor outbreak can mean closure, lawsuits, and/or irreparable damage to a restaurant’s reputation.NatureTech’s GEN-X-3TM is a sanitizing and disinfecting system for restaurant and foodservice operators—a chemical-free system that increases their food safety, reduces their operating costs, and communicates their commitment to innovative, eco-friendly practices.The GEN-X-3TM system is being showcased at...

NATIONAL REPORT—Air curtains, also known as air doors, can play an important role in a hotel’s energy conservation strategy—especially hotels with foodservice operations. In use for almost a century now, air curtains have become more sophisticated and effective in recent years and the number of applications for them has grown. Air curtains can now be used in entryways—both in the front and back of the house—with walk-in coolers, warewashers, and even in laundry areas. Air curtains help to contain heated or air conditioned air, and are essential in stopping the infiltration of flying insects, dust and dirt.Air curtains employ...

AKRON, OHIO—GOJO Industries has expanded its global portfolio of green-certified products with certification in Brazil for PURELL Advanced Green Certified Hand Sanitizer.The new green certified products acknowledgement is ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Standards). PURELL Advanced first earned green certification in 2012 when EcoLogo certified the formulation in the United States, and later gained acknowledgement as GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia). With the certifications, the GOJO green-certified products portfolio continues to advance the company’s leadership position with highly effective and sustainable formulations.“Our growing green-certified products portfolio delivers on all three sustainability fronts, from social and environmental to economic,” said...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In January 2013, Green Seal announced the publication of GS-51, a new standard designed to address the lifecycle impacts of laundry care products used in institutional and industrial settings.This standard covers more than 20 product categories for conventional laundry and dry cleaning, including detergents, prewash products, spot removers, laundry additives, fabric care products, and more. According to Linda Chipperfield, vice president of marketing and communications for Green Seal, GS-51 represents a comprehensive benchmark for sustainable laundry care products.“It also provides manufacturers the opportunity to be recognized as leaders in the industry, and allows purchasers to identify safer,...

FREMONT, OHIO—It is expected that version 4 of LEED-EBOM (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, will be adopted later this year. This new version will be broader, addressing a wider range of facilities and put more emphasis on environmental issues, such as climate change, and encourage more careful and efficient use of energy and water.However, what some cleaning professionals have noticed is several traditional cleaning-related credits, such as for the installation of effective entry matting systems, are no longer included in version 4.But that is not...

PACOIMA, CALIF.—Eco-Me introduces its Green Cleaning Program. Since 2006 Eco-Me has been a leader in the eco-friendly cleaning market as a manufacturer and distributor of premium eco-friendly natural cleaning products. Operating out of California, Eco-Me distributes natural cleaning products nationally supporting residential and commercial cleaning outlets. The Eco-Me brand, having recently been rated in the highest tier of the Whole Foods Market’s Eco-Scale, will now offer a private labeling option, catering to businesses with large-scale janitorial needs. The new program is now available on the company’s website. The program is an expansion of the brand’s founding mission—to remove dangerous chemicals...