ATLANTA — Brawny paper towel marketer Georgia-Pacific Corporation is suing Proctor & Gamble for falsely advertising "25 percent thicker quilts" on its Bounty paper towels, according to Advertising Age.
According to Georgia-Pacific, the quilts on Bounty's paper towels may be thicker, but the paper towels themselves are at most 5 percent thicker, and in some cases, thinner than before.
A complaint was filed against Proctor & Gamble March 18 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the story stated.
Georgia-Pacific said: "Proctor & Gamble's motivation for knowingly misleading the public, namely the single-minded effort to obtain greater sales and market share at any cost, is reflected in a long history of unfair competition and deceptive trade practices."
Georgia-Pacific is seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the Bounty ads and is asking for a nationwide recall of packaging bearing the "25 percent thicker quilts" claim, the story noted.
Georgia-Pacific is also seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for profits Proctor & Gamble has made from the product, and triple damages due to "the willful nature of Proctor & Gamble's false advertising," the story added.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Uncle Sam declines outsourcing janitorial services
WEST POINT, NY — After flirting with the idea for nearly three years, the U.S. Army has decided not to outsource its janitorial services, according to the Boston Herald.
The decision from the Army’s Mission & Installation Contracting Command follows a years-long study on the cost-effectiveness of privatizing roughly 100 janitorial service positions, the story stated.
A similar study did, however, determine that it would be more cost-effective to outsource more than 300 maintenance positions including grounds care, the story noted.
The decisions face a 20-day review period, after which time an ultimate decision will be made, the story added.
According to the story, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is considering an appeal of the proposed maintenance privatization.
The decision from the Army’s Mission & Installation Contracting Command follows a years-long study on the cost-effectiveness of privatizing roughly 100 janitorial service positions, the story stated.
A similar study did, however, determine that it would be more cost-effective to outsource more than 300 maintenance positions including grounds care, the story noted.
The decisions face a 20-day review period, after which time an ultimate decision will be made, the story added.
According to the story, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is considering an appeal of the proposed maintenance privatization.
Electrolux vacuum recall
BLOOMINGTON, IL — Electrolux is voluntarily recalling its cordless stick vacuum because of a faulty battery, according to WLS-TV.
Ergorapido, Pronto and Precision vacuum owners are urged to immediately unplug and stop using the recalled vacuums and contact Electrolux for a free replacement of the handheld portion which contains the batteries, the story stated.
The battery on these models can expand and burst, posing a risk of injury to the user and bystanders, the story noted.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says Electrolux has received 34 reports of incidents in the U.S. involving damage to the vacuum and surrounding property.
There have been two reports of minor injuries, including swollen hands and irritation to the eyes from contact with battery powder, the story added.
Ergorapido, Pronto and Precision vacuum owners are urged to immediately unplug and stop using the recalled vacuums and contact Electrolux for a free replacement of the handheld portion which contains the batteries, the story stated.
The battery on these models can expand and burst, posing a risk of injury to the user and bystanders, the story noted.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says Electrolux has received 34 reports of incidents in the U.S. involving damage to the vacuum and surrounding property.
There have been two reports of minor injuries, including swollen hands and irritation to the eyes from contact with battery powder, the story added.
AH&LA and IEHA team up to green America's hotels
WESTERVILLE, OH — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) have joined forces to advance the greening of more than 48,000 U.S. hotels, according to a press release.
IEHA members are encouraged to adopt AH&LA’s 11 Minimum Environmental Guidelines in hotel housekeeping departments which are part of more than 60 overall guidelines that encourage hotels to measure performance in energy, water and waste reduction, the release stated.
Beth Risinger, CEO of IEHA, said: "The housekeeping department affects the hotel property, environment, employees, and guests in profound ways: From the levels of dust in the indoor air, to the VOC impact of cleaning products and fragrances used in guestrooms, to the protection of guest health and safety when proper sanitation techniques are used, to reduction of energy used in facilities when room attendants monitor and control room thermostats. By proactively integrating green housekeeping practices with the overarching goals of the Minimum Environmental Guidelines, we are encouraging hotels associated with IEHA to help transform the way things are done to affect the triple bottom line — people, planet and profits — in a huge way."
The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute recently updated Managing Housekeeping Operations, 3rd Revised Edition, with information on environmental and energy management, the release noted.
Joseph A. McInerney, president and CEO of AH&LA, said: "The green initiatives AH&LA is creating with a variety of partner organizations such as the IEHA will be a resource for hotels committed to becoming more eco-friendly.
These will provide hotel owners and employees with a variety of options in which to create an environmentally-sustainable hotel that also protects employee and guest health."
IEHA members are encouraged to adopt AH&LA’s 11 Minimum Environmental Guidelines in hotel housekeeping departments which are part of more than 60 overall guidelines that encourage hotels to measure performance in energy, water and waste reduction, the release stated.
Beth Risinger, CEO of IEHA, said: "The housekeeping department affects the hotel property, environment, employees, and guests in profound ways: From the levels of dust in the indoor air, to the VOC impact of cleaning products and fragrances used in guestrooms, to the protection of guest health and safety when proper sanitation techniques are used, to reduction of energy used in facilities when room attendants monitor and control room thermostats. By proactively integrating green housekeeping practices with the overarching goals of the Minimum Environmental Guidelines, we are encouraging hotels associated with IEHA to help transform the way things are done to affect the triple bottom line — people, planet and profits — in a huge way."
The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute recently updated Managing Housekeeping Operations, 3rd Revised Edition, with information on environmental and energy management, the release noted.
Joseph A. McInerney, president and CEO of AH&LA, said: "The green initiatives AH&LA is creating with a variety of partner organizations such as the IEHA will be a resource for hotels committed to becoming more eco-friendly.
These will provide hotel owners and employees with a variety of options in which to create an environmentally-sustainable hotel that also protects employee and guest health."
Study: Chemicals harming patients and workers
LOWELL, MA — A pilot study from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell showed that common products used at six hospitals contained hazardous chemicals that can potentially harm the health of workers and patients, according to a Press Association article hosted by Google.com.
Some of the chemicals found include ammonium chlorides, glycol ethers, ethanolamine and benzyl alcohol, all of which irritate either the skin or lungs, the story stated.
Anila Bello from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, said: "Because the severity of cleaning exposures is affected by both product formulation and cleaning technique, a combination of product evaluation and workplace exposure data is needed to develop strategies that protect people from cleaning hazards."
The most hazardous situations occurred when cleaning tasks were performed in small and poorly ventilated spaces, notably bathrooms, the story noted.
According to the story, exposure to cleaning agents was recently identified as one of the leading causes of occupational asthma among health care workers.
Hospital cleaners are at particular risk because of the wide range of products they handle due to the increased focus on cleanliness in lieu of recent increases of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), the story added.
Some of the chemicals found include ammonium chlorides, glycol ethers, ethanolamine and benzyl alcohol, all of which irritate either the skin or lungs, the story stated.
Anila Bello from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, said: "Because the severity of cleaning exposures is affected by both product formulation and cleaning technique, a combination of product evaluation and workplace exposure data is needed to develop strategies that protect people from cleaning hazards."
The most hazardous situations occurred when cleaning tasks were performed in small and poorly ventilated spaces, notably bathrooms, the story noted.
According to the story, exposure to cleaning agents was recently identified as one of the leading causes of occupational asthma among health care workers.
Hospital cleaners are at particular risk because of the wide range of products they handle due to the increased focus on cleanliness in lieu of recent increases of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), the story added.
Aetna Building Maintenance receives top safety award
COLUMBUS, OH — The Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) awarded Aetna Building Maintenance, a regional, one-stop source for full-service building maintenance, its top safety award at the 2009 BSCAI Annual Convention & Trade Show, according to a press release.
The award is part of BSCAI’s ongoing effort to promote industry safety and is given to organizations with excellent safety records, the release stated.
Aetna Building Maintenance won in the category of 1,038,961–2,598,960 hours worked, the release noted.
BSCAI has a worldwide network of more than 2,000 member companies from across the U.S. and 30 other countries, the release added.
The award is part of BSCAI’s ongoing effort to promote industry safety and is given to organizations with excellent safety records, the release stated.
Aetna Building Maintenance won in the category of 1,038,961–2,598,960 hours worked, the release noted.
BSCAI has a worldwide network of more than 2,000 member companies from across the U.S. and 30 other countries, the release added.
A new subclass in polyester carpet fiber
CALHOUN, GA — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recognized that PTT fiber, the fiber used in Mohawk Industries' SmartStrand® carpets and that DuPont sells under the brand name Sorona® is worthy of its own subclass called triexta, according to FloorBiz.com.
With its extreme durability, unrivaled stain resistance and unmatched softness, triexta has been determined to be superior to standard polyester and shares little more than a similar chemical structure, the story stated.
Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s Chairman and CEO, said: "We petitioned the FTC for reclassification because our retail partners told us that the current generic name was misleading to consumers and that retailers found it difficult to clearly communicate the benefits of this different and superior product when it fell into the same category as traditional polyester products. We are thrilled with the FTC’s ruling, particularly because of the business benefits it brings to our retailers. Carpets with triexta offer a true performance advantage to consumers."
The creation of the triexta subclass gives retailers the ability to emphasize and focus on the outstanding features and benefits of the product, instead of defending the negative perceptions sometimes accompanied with the word polyester, the story noted.
According to the story, Mohawk Industries and DuPont jointly petitioned the FTC in 2006 to establish a new fiber subclass within the existing classification of polyester.
This is the first extension that the FTC has approved for textiles in five years and the first extension for residential carpeting since nylon in June of 1959, the story added.
With its extreme durability, unrivaled stain resistance and unmatched softness, triexta has been determined to be superior to standard polyester and shares little more than a similar chemical structure, the story stated.
Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s Chairman and CEO, said: "We petitioned the FTC for reclassification because our retail partners told us that the current generic name was misleading to consumers and that retailers found it difficult to clearly communicate the benefits of this different and superior product when it fell into the same category as traditional polyester products. We are thrilled with the FTC’s ruling, particularly because of the business benefits it brings to our retailers. Carpets with triexta offer a true performance advantage to consumers."
The creation of the triexta subclass gives retailers the ability to emphasize and focus on the outstanding features and benefits of the product, instead of defending the negative perceptions sometimes accompanied with the word polyester, the story noted.
According to the story, Mohawk Industries and DuPont jointly petitioned the FTC in 2006 to establish a new fiber subclass within the existing classification of polyester.
This is the first extension that the FTC has approved for textiles in five years and the first extension for residential carpeting since nylon in June of 1959, the story added.
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