Pocono resorts go green to attract business

POCONO, PA — Three resorts located in the Pocono Mountains — Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, The Settlers Inn Bed and Breakfast Lodge and Camelback Mountain Resort — have increased their greening efforts in hopes of attracting more business, notably environmentally conscious customers, according to the Pocono Record.

Jeanne Genzlinger, owner of The Settlers Inn Bed and Breakfast Lodge, which was one of the Pocono Business Journal's Top Ten Green Businesses in 2008, grows many of the vegetables consumed at the resort onsite and composts waste that would normally end up in landfills, the story stated.

Genzlinger said: "Room 204 is our organic room — from the cork floors to the bamboo furniture to the low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint and other organic materials. The Settlers Inn is devoted to purchasing from regional and local sources."

Camelback Mountain Resort reduced its fossil fuel usage by 50,000 gallons in the past year by upgrading its snow-making machine to operate on compressed air, the story noted.

Ricky Durst, public relations manager for Camelback Mountain Resort, said: "We hauled away more than 150 bags of trash off of the resort for Earth Day. We made it fun and did a scavenger hunt, and found some crazy things. One person found an eight-track tape. It was a great team-building experience for the staff."

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort recently enlisted a "green team" to monitor accomplishments and assist in implementing environmentally friendly procedures, the story added.

Rob Howell, general manager for Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, said: "We encourage our staff and guests to recycle, and we are trying to diminish the use of plastic water bottles in meeting areas and other areas of the resort. We are trying to make the commitment and hoping that others do, too."

According to the story, these three area resorts are trying to become a model for other resorts and businesses in the Poconos.

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District can save $650,000 a year by outsourcing custodians

PORTAGE, MI — Portage Public Schools are poised to save $650,000 in the 2009-10 school year by privatizing its second- and third-shift custodians, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Many people present at Monday's school board meeting were skeptical until the figures were broken down so they could be easily understood, the story stated.

For $1.49 million a year, Grand Rapids Cleaning Services will provide services comparable to what the district is paying custodians $2.024 a year for, the story noted.

According to the story, Grand Rapids Cleaning Services will also purchase the district's cleaning equipment for $300,000.

Contractors can perform work much cheaper than in-house custodians can because their wages and benefits are so much lower than what school districts pay, the story added.

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600 voluntarily retire from Kimberly-Clark

APPLETON, WI — Roughly 600 Kimberly-Clark Corporation employees have taken the company up on its offer of voluntary severance to ease cost burdens facing the company in these trying economic times, according to the Appleton Post-Crescent.

The offer was initially made to about 7,000 salaried employees throughout the United States in April; the company expects to eliminate about 1,000 of those positions, the story stated.

Employees had until May 22 to decide whether to accept the offer which is tailored to each worker and based on position and seniority, the story noted.

Kimberly-Clark spokesman David Dickson said: "We expect to reduce the number of positions in the United States by up to 1,000, and those employees who elected voluntary severance will lessen the impact overall. Now that we know the number of individuals who elected to take advantage of the voluntary severance program, our business and functional teams are in [the] process of developing detailed organizational plans."

Each worker will receive an extension of health insurance benefits, outplacement assistance and consulting, the story added.

Hand sanitizer recalled for bacterial contamination

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to all consumers to stop using products from Roy, Utah-based Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory Inc., citing the risk of bacterial infection, according to WebMD Health News.

Clarcon has voluntarily recalled some skin sanitizers and various other products because high levels of disease-causing bacteria were found in them during a recent inspection, the story stated.

Several samples of over-the-counter topical antimicrobial skin sanitizer and skin protectant products revealed high levels of various bacteria, some of which could cause infections requiring surgery and may result in permanent damage, the story noted.

According to Bill Markham, co-owner of Clarcon, the company has "never had a side effect or health issue from their products and this may be a small, isolated issue."

The FDA's warning covers all Clarcon products, including: Citrushield Lotion; Dermasentials DermaBarrier; Dermasentials by Clarcon Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer; and Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment, the story added.

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First EPA-registered product to kill C. diff spores

WASHINGTON — TECcare Ultra from Talley Environmental Care Ltd. has become the first and only product to pass the new and more stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved testing protocol for killing Clostridium Difficile (C. diff) spores, according to a press release.

The EPA has posted guidelines for efficacy testing to obtain the C. diff sporicidal claim for hard, non-porous surfaces on their website: Http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/cdif-guidance.html, the release stated.

According to a survey conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), 13 out of every 1,000 inpatients were either infected or colonized with C. diff, costing an estimated $17.6 to $51.5 million a year, the release noted.

Kevin Mearns, director of business development for Talley Environmental Care, said: "Passing these latest approved tests once again highlights the excellent efficacy of TECcare Ultra, and combined with its exceptional safety credentials, the product has been proven to kill this potentially life threatening pathogen. TECcare Ultra offers a true sporicidal product, one that does not contain damaging chemicals and skin irritants such as bleach, alcohols, phenols, chlorine and aldehydes and is well suited for repeated use on surfaces. It is safe and effective as well as fully biodegradable and environmentally friendly."

TECcare Ultra can be used in a variety of facilities, including: Health care; pharmaceuticals; foodservice; hospitality; schools and nurseries; and general hygiene applications, the release added.

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First LEED-certified hotel in Illinois

NAPERVILLE, IL — The Hotel Arista has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first hotel in Illinois to achieve such a designation, according to the magazine Hotels.

The 144-room Hotel Arista opened in the fall of 2008 and uses 30 percent less water and 21 percent less energy than hotels of comparable size, the story stated.

All of the cleaning products used at the hotel are chemical-free and do not contribute volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the indoor environment, the story noted.

CEO and President of the USGBC Rick Fedrizzi said: "Hotel Arista’s LEED certification not only marks a first for the State of Illinois, but is a leading example for how the retail and hospitality industries can and should be invested in environmental well-being and social responsibility. Furthermore, consuming less energy and fewer resources will equate to great fiscal savings throughout the lifecycle of the property."

Materials for the construction of the Hotel Arista were locally sourced and up to 70 percent of post-construction materials were recycled, the story added.

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New law requires green cleaning in CT schools

HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell yesterday signed Bill 6496 into law, requiring local and regional public school districts to use green cleaning products, according to a press release.

The new law requires school districts to have a green cleaning program in place by July 1, 2011, to help ensure a healthier environment for students, faculty and staff, the release stated.

Governor Rell said: "Schools are places of great promise for our children, where dedicated teachers and staff help shape and guide their futures. We can now color that future green, as well. This law will help ensure a healthy environment for everyone who walks through the doors of public schools in Connecticut."

According to the release, during the legislative process, proponents testified that nearly one-quarter of cleaning chemicals used in schools are toxic and significantly affect indoor air quality (IAQ).

The environmentally preferable products, which must meet nationally certified guidelines and be approved by the State Department of Administrative Services, include: General-purpose cleaners; restroom, glass and carpet cleaners; hand cleaners and soaps; floor finishes; and floor strippers, the release noted.

The law also requires the types of cleaners used and the methods employed be made public, the release added.

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