Wausau Paper releases 'The Art of Sustainability Reporting'

MOSINEE, WI — The Wausau Paper Corporation's latest print promotion, "The Art of Sustainability Reporting," provides companies with information, best practices and inspiration for producing effective corporate sustainability reports (CSRs), according to Quick Printing.

According to the story, Wausau Paper compiled the best data and research on sustainability reporting from leading authorities on the subject, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), KPMG, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Green Seal Inc. and the Sustainable Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN), into a valuable and practical reference guide to corporate sustainability reporting.

Featuring case studies of Fortune 500 companies, the print promotion is designed to fill readers with new ideas about CSRs and the many opportunities they present, the story stated.

Jeff Fox, director of marketing for Wausau Paper, said: "We have seen an increase in demand for our papers for sustainability reporting and we saw an opportunity to share some of the industry's best practices with others that are just starting their first venture into sustainability reports. At Wausau Paper, we believe it is our responsibility to help our customers produce not only beautiful, but effective and environmentally-conscious printed pieces."

Topics covered in "The Art of Sustainability Reporting" include: The difference between the commonly confused annual report and CSR; the ingredients of a sustainability report; reasons to produce a CSR; what greenwashing is and how to avoid it; and more, the story noted.

Click here to read the complete article.

Midwest Research Institute's headquarters receives LEED certification

KANSAS CITY — The Midwest Research Institute (MRI) recently earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) following a $25 million renovation of its headquarters, according to a press release.

"Green" design elements provide energy savings that have resulted in a reduction of nearly 600 metric tons of carbon dioxide when comparing adjusted energy usage data from the years 2008 to 2009, the release stated.

According to the release, the facility now has nearly 50 percent more laboratory space and office space for an additional 150 staff while still operating with the same carbon footprint it had before the renovation.

Sustainable features of the 250,000-suare-foot facility include: Energy efficient windows; high-efficiency air conditioning; high-efficiency boilers; low-flow laboratory hoods; water saving devices; provisions for waste recycling; day lighting; high-efficiency lighting; and low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting materials, the release noted.

Mark Breitenstein, MRI's director of facilities management, said: "Results of the renovation have been extremely successful. We have a state-of-art facility that provides an enhanced work environment for staff, it accommodates growth, and the LEED certification validates MRI's mission to support a sustainable future. MRI's renovation demonstrates that green choices do have a positive impact on older facilities."

The renovations help save nearly 19 percent in overall energy costs and the high-efficiency plumbing fixtures reduce water usage by nearly 29 percent, the release added.

Click here to read the complete release.

District considers outsourcing custodial and maintenance positions

WEST WINDSOR, NJ — In an effort to reduce a $2.75 million budget gap, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District is looking to outsource its 125 custodial and maintenance positions, according to the Times of Trenton.

By contracting a third-party firm to provide the district with maintenance and custodial services, it could save money from not having to maintain its own staff and the requisite payroll and benefit costs associated with it, the story stated.

According to the story, many local residents are upset that the district would, even with a budget deficit looming, consider outsourcing the positions and placing "strangers" in their schools.

Some in the community, including district staff, are concerned that outsourcing custodial and maintenance positions will lead to a downgrade in quality that will adversely affect the district's facilities and their occupants, the story noted.

West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Board of Education President Hemant Marathe said: "There are jobs at stake. I fully understand why people are having this kind of reaction. We are happy with the service [our current employees] are providing us, people don't seem to raise concerns about strangers coming into our district with them. Every person when you hire them is a stranger at first. Does that mean you can't hire anybody?"

The district has recently privatized school bus transportation and food service, and proponents of outsourcing feel privatizing district custodial and maintenance positions is a logical cost-saving measure, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.

Bedbugs are a formidable foe

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Bedbugs, once thought of as a problem only in cheap hotels with poor sanitation, can actually infest anywhere individuals move in and out frequently, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to the article, bedbugs can be found in hotels, college dorms, apartment buildings and other places and, from there, they easily hitchhike on clothing or in luggage to a home or office.

For decades, bedbugs were largely controlled with powerful insecticides, but they have reemerged since dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and other such chemicals were banned and classified as harmful to humans, the story stated.

Clay Scherer, an entomologist with the DuPont Company, said: "It doesn't matter whether it's a high-end or low-end hotel; all are at risk, and all types have been known to be infested. [Because no substitutes for older insecticides have been developed,] there is no surefire way to control bedbugs yet."

Experts like Richard Cooper of Cooper Pest Solutions Inc. say it is unlikely one will be able to detect bedbugs with just a cursory inspection of a hotel room, and because of this, it becomes extremely difficult for hotel housekeepers to note a possible infestation and act accordingly to remediate the problem, the story noted.

Many properties do not have a problem with bedbugs because they are proactive against an infestation by adhering to a pest control program; however, with the increase in international travel, concerns are slowly rising, the story added.

Ed Grose, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, said: "They're very guarded about it. But if I put on a seminar about bedbugs, they're very interested."

Click here to read the complete article.

Stephen Ashkin selected to help revise LEED-EBOM

BLOOMINGTON, IN — The Ashkin Group and the Green Cleaning Network LLC have been selected to work with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as it prepares a revision of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM), according to a press release.

According to the release, Stephen Ashkin, long considered the "father of green cleaning," is president of The Ashkin Group and Sustainable Dashboard Tools LLC, co-founder of Green Cleaning University and founder of the Green Cleaning Network.

Although the new standards will not be released for two years, the preparatory planning work, including feedback and comments from the industry, is needed by January 30, 2010, the release stated.

Ashkin said: "Based on our experience working on the LEED-EB Core Committee, we have been asked to gather comments directly from the [cleaning] industry about LEED and its impact on green cleaning. Comments will be summarized and then presented to the LEED Technical Advisory Groups (TAG) for consideration as they revise the prerequisites and credits for the 2012 Rating Systems. I believe it is crucial that all segments of our industry get involved with this process. The revisions made will impact our industry for years to come. I want our industry to [continue to] play a leading role in not only promoting green and sustainable issues, but setting some of the rules for creating healthy, high performing buildings."

Because Ashkin believes this process is so important, a new website — http://www.ashkinleedeb.com — has been launched specifically for collecting comments from industry professionals, the release noted.

Click here to read the complete release.

OSHA's $472,900 combustible dust bust

ROSEMOUNT, MN — The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited Endres Processing LLC with safety and health violations that include exposing workers to combustible dust hazards, according to Occupational Health & Safety.

According to the story, Endres Processing, which manufactures an animal feed supplement from unsold bakery products, was hit with four willful violations and five serious violations totaling $266,900 in fines following a health inspection.

The willful violations allege a lack of explosion protection, the failure to equip process equipment with combustible dust collection systems, hazardous accumulations of dust and the use of electrical equipment that was unsafe to use in areas with combustible dust accumulation, the story stated.

The serious violations address hazards from workers breathing the dust, allowing combustible materials in areas where workers were welding and unsafe electrical equipment and practices, the story noted.

According to the article, OSHA also initiated a safety inspection that resulted in the issuance of two willful violations and 21 serious violations, adding fines of $206,000.

Endres Processing has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director or contest the 32 safety and health violations totaling $472,900 in fines before the independent U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.

Ten things a cleaning service won't admit

WASHINGTON — There are at least 10 things a cleaning service will not tell you about the services they offer or, if they do disclose such information, it will be ambiguous and likely not the answer you were seeking, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It is recommended to ask a cleaning service for at least five references from customers who have utilized said company's services within the last six months and to check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to ensure the company employs sound business practices, the story stated.

Bill Griffin, president of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc., said: "[Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing what you'll get until it's too late, since anyone] with a spray bottle, rag and business card can call himself [or herself] a housecleaner."

Ten things a cleaning service will never admit are:

1. "We're as good as our word. And that's not very good."

2. "We're more about a quick clean than a thorough job ..."

3. "... That is, if our workers even know what they're doing."

4. "The first time's going to cost you."

5. "You're letting a bunch of strangers in your house, you know."

6. "We're bonded — for what that's worth."

7. "Sorry, that doesn't quite translate."

8. "Sure, I'll work under the table — but you're the one who pays if we get caught."

9. "If I get hurt in your house, we'll both be in pain."

10. "We don't always make up for our mistakes."

Experts suggest asking a prospective cleaning service about the training its employees receive, something that can help eliminate confusion as to whether a specific cleaning service is ideal for you, the story noted.

Another good tactic is to call the cleaning service with special requests the night before, and have supervisors relay requests to housekeepers and janitors before they arrive the next day, the story added.

According to the article, there are more than 30,000 cleaning services operating in the United States, and although many of them are reputable and have a track record to prove it, it behooves consumers to ask questions and be inquisitive of a cleaning service before patronizing their offerings.

Click here to read the complete article.