Washington County School District unhappy with service contractor's work

CHIPLEY, FL — Nearly all of the six public schools in the Washington County School District expressed concerns over the quality of work performed by building service contractor Rite-Way Service Inc., according to the Foster Folly News.

According to the story, a major change occurred when the school district cut $300,000 from the cleaning contract with Rite-Way, seriously reducing the extent and thoroughness of daily cleaning.

The majority of complaints pertain to unclean restrooms, unswept and/or unmopped floors and insufficient cleanup in cafeterias and locker rooms, the story stated.

With the current cleaning schedule, custodians clean areas every other day, rather than the daily cleaning that occurred in the past, the story noted.

Rite-Way has changed crew members several times at some Washington County schools, hampering progress and instituting a new learning curve every time, the story added.

Washington County School Board member Terry Ellis, in explaining that Rite-Way is responsible for the cleanliness of the schools, said: "We are in the teaching business, not in the cleaning business."

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Study finds small businesses are curtailing cleaning

CINCINNATI — A recent survey conducted by Kelton Research for Procter & Gamble Professional found that 29 percent of small businesses have scaled back on workplace cleaning, according to a press release.

According to the release, more than 1,100 small business owners registered with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) participated in the online survey that was conducted to identify how the economy has affected small business' cleaning standards.

Despite the fact that 31 percent of small business owners recognized "cleanliness and appearance" as having the greatest impact on customer first impressions, a significant number have curtailed their cleaning processes by either purchasing cheaper or generic products or eliminating professional cleaning services altogether, the release stated.

According to the survey, of those who have altered their cleaning practices, 44 percent report negative repercussions, such as rising customer and employee complaints and longer cleaning times when using cheaper products.

Pete Self, research and development manager for Procter & Gamble Professional, said: "Now more than ever, we recognize owners' needs for solutions that work at the speed of small businesses today and for information that equips them with cleaning best practices. Mr. Clean Professional provides small business owners with both powerful cleaning solutions as well as a 24/7 information resource, helping restore owners' confidence that their business' appearance makes a great first impression every time."

Six out of ten small business owners said time is the biggest barrier to keeping their workplace, whether retail or professional, as clean as possible; meanwhile, 14 percent believe staffing is the major hurdle to cleanliness, the release noted.

When asked what cleaning resources would be most beneficial, 49 percent of survey respondents cited the need for free resources and advice from trusted sources that help them get the cleaning job done, the release added.

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New York City Axes Green Buildings Plan

New York City Axes Green Buildings Plan

In theory, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s landmark plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by retrofitting leaky old buildings was a good idea. In the face of a global recession, and with a mandate for building owners to foot much of the bill, the owners didn’t agree. After fierce criticism, the city is dropping a plan that would have required older buildings — those measuring 50,000 square feet or more —to perform energy audits and subsequent efficiency upgrades.
If passed, the mandate would have applied to roughly 22,000 buildings, or nearly half the city’s square footage, requiring owners to upgrade light bulbs, old boilers and leaky windows. The legislation also would have represented a big push in the green building movement, since most cities impose efficiency standards on new construction only. In the city, buildings contribute 80 percent of the city’s total carbon emissions, and Mayor Bloomberg is trying to lower emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
A major sticking point was cost, with owners required to pay for most of the upgrades. Officials estimated private investors would need to kick in $2.5 billion for building improvements since the city only had $16 million in federal stimulus funds to pay for such changes.
Article continues: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-change/stories/nyc-nixes-green-buildings-plan

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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