New website service for carpet cleaners

GAINESVILLE, FL — Carpet cleaners understand that advertising and marketing are important for their business, and with Ready To Go websites, the leg work is already done for you, according to a press release.

With Ready To Go websites, all the background work of website design, writing content and search engine optimization (SEO) is already done, allowing carpet cleaners to lease unbranded websites, brand it with their company logo and start using it immediately, the release stated.

Abhi Patel, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pat's Marketing, said: "If you are hesitant towards spending too much on marketing your business in this economy, Ready To Go websites by Pat's Marketing can be an effective yet affordable option. You can lease a website at as low as $30 per month and start marketing your business on search engines almost instantaneously and for so long as you see fit."

Ready To Go websites are already optimized and ranking on search engines, so businesses can look forward to getting quicker and often instantaneous returns on their marketing dollars, the release added.

Click here to read the complete release.

Algoma University recognized as green and sustainable

PETERBOROUGH, ON, Canada — Algoma University recently received a certification of accomplishment from Boreal Solutions, an Ontario-based JanSan distributor, recognizing the university's commitment to becoming a greener and more sustainable school, according to a press release.

Along with Boreal Solutions, the university has been working with Enviro-Solutions Ltd. to test and evaluate cleaning products that are proven safer for the university's staff and students, are environmentally preferable and meet the performance needs of the school, the release stated.

Goals of the one-year project include: Eliminating toxic and corrosive materials used to clean and maintain the campus; Improving energy efficiency; Reducing the amount of waste generated by the school; and transferring to only green-certified cleaning products bearing either the Green Seal^® or EcoLogo^™ label, the release noted.

Kevin Hemsworth, divisional director of external relations for Algoma University, said: "One of the biggest and surprising achievements [in this process] is that the green measures have resulted in no additional cost to the university. In fact, we may even be saving money as a result of this team effort that [also] helps the school continue to be a leader in environmental stewardship."

Selecting green-certified products was a requirement because it guarantees the products selected have been independently evaluated and proven to have less impact on users, building occupants and the environment, the release added.

EPA officially launches green disinfectant and sanitizer pilot programs

WASHINGTON — On December 9, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched two voluntary pilot programs for disinfectants and sanitizers that will allow the use of the Design for the Environment (DfE) logo on certain products as well as allow the use of certain EPA-approved factual statements of environmental preferability, according to a press release.

Bill Balek, ISSA director of legislative affairs, said: "ISSA applauds the EPA for crafting a policy that will empower purchasers to make informed decisions when selecting disinfectants and sanitizers, as well as provide a market incentive for manufacturers to develop antimicrobial pesticides that possess a preferred environmental and safety and health profile."

Balek participated in the Comparative Claims Work Group assembled by the EPA for the purpose of developing the parameters of the pilot program, the release noted.

Registrants will be subject to a two-tier review process starting with review by the DfE program that will start accepting applications immediately, while the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) will start accepting applications on May 3, 2010, the release added.

According to the release, the OPP will start accepting applications for the use of factual statements of environmental preferability on product labels on January 25, 2010.

For more information about the pilot programs, click here.

Click here to read the complete release.

Duo develops biodegradable packaging

GREEN ISLAND, NY — Two businessmen recently developed a green alternative to polystyrene packaging that uses 10 times less energy to produce and biodegrades into a natural fertilizer, according to the American Free Press.

Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, classmates from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), founded Ecovative Design in 2007 to produce EcoCradle — packaging made from farm waste and mushrooms whose manufacture generates zero greenhouse gas emissions, the story stated.

Bayer, chief executive officer (CEO) of Ecovative Design, said: "For each unit of EcoCradle we produce, compared to the same unit or volume of polystyrene, we use 10 times less energy and emit eight times less CO₂ over the life of the product from production, use and to disposal. Our long-term vision is actually to replace all plastic and foams and mitigate their environmental consequences ... and this natural platform we have discovered or invented will allow us to do that."

According to the story, polystyrene is so prevalent in the packaging industry that it accounts for 30 percent of all the waste in United States landfills.

EcoCradle is made from agricultural byproducts including cottonseed hulls, buckwheat hulls and rice husk that are mixed with mycelium — a fungal bonding agent — and allowed to grow inside molds, the story noted.

According to the article, the mycelium secretes a powerful enzyme that decomposes the organic waste as it grows, and after seven days at room temperature in the dark, a compact, ultralight, malleable material is formed that can resist temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 Fahrenheit).

EcoCradle, a patented trademark in the United States and 30 other countries that doubles as an environmentally preferable insulation, has a production cost comparable to that of polystyrene, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article

SEIU Local 26 janitors march for green alternatives

MINNEAPOLIS — Janitors represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 26 kicked off their campaign to make green cleaning a reality with a march through downtown Minneapolis on December 5, according to a press release.

By striving to increase the use of green cleaning products with safer chemicals, recycle more waste and support the transition to day-shift cleaning, SEIU Local 26 janitors are hoping to green the greater Minneapolis area, the release stated.

According to the SEIU Local 26, "Day-shift cleaning is a growing trend in the cleaning industry; it can reduce energy use by up to 8 percent and leads to better client satisfaction with a stable, well-trained cleaning staff. And while safer, "green" chemicals are now available at little or no additional cost, there is still pervasive use of more dangerous, conventional cleaning products."

The Green Jobs Green Future campaign has gained the support of environmental organizations including the Blue Green Alliance, the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) and the Sierra Club, the release noted.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Congressman Keith Ellison joined the janitors and marched in support of adopting green alternatives to toxic cleaning chemicals and increasing recycling efforts, the release added.

Click here to read the complete release.

EPA releases WaterSense label for commercial applications

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its first WaterSense specification for a commercial building product, according to a press release.

According to the release, WaterSense-labeled flushing urinals will use 50 percent less water than standard urinals, saving businesses 4,000 gallons of water per year for every fixture installed.

In addition to using no more than a half-gallon of water per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label meet the EPA's performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models, the release stated.

As an example of the water saving capability of WaterSense-labeled urinals, a college with 10,000 students that installs WaterSense labeled urinals in its classroom buildings will save each year enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the release noted.

All WaterSense-labeled products are independently tested and certified to meet rigorous criteria for both efficiency and performance, the release added.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/watersense

Vernon Hills Retirement Community Legionnaires' disease outbreak

VERNON HILLS, IL — The source of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease responsible for two deaths and seven hospitalizations at a retirement community has been identified as contaminated pool and spa water, according to the Vernon Hills Review.

After tests at The Park at Vernon Hills came back positive for Legionella bacteria, environmental consulting firm EBSol Inc. — a company specializing in Legionella detection — was brought in to help determine the cause of the outbreak and come up with a remediation plan, the story stated.

Melaney Arnold, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said: "We did find the Legionella bacteria at the facility and right now the environmental consultant the facility hired is working on a remediation plan. [The pool, spa and rainforest area in the atrium of the facility] will not be allowed to open again until we get two consecutive negative test samples for Legionella. In a situation like this, proper maintenance of pools and spa areas is very important."

Bio-Incident Management Services was contracted to clean and disinfect the pool and other water features where contaminated water was found, the story noted.

The Park at Vernon Hills, which hopes to have the affected areas completely disinfected and opened within the next few weeks, is keeping residents apprised to the latest developments with frequent updates, the story added.

Click here to read the complete article.