Becoming a "Green Certified Company"

[bensurdi]

I've been doing a lot of research on this subject and it is something I would like further commentary on. The subject of becoming a green certified company.

According to the Green Seal program ( link below) it appears to be extremely expensive.

http://www.greenseal.org/certification/ ... es10-1.pdf

It seems as if school districts are also implimenting green cleaning requirments which would require the firm or cleaning contractor to be a green certified company.

I've also been looking into the LEED program found here -> http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1815

This is something that would take a green company to the next level.

Has anyone done these things? If so, what would you comment about the process?

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

I live between General Motors factory's and Dow Chemical factory's. Nobody cares about being green here.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Hi Ben,

IMO Since you are still a new company, I wouldnt waste money on GREEN certification. You can use that money to grow your business in a more successful way. Be careful there are alot of useless green movement stuff out there. I do believe green is going to be a huge part of the industry in the years to come, but just focus on growing your business, so when you can afford the GREEN certification it wont be such a hit to your marketing budget.

I saw the stuff you are selling on Craigslist did you get the equipment that was stolen from you?

Also what happen with the whole postmaster thing, did you have to pay a fine?

Brent

 

[Larry Cobb]

Ben;

While I am in favor of "Green" procedures,
I am strongly against Green Seal & their GS-37 standard.
It would eliminate 97% of the chemicals we use today in the carpet cleaning industry.

The main reason is that they impose testing procedures on many chemicals where no company has any exclusive marketing advantage. Therefore, no company will invest large sums to get the testing done.

LEED also specifies Green Seal GS-37 as required to obtain the points necessary to be a "certified building".

GS-37 will raise your cleaning cost,
and decrease your performance.

DFE (Design for Environment) or CRI SOA are much better standards to support.

Larry

 

[rhyde]

I was under the belief that Green seal doesn’t even set its standards they’re certification operates under ISO 14020 and 14024, basically you pay for green seal name? LEEDS is much cheaper if an account demands Green seal tack the 6,900.00+ for certification and 2,000.00 annual audit fee on to their bill and see how green they really are. Implementation of a written policy/ notification to accounts as to the limited performance of some products LEED/ Green seal products would be wise.

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=56


The whole thing is confusing and potentially damaging ….green products really aren’t that green when you look at what it takes to get from raw materials to finished product. I believe people will get tired of the oversell, hype on these things

 

[Bill Soukoreff]

Ben, are you willing to stop selling protector?

 

[JFRASER]

Going green also means no more truckmount. No thanks.

 

[JFRASER]

yep. green is over rated, were do u draw the line with anything going green? waste not want not.

 

[rhyde]

can you call your self green when you use a truck mount that spews out fumes leaks oil and or uses heating oil or kerosene to heat water with

where's green cleaning higer moral ground they are still made with petrochemical feed stock.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Blah, blah , blah. His company says green clean, meaning he uses green cleaning products. Its almost impossible to be a true green tree hugger company. He offers green cleaning products vs some of the harsh shit out there. I have used that harsh stuff for years and I see and feel the difference using it. There are alot of green products that arent made with petrochemicals.

You guys do understand "green" is a huge spectrum of view points, facts, and misinformation, its hard to be it "all" and still do the job. Maybe if you had some serious money to invest. The fact is green products are safer to use vs majority of the products out there. That is from first hand accounts, not hearsey.

I use green cleaning products and do other things to be as green as possible, I dont advertise like my shit dont stink vs the other companies. I like using green cleaning products cause I do believe it is safer for me, the client and the world. yes I use a gas van and TM but what can I do about that. Am I a hyprocrite? I try to be as green as $$$ and the industry allows me to.

Maybe if he had a company called NWTotalGreen than you might have something.

 

[Mike Draper]

Going green also means no more truckmount. No thanks.

Really, haven't you heard of natural gas?

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Going green also means no more truckmount. No thanks.

Really, haven't you heard of natural gas?

TerraClean uses biofuels from restraunts. I think they run CDS's.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Green is a scam to separate idiots from their money. It has nothing to do with the environment.

Once it gets to the point where I have to use green crap, I will. When it gets to the point where everybody is asking for green, I will. But until then every time I hear "green" or "environmentally safe" my ears turn off and the inner monologue begins with, "Great, now I've got to pretend to listen to moron who thinks they're saving the planet"

 

[bensurdi]

What are you trying to say by that ignorant comment you just made?

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Green is a scam to separate idiots from their money. It has nothing to do with the environment.

Once it gets to the point where I have to use green crap, I will. When it gets to the point where everybody is asking for green, I will. But until then every time I hear "green" or "environmentally safe" my ears turn off and the inner monologue begins with, "Great, now I've got to pretend to listen to moron who thinks they're saving the planet"

That is a interesting point of view and a very common one. Over the years chemicals have been getting safer, it just now has a name "green". Some use it as a selling point, some use it for health and some use it cause they do want to save the world. I deal with alot of Green Freaks out there and for them it is about their health and the enviroment, some just use it cause its big. Green is huge here than in other places, why, I dont know. To much granola I guess.

I am not sure if there will ever be a point were you "have" to use green products in residential setting, but I do believe the demand will grow over the years. In goverment building and commercial you will. You will find that manufacturer will make safer products (green) for you to use in the future, like they have been for years but may not call it green.

Your statement is a classic case of over exposure. Its the Brittney Spears Syndrome. She got over exposed to the point where you "tune out" and grew negative feeling towards her. I did. That is the way green is now for alot of people. Just so you know green is not a "scam". Those products are truely safer than majority of the stuff out there. I'd say its a scam if it said it would regrew your hair or make you stronger if you use it, no its just safer, that all it is. I think we all can agree on that. Yeah the in your face marketing can be a bit much, but so is alot of crap out there.

I dont expect people to agree with me and just go with your statement, but its not completely correct.

 

[Mike Draper]

What are you trying to say by that ignorant comment you just made?

He's just trying to say that he "Knows it All". Haven't you noticed that he has an negative opinion on just about everything?

 

[B&BGaryC]

I know I'm not going to be forced use them, but if that's all people want to know about that's all I'll use. I don't use nasty chems. I am conscious of what I use in people's homes, and if something is needed that I don't deem safe, I let them know my concerns with the product.

Green cleaning chems are not a scam, the green philosophy is.

What are you trying to say by that ignorant comment you just made?

What I'm saying is I'm fed up with this environazi nonsense to the point where I am going to start clubbing baby seals and mulching them up into a liquid slurry that I will use to clean carpets with.

You can fit every single man woman and child standing up in a medium/large city... Like Pensacola Florida and it's immediate surrounding area. Tell me that's the problem. The "animals" that when "herded together" would cover less than 1 10th of a percent of the surface area of the globe are the problem.

Green is all about $Green$. If your customers are ignorant, cash in.

 

[B&BGaryC]

What are you trying to say by that ignorant comment you just made?

He's just trying to say that he "Knows it All". Haven't you noticed that he has an negative opinion on just about everything?

What was that business plan of yours again?

 

[B&BGaryC]

And if you guys would pay attention, I only seem to have a negative attitude about false religion and politics/government.

I'm not sure which of the two categories to put the environmental movement. It's definitely a government problem having to do with unfair taxation, but with how fanatic all the followers get I would have to say it ranks up there with false religion too.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Gary,

So green cleaning products are not a scam but the philosophy is. Just curious what is your view of the green philosophy related to our industry. I dont see how customers are ignorant because they want the cleaner to use the safest cleaning products on the market for various reasons, since you did say those products arent a scam, but legit, so why would they be ignorant then?

 

[bensurdi]

You have an interesting way about you but I have to be honest by saying that you come across offensive instead of interesting.

Green Cleaning is using the "safest cleaning products available". If you are conciously doing this than you are contributing in a positive way and it is only common sense to advertise the fact that you make an effort to use the safest cleaning products available. People like to know that.

We can't change the world by using a safer product but atleast we're doing our best to clean up the world and get rid of harmful chemicals that cause cancer and other health defects.

My mom used to tell me this saying " If you dont have anything good to say, dont say it at all." If you look at my orginal post, no where does it say ( If you are a negative weirdo who stays up all night playing video games please leave your negative comments on this topic).

 

[B&BGaryC]

Again, it's not the product, the philosophy. I keep a smile on my face, but my roll my eyes at all the hippy nonsense around their house.

I think I am trying to piss you green cleaners off. Partly because I feel some green cleaners are responsible for the mis-information about chemicals, when I may not use green seal products, but I am responsible about how I use products... The biggest health issue I have had from cleaning products was an organic product. The worst chem burn a guy I know got was from a green cleaning product. (Not bad, he just said it hurt really bad)

I also try to piss off environmentalists because I see them as the nitwits who will sign a petition to ban water. I see them as the idiots who voted in the "Toxic right to know act" in Eugene Oregon because it has a catchy name. This bill ran thousands of jobs out of that economy because the regulations were designed in a way to cause fines to be issued against large companies. I really doubt you care how many ounces of degreaser a commercial bakery uses to mop their dumpster area, but if it isn't reported correctly it's a fine. The Hyundai plant was getting fined $10,000 a day every day until they gave up and left town.

What about all this talk about carbon tax? Do you realize this communist environmental movement is not about the earth and never has been?

So yes, I try to piss you off. I try to piss you off because in your ignorance you tread on me. Don't tread on me. Don't support green policy until you read it and see it makes a difference to better the earth, not destroy the middle class. And then we go to the third world and try to tell them they have to use green methods to become developed. Not because we care about the planet, but because we don't want them to industrialize.

Arrg!

 

[B&BGaryC]

And with that, I'm done unless you want to re-hash it. I'll try to do a pre-emptive strike though.

Green chems are fine. Use things that are safer. That is good, and it's good for our industry. customers who want safe products are fine in my books too.