How Being “Green” is a Moving Target by John Nelson

[Mikey P]

The word “Green” is often misused in our industry and I wanted to take a few minutes to explain why I think it is so. If you look up the term “Green”, it really means “do what you need to do to do your job correctly, but make sure that you do the least amount [...]

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[Newman]

So if I am not "green cleaning" all of my solutions are toxic, my broke dick will fall off, and all wildlife will cease to exist?

 

[GCCLee]

Leaving the smallest foot print you can when you walk in the sand, man!

 

[The Great Oz]

It is important to consider what effect your chemicals will have on you and your customers and avoid using anything questionable, but an awful lot of green "truths" become less true if you handle your chemicals and waste water properly.

For example: Phosphates. Let’s look at what phosphates do.
When phosphates enter (even after they are treated in a sanitary sewer treatment plant) our lakes, oceans and streams, they act as a fertilizer, spawning overgrowth of algae. This overabundance of aquatic plant life eventually depletes the water’s oxygen supply, killing off fish and other organisms.

The statement "even after they are treated" is a pretty big stretch. Since consumer products have become almost completely phosphate-free, sewage treatment plants have had to buy and add phosphates, as they're a needed part of the treatment process. Phosphates don't leave the sewage treatment plant in the treated water, they're contained in the sludge solids. A farmer using the treated solids as fertilizer could have run-off get into surface water (making the statement technically possible) but your properly disposed of phosphate-containing cleaning product isn't killing fish, it's reducing the cost of sewage treatment.

So, according to our definition of “Green”, if your product contains Phosphates, then you violate the definition of Green.

Hmmm, only if you're dumping in the nearest pond, so I can cheerfully disagree with John's definition of green.

 

[ruff]

There is "Green" as in what's considered green and there is "Green" as in what the client wants when they ask for green.

As we all know the discussion about green can go on for ever.
However, what most clients want first and foremost is something that is not harmful for them, their kids and their pets in their home. Than if possible they want something that is not harmful to the environment.
What "not harmful to the environment" means, can again be a long discussion and there is no total agreement about it.

However, in this day and age, using some products that contain suspected carcinogens in them, like some manufacturers do, is beyond me.