Why It’s Important To Go Green

A reader writes: “I do not believe in all this green propaganda and see no reason to limit use of strong chemicals. Your response?”

I think that you are more “green” than you think and instead of being an environmentalist, tend to being a conservationist (think Smokey the Bear) since you tend to be a good steward in a lot of your basic practices regarding waste disposal.

I can understand your angst when you go from using a powerful product that gives immediate results and comparing it to a green product that either takes longer or simply does not give the same results. I am not going to endorse all so-called green products that may or may be truly green. I would like to cover at least one aspect of why I encourage you and everyone to be as green as possible by asking one simple question: “Where does it go?”

Whether it is 26 percent hydrochloric acid, 11 pH stripper, carpet cleaner waste, stripper slurry, old 25 percent floor finish with zinc, disinfectant cleaners, motor oil, gasoline waste, or _________, it goes somewhere. When we dump a solution down the typical sanitary system drain it ends up in a waste processing plant that struggles to clean it enough to be safe for a stream or river. Now, think of literally millions of people pouring their waste products into drains around the country each day with the attitude that it is gone when it may come back in our drinking water to cause birth defects and other illnesses triggered by the accumulated effect over an extended period of time.

When little Johnny flushed his pet alligator down the drain, he never thought about it growing into a 400 pound eating machine that could hurt someone. Remember, cause and effect. Each of us needs to take ownership of our impact on the environment since it is not only our health but the health of our children that may pay the price for our negligence. A good steward does NOT spoil his own nest.

Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.