Updates from the Leading Association for the Cleaning Industry Worldwide

Green Predictions for 2010

Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and founder of the Green Cleaning Network and Green Cleaning University, recently released his "Green Predictions for 2010."

Ashkin, who is often referred to as the "founder of green cleaning," has been the industry's leading advocate for the use of environmentally preferable cleaning products and systems for almost two decades.

Looking back, Ashkin recalls a time not too many years ago when his annual prediction was simply that the industry would start taking a closer look at cleaning products that have less impact on the environment, users, and building occupants. "I am pleased to say we have come a very long way in the past few years," states Ashkin.

So what are his predictions for 2010? Ashkin believes the following are not only "in the cards," but will likely materialize in 2010:

• More consumer and household cleaning products will be green certified; this will also bolster the use of green-certified cleaning products in the professional cleaning industry
• The industry's first green-certified disinfectants will be available in the United States
• More state and local governments will require green cleaning products and systems be used in educational and government facilities
• Organizations, such as the Healthy Schools Campaign (www.healthyschoolscampaign.org), Practice Greenhealth, the Green Hotel Association, and others, will grow in membership and influence
• More companies will require their vendors to demonstrate they are taking steps to become greener and more sustainable
• All segments of the professional cleaning industry—facility service providers, distributors, and manufacturers—will become more sustainable and environmentally responsible.

Ashkin also believes 2010 may be the year that the professional cleaning industry is recognized for the leadership role it has played in promoting green cleaning and environmental responsibility.

"Our industry has made a big impact on so many businesses and [other] industries," he says. "We have become a role model of what can be accomplished when an industry decides it is time to go green."

Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in greening the cleaning industry, as well as Sustainability Tool, LLC, an electronic dashboard that allows jansan companies to measure, track, and report on their facility's environmental impacts. He is also coauthor of both The Business of Green Cleaning and Green Cleaning for Dummies. For more information, visit www.AshkinGroup.com.

InfoClean 2.0 Simplifies Workloading and Estimates Staffing Levels

The NEW InfoClean 2.0 is an intuitive and amazingly powerful software program that strips away complexity and simplifies workloading. In just minutes, you can generate multiple scenarios to get the answers that you need—all backed by accurate data and industry best practices.

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This complete software package features everything you need to workload your facility, including these NEW features:

• Easy-to-use tab-based interface
• Updated ISSA 540 Cleaning Times
• Zone and Specialist Cleaning System modules
• New return on investment (ROI) application to cost-justify cleaning-equipment investments
• More entries for customized cleaning tasks
• Single tab dashboard with three pie charts and three bar graphs for boardroom presentations
• Complete FTE summary area to define staffing levels by daily, project, and additional tasks
• Worksheets for collecting facility data

The EPA Launches Pilot Programs for Disinfectants & Sanitizers

On December 9, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched two much-anticipated 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 the use of certain Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)-approved factual statements of environmental preferability.

Commenting on the program's launch, ISSA Director of Legislative Affairs Bill Balek 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 anti-microbial pesticides that possess a preferred environmental and safety-and-health profile."

Balek participated in the Comparative Claims Work Group assembled by the EPA to develop the parameters of these pilot programs. The work group—consisting of representatives from industry, the EPA, state agencies, environmental groups, and other interested parties—met over the course of 15 months.

In regard to the DfE-recognition program, registrants will be subject to a two-tier review process, starting with review by the DfE, which is now accepting applications; the second tier involves the OPP, which will start accepting applications on May 3, 2010.

As for the factual-label-statements program, the OPP is now accepting applications for the use of accurate statements of environmental preferability on product labels.

For additional information, please contact ISSA Legislative Affairs Director Bill Balek at 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800; e-mail, bill@issa.com.

Calendar

February 25, CIMS I.C.E. Workshop, Sheraton Grand Hotel, Irving, TX. Facility service provider representatives, distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, consultants, and trainers are encouraged to become Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) ISSA Certification Experts (I.C.E.).

March 7-11, University of Industrial Distribution, IUPUI Conference Center, Indianapolis, IN.

March 25-May 27, Regional Meeting: Develop & Implement a Green Cleaning Program, plus: Green Cleaning University: How to Improve Your Ability to Sell Green. Atlanta, GA (March 25); Chicago, IL (April 6); Washington, D.C. (April 8); Columbus, OH (April 15); St. Paul, MN (May 6); Los Angeles, CA (May 20); Worcester, MA (May 25); Philadelphia, PA (May 27). Enhance your green-cleaning knowledge and network with your industry peers at ISSA's 2010 Regional Meeting, coming to a city near you this spring! This year's event features a daylong format with three separate sessions: Develop and Implement a Green Cleaning Program; Lunch/Networking; and ISSA Green Cleaning University: How to Improve Your Ability to Sell Green. If you're serious about competing in the green marketplace, you can't afford to miss this event!

April 16, Strategy Revival—From Reactive to Proactive, Philadelphia, PA. This full-day training program is designed to help salespeople working for building service contractors, manufacturers, distributors, and manufacturer representatives sell effectively in the current selling market. The sales team will not only get an understanding of how to define success better, but also how to change their behaviors to make that success a reality.

April 26-29, ISSA/INTERCLEAN® Amsterdam 2010, Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Congress Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

May 14, Strategy Revival—From Reactive to Proactive, Las Vegas, NV. See April 16 entry for description.

June 9-11, ISSA/INTERCLEAN® Latin America 2010, Cancun Center, Conventions & Exhibitions, Cancun, Mexico.

November 9-12, ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2010, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL.

November 11-13, BSCAI Annual Convention & Trade Show (held in conjunction with ISSA/INTERCLEAN¨ North America 2010), Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL.

All information in "ISSA Reports" is furnished by ISSA. ©2010. All rights reserved.