LEED 2009 Member Ballot Open

USGBC invites all member company primary contacts to vote on the proposed draft of LEED 2009. The draft includes LEED for New Construction, Core and Shell, Schools, Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance and Commercial Interiors with future plans to incorporate other LEED rating systems into the structure.

Overview
Continuing to strike the optimal balance between market uptake and technical advancement is one of the driving forces behind LEED 2009. Much has been invested in the current LEED rating system and a concerted effort has been made to ensure that LEED 2009 capitalizes on the existing market momentum while addressing the needs of LEED users. Consequently, the LEED Steering Committee has created a LEED structure that will be familiar to those versed in the current rating system. Most of the structural and technical changes incorporated into LEED 2009 were designed to create a rating system that can be part of a continuous improvement cycle.

Green Selling Tip: Success Amid Growing Competition

It was only a few years ago when there wasn’t much competition around Green Cleaning. Not many building owners or facility managers were interested, and few sales people invested their time due to a poor return-on-investment. Thus for those few sales people who did become “experts” and who targeted those early-adopters, they could find sales success. Today however things have changed.

Today, the demand for Green Cleaning is accelerating and has become the fastest growing segment of the cleaning industry. Manufacturers of all types of products including chemicals, equipment, paper, liners, mats, buckets and more have invested heavily into greener technologies that perform well and are cost competitive compared to their conventional counterparts. In addition, local, regional and national distributors are now onboard offering an extensive bundle of Green products, and service providers of all sizes offer complete Green service options.

From the Green Selling Tips Archive:
The "Pilot" Process (From April 2005)

Have you ever read any of Charles Dickens novels? Often taking place in the slums of 19th century London, his novels frequently tell stories of hungry, dirty, poor, young street urchins who among their daily “adventures” scavenge for crumbs. When they would find even the smallest morsel they would run off, hiding their treasures under their torn and soot covered coats to find a hidden corner where they could consumer their meal safely away from those from who they had stolen and away from other scavengers who might steal their treasure.

Sometimes when selling I get the sense that we operate in the same mindset -- happy to get even the smallest crumbs. Personally, I don’t want the crumbs. Frankly, I don’t even want the whole loaf of bread. I want the entire 12 course meal – I want it all! How about you?

Ashkin Group News

EPA Moves Forward on Green Claims for Disinfectants and Sanitizers

An EPA work group has committed to developing a policy that would allow companies to make “green” claims and / or use eco-labels in conjunction with the promotion and marketing of disinfectants, sanitizers and possibly other EPA registered pesticide products. Current EPA policy prohibits such claims due to their concern that eco-labels such as from Green Seal, Environmental Choice or EPA’s Design for the Environment Program could lead to product misuse because consumers might think they were “safe” and fail to follow label directions.

In this regard, Steve Ashkin will be co-chair of the committee along with ISSA Director of Legislative Affairs, Bill Balek, who are tasked with the responsibility of carving a path forward for the use of environmentally preferable claims related to institutional and commercial disinfectants and sanitizers. This committee will report its results to the EPA Work Group on Comparative Claims for Pesticide Products.

"The Business of Green Cleaning" Released, Available for Online Orders

“The Business of Green Cleaning” – a new publication about Green Cleaning for facility professionals by Stephen Ashkin and David Holly – was recently unveiled by the IFMA Foundation at the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo, held Oct. 15-17 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

We are really excited about this book because by working with the IFMA Foundation, we have developed the materials that will be used by facility managers, who are the ultimate customers of the cleaning industry. And by making Green Cleaning easier for them, we can accelerate its demand in the marketplace.

CALLS FOR ACTION

USGBC Green Cleaning Workshop at GreenBuild - SPECIAL OFFER - Register Today!
I wrote you all previously about the exciting news that The Ashkin Group has been selected to provide a half-day workshop on Green Cleaning on Friday November 21st from 2:00pm - 6:00pm at GreenBuild, the annual conference of the USGBC.

The program, "Solving the Green Cleaning Puzzle," is specifically for cleaning industry professionals who want to learn how to design and implement a Green Cleaning program. It will address issues including LEED-EB, building a bundle of Green Cleaning products, sales prospecting, overcoming common objections and more.

I would like to announce today, that all attendees will, in addition to all workshops handouts and materials, receive as part of their registrations fees, copies of both Green Cleaning for Dummies AND Green Selling Tips – a $57 value! (To clarify, those that have already registered will also receive the books.) For those of you yet to register, here is yet another incentive to register today.

Green News Roundup: This Month's Top Headlines

Green Politics McCain, Obama and the environment. Though the two presidential candidates have been consistent and, at times, vocal about their support for climate action, their positions have not been discussed in detail. Read More Here

Green Economics Green economy projected to double by 2020, UN says. The so-called green economy is booming across the globe and the market for environmental products and services is likely to double by 2020, according to a UN study released Wednesday. Read More Here

Green Leadership Heroes of the environment. For those who care about the environment, the future can seem dark and doomed. We want to help, but the scale of the challenge leaves many of us feeling powerless. Why not despair? Because solutions do exist — and there are those who are leading us to them. Read More Here

Global Green A 'Green New Deal' can save the world's economy, says UN. Top economists and UN leaders are working on a "Green New Deal" to create millions of jobs, revive the world economy, slash poverty and avert environmental disaster. Read More Here

Green Health Swimming in chlorinated pools 'increases asthma risk five-fold. Children who swim regularly in chlorinated pools are five times more likely to develop asthma, research has found. Read More Here

The Ashkin Group Calendar of Events

Click below for The Ashkin Group's schedule of upcoming events and presentations.