Green Selling Tip: Positioning Green Cleaning in Tough Economic Times

On Tuesday, President Obama speaking to a joint session of Congress delivered a somber but hopefully message about the state of our economy. He articulately discussed the pain that many Americans and others around the world are feeling and offered his remedy for change. And while he did not use the language of “Green Buildings”, it was unmistakable that this was an important solution for both energy independence and efficiency that will help us solve both our short- and long-term economic and environmental problems.

I too believe that we are capable of solving these problems and for those who have invested in Green technologies of all kinds are best prepared for what the future holds --- not only to be part of the solution, but to enjoy the benefits from a marketplace that rewards the creation of value. And Green Cleaning is just that.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -
What does it mean for the Green Movement?

The economic recession continues to dominate all news "above the fold" - and at times it is difficult to put a finger on the elements that directly impact our profession. Now that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been signed, we can look to our friends at the US Green Building Council and the Healthy Schools Campaign to help us sort out the 407-pages and tell us how the Act will impact the greening of our schools and other buildings.

The HSC's Deputy Director Mark Bishop recently published an article "What Impact Will the Stimulus Bill Have on School Health?" that breaks down the direct impact of the Stimulus on the greening of our schools. The USGBC also published a press release "President Signs Economic Recovery Bill with Billions for Green Building, Energy Efficiency" - which highlights the bill's spending for Green Building programs. Both of these are a must read and we should all thank them for saving us a lot of time and energy and supplying the information in an orderly fashion.

From the Green Selling Tips Archive:
Green Selling - Understanding the Benefits of Going Green

The building owner ultimately calls the shots, so getting that person or group on board early is essential. But not every owner will find the same arguments compelling: a hospital board may opt for green because certain green features promote healing, a commercial office property holding company may incorporate green features to speed the lease-out and thus lower carrying costs, a federal agency may desire green features to improve employee morale and increase job retention.

Expert Insight:
Green Cleaning Tips of the Trade from Recent Award Winners: Part II

This month, we continue our discussions with 2008 winners of the Green Cleaning Awards for Schools & Universities sponsored by the Green Cleaning Network, Healthy Schools Campaign and American School & University Magazine.

They all had so much to share, we decided to give you a brief glimpse into these programs - hoping you all can gain additional insight from this year's Honorable Mention recipients: The University of Georgia, Michigan State University, Colorado College and Western Washington University. Next month, we complete the series with an in-depth look at K-12 Honorable Mention winner, Oswego Public Schools (Oswego, IL).

Ashkin Group News:
EPA Announces “Internal Pilot” for Green Disinfectant Claims

Bill Balek, ISSA - EPA will conduct an "internal pilot" in conjunction with the Agency's Design for the Environment Formulator Program (DfE) to further explore a policy change that would allow claims of environmental preferability in regard to non-porous hard surface disinfectants and sanitizers. The Agency’s plans were announced at a February 3 meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) Work Group on Comparative Claims in Washington, D.C.

"EPA’s announcement of the internal pilot is a positive step forward in developing an Agency policy that meshes with the demands of today’s green marketplace," said Bill Balek, Director of Legislative Affairs, ISSA.

Steve Ashkin to Speak at ISSA Forum, CleanMed Conference

On April 14th & 15th in Washington, DC, there will be the annual ISSA Green Cleaning & Regulatory Forum. This will be a terrific opportunity to listen to and meet a number of leading experts who will discuss the developments relating to Green Cleaning. Among those confirmed as speakers, in addition to Steve Ashkin are the USGBC, EPA’s DfE Program, Green Seal and the USDA. For more information click here.

Additionally, Steve has also been asked to speak at the upcoming CleanMed Conference which will be held in Chicago May 19th. For those focused on Green Cleaning in Health Care, this is the premiere event for this market segment. For more info click here.

For complete details on all of The Ashkin Group’s presentations, see the Calendar of Events at the bottom of this page.

Green News Roundup: This Month's Top Headlines

Green Nation Greenest nation. This is a trick question. What big country is, by most measures, greener than Japan and Germany and produces more geothermal energy than all of Europe combined? California. Read More Here

Green Cleaning The greening game. Laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, and spray cleaners have always promised to rid the home of dirt and grime. But now many products vow to protect the environment as well. New offerings target consumers who, more and more, want to know what's in the cleaners they buy. Read More Here

Green Litigation Groups to sue cleaning product makers for ingredient disclosure. Environmental and health activists announced plans for a lawsuit to make major firms reveal the chemical ingredients of their cleaning products and their research on the products' effects. Read More Here

Green Jobs Help Wanted for Green Jobs. Though the "win-win" perkiness of the phrase has inspired some media cynicism, "green jobs" is not just a campaign buzzword or a liberal fantasy. Environmentally sound job creation and training is happening right now, all over the country. But progress can be slow. Read More Here

Green Winter Snow and salt report. Every year the nation uses more than 20 million tons of salt to clear snow and ice from winter roads. While it may make roads safe, scientists say it doesn't do the same for drinking water or wildlife. Read More Here

Green Economics California urges all to cut water use by 20%. State water officials sent out an urgent call Friday to all Californians, urging an immediate 20% cut in water use to ease a drought that could be the next serious hit to California's economy. Read More Here

The Ashkin Group Calendar of Events

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