Sanitation Canada  January-February 2008

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ON THE COVER:   McMaster University Greens Cleaning Operations
New Measures Help Protect The University And The Environment
McMaster University has announced its transition to green cleaning practices throughout all campus buildings. In a program developed with the assistance of JohnsonDiversey, a global provider of cleaning and hygiene solutions, McMaster replaced all cleaning chemicals with those proven to reduce harmful effects on humans and the environment. The goal of the measure is to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in cleaning while also eliminating many of the indoor airborne particulates which are known to create mild to severe respiratory issues and other health problems.   Read more...

Coming Clean About Greenwashing
By Mike Sawchuk, Vice President & General Manager, Enviro-Solutions Ltd.

In November 2007, Canada’s own EcoLogo/TerraChoice Environmental Marketing organization shook the consumer world when it issued its report, The Six Sins of Greenwashing™, A Study of Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets.  The study was based on a six product category survey at major big-box stores.

In their investigation, 1018 consumer products were identified making a total of 1753 environmental claims. But of the 1018 products examined, all but one made false or misleading claims “that risk misleading interest [consumer] audiences,” said the report.  Read more...

The Canadian Association Of Environmental Management
By Keith Sopha, President and Director of Education, CAEM
In the January/February 2007 issue of Sanitation Canada I wrote about the Power of Membership within an association.

The article addressed the values associated with membership and benefits of active participation.

In 2007, the Canadian Association of Environmental Management (CAEM) provided its members ample growth and development opportunities and has proven to be an association of true value.   Read more...

Time for a Quiz
By Scot Case, Vice-President, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing™ and EcoLogo™ Certification
Instead of the usual, hopefully educational column, this month I thought it might be fun to test your knowledge about Green cleaning. After all, if we remember back to our high school days, our teachers told us the real reason for a test is not just to find out what we know or how much we remember about a subject, but to learn, understand and appreciate the subject as well.    Read more...

Preparing For The Future
As a business owner or manager, are you ready for the changes that are taking place with your clients or customers to meet their needs? Many large companies are consolidating, going public and acquiring mid-size firms, and many small firms are seeing opportunities in the gaps that are being created.   Read more...

MRSA Superbug Proves Deadly
Information And Prevention Against MRSA
Recent outbreaks of Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in American schools have caused a nationwide scare, and Canadian health officials are now also on high alert for occurrences and prevention of the disease. MRSA, labelled the “new killer bug,” has been diagnosed in more than 16 states across the United States and caused the deaths of three students within a two-week period. MRSA which, up until now, had been confined mainly to hospitals, has been rampant among student athletes and elementary school children. It is quickly overtaking AIDS/HIV as a killer in the U.S.   Read more...

REV Sales & Marketing Inc.
Providing Sales Excellence
REV Sales & Marketing Inc. can best be described by three words – “Entrepreneurial, Dedication and Growth.”

Started in December 2004 by Rod Peacock, REV Sales & Marketing has quickly become a leading sales agent in Western Canada – covering territories from Thunder Bay, Ont. through to Victoria, BC.   Read more...

ISSA Supports Green Cleaning For Schools Guidelines
ISSA has expressed its strong support for the broad, multi-faceted approach taken by the state of Illinois in defining green cleaning products and services for the purpose of implementing the state’s Green Cleaning Schools Act.

SSA Director of Legislative Affairs, Bill Balek expressed ISSA’s support for Illinois’ approach to defining green cleaning products in formal comments submitted on behalf of ISSA in response to draft guidelines issued by the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council (IGGCC).   Read more...

New Logo Launched
ISSA has launched a new logo to reflect the organization’s new tagline: “The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association.”

“As our membership has evolved, so has the association and this new logo is a reflection of those positive changes,” said ISSA Marketing Director, Dianna Bisswurm. “We have come to represent members in more than 83 countries who provide an array of products and services in the cleaning industry, and we wanted our brand to better reflect that diversity.”   Read more...

First 2008 CIMS Certification Expert Workshop
ISSA has opened registration for the first 2008 Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) ISSA Certification Expert (ICE) workshop to be held Feb. 20, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Universal in Orlando, Fla. To date, 167 industry individuals have achieved ICE status.   Read more...

ISSA Announces Bylaw Changes
Three amendments to association bylaws have been approved by a majority of voting members and were presented at the ISSA General Meeting held during ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2007 in Orlando, Fla.   Read more...

ProTeam Unveils Two New Hepa Backpack Vacuums
ProTeam The Vacuum Company®, a designer and manufacturer of ergonomic backpack vacuums, has added two new models featuring HEPA Level™ Filtration to their commercial product line. Advanced and powerful cleaning comes in the 10 quart Super CoachVac® HEPA and the more compact six quart Super QuarterVac® HEPA.   Read more...

Continental Introduces The ErgoWorx™ Touchless Cleaning Trolley
Continental Commercial Products (CCP) has introduced a new hands-free cleaning accessory – the ErgoWorx™ Touchless Mircotek Cleaning System Trolley. The trolley is designed to accommodate the ErgoWorx Touchless Cleaning System and turns it into a stand-alone system that can be used without a traditional janitorial cart.   Read more...

New Slim Jim With Venting Channels:  An Ergonomic Solution For Waste Collection
Rubbermaid Commercial Products recently conducted extensive research and rigorous testing in order to develop the new Slim Jim waste container that could improve worker productivity and keep standards of cleanliness high. With innovative, patent-pending design in the areas of ergonomics, mobility and hygiene, the new Slim Jim with Venting Channels is a wonder of function, performance and durability.  Read more...

Keep  Floors Safe And Shiny All Winter Long
Winter is here and that means a number of areas around North America are using ice melt products to keep walkways safe. But ice melt can play havoc on facility floors, often leaving a white film, increasing slip and floor hazards, and marring the floor’s shine.   Read more...

Book Published For Building Service Contractors
Pro-Link, a jansan-focused marketing and buying group, has recently released the first edition of its BSC Resource Book, a guide of nearly 150 pages designed specifically for Pro-Link distributors. The book covers a variety of subjects related to the building service contractor(BSC) segment.   Read more...

ProTeam Promotes Jacalyn High To Marketing Manager
ProTeam the Vacuum Company® has announced the promotion of Jacalyn High to the position of marketing manager. High will oversee the coordination of all marketing efforts and advertising opportunities for the Boise-based manufacturer of commercial vacuums.   Read more...

Virox Technologies Inc. Selected As A Regional Finalist In Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies Program For 2007
“Best Managed companies exhibit a number of common attributes that have helped them create sustained growth. These attributes can be evenly classified among the three vital building blocks to sustainable growth: strategy, capability and commitment.” (Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities).   Read more...

Pro Team Hires Rob Green As New Director Of Engineering
ProTeam the Vacuum Company® has announced the hiring of Rob Green as director of engineering. He will lead product development initiatives for the Boise-based manufacturer of commercial vacuums.  Read more...

Carpet Cleaners Expect 2008 To Be Good Year – Even If Economy Heads South
A recent survey finds that most carpet cleaning technicians – 59 per cent – believe 2008 will be a good year economically for them. However, 64 per cent believe the U.S. economy is “getting worse” or at best, staying the same.

The survey was conducted online the first week of January 2008, by U.S. Products, a manufacturer of professional floor, carpet and restoration cleaning equipment and accessories.   Read more...