GREEN: The Big Picture
By SCOTT McDOUGALL

With the excitement in the jansan industry regarding ‘green’ cleaning, it is important for us to realize that making our world healthier requires much more than just using environmentally-preferable cleaning products. Indeed, for a facility to be green involves, among other things, the use of more environmentally-friendly paints, carpets, wall coverings, HVAC systems, plumbing as well as cleaning products.
The old expression that something is only as strong as its weakest link definitely applies here. For example, as admirable as using green cleaning products may be, if the paints used in the facility release significant amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which can mar indoor air quality, water, soil and human health – how much are we really helping to protect the environment?
Recently, public health officials at Harvard University found that refinishing a greener, hard-surface floor that has reduced VOCs (itals)just once (enditals) with a non-green floor care product may release more VOCs than the floor will release in its entire life cycle. This essentially defeats the purpose of installing green flooring.

The Evolution of Green Buildings
The development of healthier buildings has its roots in the early 1970s when the United States, as well as other countries, experienced the world’s first energy crisis. Soon thereafter, commercial buildings were built to be “airtight,” to reduce the amount of outdoor air entering the building. This helped reduce the cooling and heating needs of the facility, thus saving energy.
However, soon some building occupants complained of headaches, respiratory problems, allergic reactions and other ailments. Investigations revealed that the airtight buildings had harmed indoor air quality causing VOCs and other contaminants from such materials as paint, insulation, wall coverings and carpets to become airborne, and re-circulate throughout the facility.
Although little attention was paid to the cleaning products used at the time, the problems led to increased research into developing new building materials that would be safer for people and the planet.
Over the years, and with the encouragement of organizations such as the Environmental Choice Program™ (ECP), building and cleaning products were introduced that were healthier with significantly reduced amount of VOCs and other potentially harmful products.
However, the process did not stop there. Instead of just developing products that were “less bad,” manufacturers were encouraged to create products that were made of healthful, sustainable materials that could be safely returned to the soil or reused by industry for the same or other purposes.
Examples of this are new, more advanced types of carpeting that can be fully and safely recycled or reused to make new carpets or products. The result is products that not only protect health and the environment, but fit in with the cycle and biology of life as well.

Certification Builds Trust
Although there has been some government regulation mandating the development of products that have minimal negative impact on the environment, much has occurred because of increased customer demand. This is especially true of green cleaning products.
However, how can consumers be sure the products they use, whether for cleaning or construction, are indeed more environmentally preferable? How certain are the distributors that the products they are selling will really protect the health of their customers? And what parameters are available – and widely honoured and accepted – to help manufacturers develop products that are green with minimal adverse affects on the environment?
To answer these questions, end the uncertainty, and encourage the development of environmentally preferable products, some type of widely respected certification system had to be established. This is a role that ECP and a very few other organizations have performed for several industries, including the jansan industry.
When a product is certified by ECP, it may display the EcoLogo label. This provides validation that the product is environmentally preferable, building the trust the manufacturer needs to market to a potentially skeptical marketplace – one that is increasingly demanding green products. Indeed, studies have found that more than 97 per cent of those manufacturers and other participants that have certified their products and bear the EcoLogo report an increase in sales.

What Does This Mean for the Jansan Industry?
Protecting the health of building occupants and the environment involves many interwoven products and services, and, although significant, green cleaning is not the only component. However, the jansan industry is playing a crucial role in the greening process.
This is because jansan distributors as well as building service contractors now do much more than sell their customers products or clean their facilities. They are becoming advisors, helping their clients build and operate more environmentally preferable facilities.
A recent example of this involves a major Vancouver hotel. Although the hotel had been moving in a greener direction for quite some time, its corporate customers began asking in what ways the facility was operated in an environmentally preferable manner. Apparently these customers decided they wanted their employees and guests to stay in healthier hotels.
To help green the facility, the head of housekeeping turned to his jansan distributor, who represented several manufacturers of green cleaning and other products. In this situation, the distributor became guide, counsellor and educator. He also worked with the hotel housekeepers, teaching them how to use the products so that they are safer for the user and the environment.
We see this happening in other situations as well. For many of us, this is all exciting. The jansan and other industries are laying the foundation for a healthier and more ecologically friendly future.
And, for the jansan industry, this direction has many specific benefits as well. Most significantly, it is elevating the role of the industry, whose contribution to the health and well-being of its customers has never been clearer.

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