The First Facility Management Blog

Major Leage Baseball team Philadelphia Phillies has expanded the use of environmentally preferable cleaning products and practices at its 43,500 seat Citizens Bank Park following a new agreement with xpedx, a cleaning supplies and equipment distributor with locations across the U.S.

xpedx has been servicing Citizens Bank Park for six years.

The six year relationship between xpedx and the Phillies continues to evolve with this agreement under which xpedx is the preferred distributor of facility supplies to the 2008 World Champion Phillies and Citizens Bank Park.

Ross Leiman, operations manager for Global Spectrum at Citizens Bank Park, said the logistics capabilities, strong customer service, and broad range of branded products from xpedx helps the Phillies maximize quality of care for the ballpark, reduce the use of harsh chemicals, increase cleaning efficiency, and tightly manage total costs.

One of the products used at Citizens Bank Park is JohnsonDiversey’s Alpha-HP Multi-Surface Cleaner, which uses a patented new hydrogen peroxide-based technology, and is Green Seal certified. “This is the kind of product that provides strong benefits to owners and managers of large, high-traffic facilities—products like this are safe for the environment and also deliver healthy, high-performance cleaning,” said John Hardin, JohnsonDiversey’s area vice president for corporate distribution. “Through xpedx, we can provide a total cleaning program, including green cleaning practices, that get a facility looking its best at very competitive pricing.”

The Phillies' stadium is a 1.15 million square foot facility.

The agreement between xpedx and the Phillies specifies that xpedx will supply products and equipment that are environmentally preferable, including towels, tissues, hand soap, trash can liners, floor and carpet care cleaners, and equipment and other janitorial supplies designed to have minimal impact on the environment through one or more of the following: reduced product waste, increased use of recycled content, and reduced use of cleaning chemicals, water and packaging materials.

xpedx, which represents major manufacturers including Kimberly-Clark, JohnsonDiversey, Tennant, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Heritage Bag, will supply environmentally responsible products from each company’s “green” portfolio.

Under the terms of the contract, xpedx will provide training and on-site support to the Phillies ballpark staff as well as facility manager Global Spectrum. Cincinnati, OH-based xpedx serves the Philadelphia market from its Mid-Atlantic regional headquarters.

“Citizens Bank Park looks as great today as when it first opened five years ago,” said Gary Henderson, xpedx sales manager for the greater Philadelphia market. “That’s significant, considering more than three million people visit the ballpark every year.”

“We can help facility owners and managers increase overall cleaning effectiveness and get a higher return on their total spending while they reduce environmental impact,” explained Michael Feenan, vice president of marketing-high traffic facilities for xpedx.  “That’s a winning combination of benefits.”

(Bottom photo: http://phillies.com)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently recognized JohnsonDiversey as a “Champion” under the Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI), a program JohnsonDiversey helped develop through its leadership in the National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Council. 

The EPA recognized JohnsonDiversey during a SDSI awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The agency also recognized other chemical manufacturers and product formulators that have met the SDSI standard.   

The SDSI recognizes companies and facilities for voluntarily phasing out the manufacturing or use of nonylphenol ethoxylates, commonly referred to as NPEs, which studies have shown can harm aquatic life. In 2007, JohnsonDiversey voluntarily ceased producing and selling products with alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs), which include NPEs, though it remains legal in the U.S. to use the chemicals in cleaning applications.

“We especially appreciate the leadership role JohnsonDiversey played in the development of the SDSI program,” said Barbara Stinson, senior partner, Meridian Institute, the organization retained by the EPA to facilitate the Advisory Council. “Through its participation in the Council, JohnsonDiversey was a catalyst for the creation of a program to recognize companies that use safer ingredients in product formulations.”

JohnsonDiversey began phasing APEOs out of products in the 1990s and continued to seek alternative formulations well before publicly committing to eliminate them from products in 2007.  

“Eliminating APEOs from our products was the responsible action to take,” said JohnsonDiversey president and CEO Ed Lonergan. “We’re proud we can tell our customers and our communities that we’re setting standards for our products that are more stringent than current regulations in order to protect human health and the environment.”

JohnsonDiversey’s action has eliminated the annual use of more than 2,250 tons of APEOs. Although these chemicals have been used for more than 50 years in consumer cleaning, personal care, and industrial products to enhance their effectiveness, APEOs have increasingly been associated with harmful effects in the environment. 

As APEOs break down in the environment, the resulting components have been identified as potential endocrine disruptors that may result in reproductive toxicity, according to some studies. Additionally, these components are considered toxic to some aquatic species.

The EPA has not banned APEOs. However, Japan has banned APEOs and many industries in Europe have voluntarily eliminated their use. APEO regulations have also intensified in Canada.

JohnsonDiversey President and CEO Ed Lonergan awarded OCS Cleaning and Environmental Services with the first ever JohnsonDiversey Sustainable Cleaning Award recently at the World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) Congress. OCS, which is based in the United Kingdom, was honored for demonstrating its commitment to cleaning for health, safety, and the environment.

“JohnsonDiversey is committed to sustainable cleaning systems and solutions, and we know many building service contractorS (BSCs) share this commitment,” Lonergan said. “This award recognizes the best of the best. It recognizes a BSC that has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability by performing services that meet the highest standards of health, safety, and environmental responsibility in facility care.”

JohnsonDiversey created the Sustainable Cleaning Award program to commend BSCs that reduce the environmental impact of facilities and improve human health through green cleaning practices and other sustainable initiatives.

“OCS Cleaning and Environmental Services, through its CleanSmart˙ program, is a leader in the contract cleaning industry, and we are honored to present them with the very first JohnsonDiversey Sustainable Cleaning Award,” Lonergan said.

The WFBSC Board of Directors chose OCS Cleaning and Environmental Services/CleanSmart among BSC nominees from around the world. CleanSmart is based on Toyota’s lean manufacturing processes and Six Sigma principles. The program covers each aspect of the cleaning process, plotting the most efficient and effective cleaning methods, and eliminating waste. CleanSmart includes green cleaning chemicals and tools, such as microfiber cloths and flat mops, and the CleanSmart Academy training program.

“OCS stood out from an impressive slate of nominees for its deep, long term commitment to sustainability,” said WFBSC President Norberto Peluso. “As OCS demonstrates, sustainability is about measurable outcomes in reduced environmental impact, increased health and safety for workers and building occupants, and solid economic returns on investments for BSC companies.”

The theme of the WFBSC Congress was “Sustainability: New Frontiers, New Business.”

World Wildlife Fund announced recently that JohnsonDiversey, a provider of commercial cleaning products and services, has joined the WWF Climate Savers program, pledging to significantly reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. 

The company announced it will invest $19 million over the next five years to achieve these commitments, but anticipates operational savings of $31 million over the same period, which demonstrates, say company officials, that sustainability is the right approach for both the environment and the bottom line.  

WWF president and CEO Carter Roberts said the actions being taken by JohnsonDiversey to address climate change will set a new standard for the cleaning industry and serve as a model for other companies seeking to transform the way they do business to help preserve the environment.

“Changes in corporate business practices are essential if we are to see real progress in tackling climate change, one of the most critical issues facing the world today,” Roberts said. “By joining Climate Savers, JohnsonDiversey is demonstrating that the world’s leading companies will find even greater success competing in the global marketplace when they operate in an environmentally responsible way. We hope and expect the rest of their industry will take notice and follow the powerful example being set by JohnsonDiversey to reduce emissions and help preserve the health of our planet.”  

JohnsonDiversey Chairman S. Curtis Johnson said the company’s involvement in Climate Savers is consistent with its long heritage of protecting the planet for future generations.

“This commitment is one of our core values, as it has been since my great-great-grandfather founded the first of the Johnson companies 122 years ago,” Johnson said. “Our objectives have always extended beyond financial growth to include promoting the health and well being of our planet and the people who share it.”

By 2013, JohnsonDiversey officials pledged to reduce emissions from their operations by 8% below 2003 levels, an 89,000 ton reduction in emissions. To achieve that target, the company outlined a number of operational initiatives including: 

• Improving the fuel efficiency of its worldwide auto and truck fleet by switching to vehicles with the best fuel efficiency in their class and alternative energy vehicles;
• Upgrading the energy efficiency of its buildings, manufacturing plants, and operations in major sites around the world;
• Installing on site alternative energy sources such as fuel cells or wind turbines. 

By becoming the first company in the cleaning industry to sign on to WWF Climate Savers, JohnsonDiversey joins a rapidly growing list of leading corporations from around the world that are working with WWF to reduce their emissions and operate in an environmentally responsible way. The announcement was made in Las Vegas during ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2008, the cleaning industry’s leading trade show. 

“Our customers all over the world are asking us to be their partner in developing solutions to reduce their environmental impact, protect human health and safety, and improve the economic strength of their enterprises,” JohnsonDiversey president and CEO Ed Lonergan said. “Our goal is to not only practice sustainability in all we do, but also to help our customers become more sustainable in their operations.”

Company officials say this latest initiative is part of an ongoing effort to integrate sustainability programs into their operations. For example, in 2007 the company assisted more than 1,000 European hotels and health care facilities in reducing energy consumption by a total of 35.5 million KwH by applying a low temperature laundry washing system. The decrease in carbon dioxide emissions was equivalent to taking more than 1,200 passenger vehicles off the road for a full year. The company also helped food and beverage customers in 21 sites around the world save a billion gallons of water in 2007 through its water management program.

JohnsonDiversey first collaborated with WWF in 2004, supporting water conservation.

WWF’s Climate Savers was founded in 1999 and currently comprises 17 major international companies which, by 2010, will collectively cut carbon emissions by over 14 million tons annually—the equivalent of taking more than 3,000,000 cars off the road every year. Climate Savers companies were among the first to recognize that climate change poses both risks and opportunities to business. Leading corporations are partnering with WWF to establish ambitious targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily. By increasing efficiency and pioneering deployment of clean energy technology, Climate Savers companies are saving hundreds of millions of dollars, proving that protecting the environment is sound business practice.