The First Facility Management Blog

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.

This structure becomes the largest LEED-certified building of its kind.

The new JohnsonDiversey distribution center has earned one of the highest ratings for environmental leadership in the United States. At more than 550,000 square feet or 11 football fields of floor space, the building is the largest LEED-certified distribution center in the U.S.

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the center LEED certification for new construction (LEED-NC) at the gold level. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification can be earned at four levels: basic, silver, gold and platinum. New buildings and existing buildings can both be certified.

“This distribution center raises the bar of environmental achievement,” said JohnsonDiversey Chairman S. Curtis Johnson. “We hope this facility serves as a concrete example making good business decisions that are also good for the environment.”

While the building has earned LEED-NC, it is also the first distribution center designed to meet the stringent re-certification standards of LEED for existing buildings (LEED-EB). Monitoring and tracking operations of the building for LEED-EB certification have already begun.

“Our distribution center raises the bar for new construction because it was designed with sustainable operations and LEED-EB in mind,” said Stu Carron, director of global facilities and real estate for JohnsonDiversey. “LEED has become the standard by which our entire global portfolio of buildings are designed and operated.” Carron spoke today at the Leonardo Academy Celebration of the Sustainable Existing Building Community where the distribution center was recognized.

The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties awarded Liberty Property Trust, the property developer, their prestigious Green Development Award for 2007 for the JohnsonDiversey distribution center. NAIOP annually presents the award to a company that best exemplifies innovation, efficiency and quality in the field of green development. The winner is chosen by a committee of association leaders, industry peers, members of the USGBC and affiliates of the Green Building Alliance.

100 Percent Green Power

All electricity at the new JohnsonDiversey distribution center is powered by renewable energy, wind or biomass, making it the only warehouse of its size in the United States to make this claim.

JohnsonDiversey is committed to purchasing a combination of more than 2.3 million KWH of Green-e certified renewable-energy credits as well as green power directly from local utility WE Energies of Wisconsin to cover annual energy use. The commitment equates to a reduction of 3.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide - equivalent to saving the annual electrical power needed to light 230 typical U.S. homes.

The new distribution center is the consolidation of four distribution facilities in the Racine area. About a mile from Waxdale, the flagship manufacturing plant in North America, the center is less than five miles from I-94, a major expressway. Key features include:

• 55 loading docks
• Staging for 118 tractor trailers
• Housing 47,000 pallets of products
• 32-foot ceiling

About 175 employees work at the center, which is managed by UTI Worldwide Inc., an international supply-chain services firm. Using leading-edge, inventory-control technology, the UTI team is able to manage inventory with greater than 99% accuracy, significantly enhancing customer service.

More Green Building Features

• The warehouse area of the distribution center is not air conditioned. A state-of-the-art ventilation system and fans, which are the size of helicopter rotors, easily circulate air in the building to keep it cool in the summer.
• A brilliantly white TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) roof and extra insulation at R-27 help reduce the solar heat gain within the building. The white roof also minimizes the heat island effects for the area surrounding the building.
• Low-flow automatic-shutoff water fixtures, waterless urinals, and no landscaping irrigation result in a 51-percent savings in water compared to the minimum baseline under current law. More than 70% of the 38-acre site has been restored using native and adaptive plantings, which not only require no irrigation, but also reduce maintenance costs.
• The building’s energy-efficient lighting system incorporates fluorescent, high-bay fixtures with daylight and motion-responsive controls. Combined with a high-solids floor finish and a white-painted interior, these features improve lighting quality while driving down energy costs.
• More than 34,000 tons of bottom ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, were reclaimed from a local landfill and used for the building’s sub-base. Beyond this, the construction team recycled 941 of the 964 tons of waste generated during the construction of the building for a remarkable 98% recycle rate.

“Cleaning for a Healthy U” to enhance indoor air quality on campus

The University of Alberta has implemented a full-scale green cleaning program called “Cleaning for a Healthy U.” This program was developed in conjunction with JohnsonDiversey, a leading global provider of cleaning and hygiene solutions. Its goal is to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in cleaning while also eliminating many of the airborne particulates indoors, which are known to create mild to severe respiratory issues and other health problems.

“By switching to chemicals, processes, and equipment proven to have a reduced impact on the environment, we are making a commitment to the environment, as well as the health of the students, faculty and staff at the University of Alberta,” said George Thomlison, Manager of Human Resources and Procurement, Building and Grounds, University of Alberta. “JohnsonDiversey has been very helpful in sharing its expertise around green cleaning best practices to help us launch this initiative.”

A new Green Seal approved chemical line was implemented last year at the University, reducing the amount of VOCs emitted by the chemicals used on campus. Updated matting systems, an integrated pest management program, regulated chemical dispensing equipment, and new touch-free hand towel dispensers installed around campus have also been implemented. The final phase of “Cleaning for a Healthy U” was rolled out this April when the University of Alberta installed HEPA-filtered equipment that helps trap and remove airborne particulates negatively affecting the indoor air quality of buildings around campus.

“We have been trying to clean in a way that makes sense for the past 30 years,” Thomlison said. “This program is just another initiative in finding practices that limit our negative impact on the environment, while taking every opportunity to enhance it, not only today, but into the future.”

“Cleaning for a Healthy U” is an initiative that will contribute points toward the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The LEED Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. As the University continues to grow, new and existing buildings on campus will become certified.

“Cleaning for a Healthy U” joins an extensive set of sustainable programs already in place at the University. Recycling initiatives along with energy and water conservation have long been a part of the facilities services’ operations. Ray Dumouchel, Associate Director of Buildings and Grounds Services, acknowledges that this is just another step of many in making their operations more efficient.

“If we can continue to do the same things we have been doing in a better way that enhances the health of the building occupants as well as the environment, we are winning,” Dumouchel said.

About JohnsonDiversey
JohnsonDiversey Inc. is a provider of commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions, serving customers in the lodging, food service, retail, health care and food and beverage sectors as well as building service contractors.

JohnsonDiversey Inc., a provider of professional cleaning and hygiene products and systems, has substantially reduced the environmental impact of its products through cost-effective, energy-saving initiatives. The company’s environmental performance is detailed in the company’s new Global Responsibility Report for 2006.

“Environmental stewardship is deeply embedded in our culture and how we serve our customers,” said JohnsonDiversey Chairman S. Curtis Johnson. “Protecting the environment is the right thing to do, and it makes sound business sense.”

Reducing use of Virgin Plastic
In this year’s report, JohnsonDiversey details how it has reduced the use of virgin plastic in packaging by 2,800 tons in the past five years, saving 188 million Megajoules per year of energy in the production of plastic. That amount of energy is equivalent to the annual electrical usage of 5,000 homes in the U.S.

This plastic reduction also translates into reducing CO2 equivalents by 2,600 tons, which is similar to removing 514 cars from the road or using 270,000 fewer gallons of gasoline.

The company reduced virgin plastic use by reengineering its packaging and by increasing post-consumer recycled content.

Calculating reduced environmental impact
In addition to reducing the amount of virgin plastic in its packaging, JohnsonDiversey product safety scientists also developed a unique web-based calculator for evaluating the reduced environmental footprint and cost-saving benefits of its products, packaging and dispensing innovations.

The company used the calculator to demonstrate the cost savings and environmental benefits of using Envirobox, a bag-in-box (BIB) packaging, rather than five-gallon plastic pails. JohnsonDiversey calculated that Envirobox packaging saves 2.3 million cubic feet of plastic from U.S. landfills on an annual basis.

“Our customers want accountability in environmental claims,” said JohnsonDiversey President and CEO Ed Lonergan. “They take their responsibility to the environment seriously and want to know how we can help them measure and reduce their environmental impact and build more sustainable businesses.”

JohnsonDiversey defines sustainability as the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit, Mr. Lonergan said, noting that sustainability is built into all
business planning and product development.

“We’re placing great emphasis on our role in helping our customers make the world safer and healthier for people and the planet while also delivering real business value,” Mr. Lonergan said.

Additional Achievements Highlighted in the Global Responsibility Report
• JohnsonDiversey began construction of a large distribution center
near its global headquarters in Sturtevant, Wis. The facility will be a high-
performance green building designed and constructed to earn LEED
certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. At 550,000 square feet, the
facility may become the largest LEED-certified warehouse in the U.S.
• The company reduced workplace safety incidents in 2006 by 32
percent over the previous year.
• The company earned GREENGUARD certification in 2006 for its
Healthy High Performance Cleaning Program. The GREENGUARD Institute, an
independent organization, certifies programs and products that improve indoor
air quality. JohnsonDiversey is the first and only company in the cleaning
industry to earn this certification.
• JohnsonDiversey’s TASKI Swingo XP automatic scrubber-drier for
floors won an innovation award from the United Kingdom’s Cleaning and
Hygiene Suppliers Association. The Swingo XP reduces water use by up to 50% and electrical use by up to 60 percent versus conventional machines.

The City and County of Racine, WI today became the first community in the nation to embrace an effective, cost-efficient, community-wide green cleaning campaign. Called “Green Racine,” this campaign is the first step in creating an ongoing, coordinated effort to improve the impact facilities have on health and environment.

“Green Racine will be an annual event aimed to continually improve the health of people in the Racine community and our natural environment,” said Gary Becker, mayor of Racine. “We hope that by being the first community to make this degree of concerted effort to ‘green’ cleaning operations we can inspire other communities to do the same.”

More than 20 major institutions and businesses made a pledge to green their facilities by starting with the simple step of changing to green cleaning processes and related products.

“Because better measurements are emerging, we’re beginning to recognize the impact that facilities have on health and environment,” said Bill McReynolds, County Executive of Racine County. “I’m very proud of the leaders across the county, who’ve committed their organizations to make a difference. And together we can make a big difference.”

Green Racine participating institutions include governments, schools and universities, medical facilities, environmental groups, churches, and major local businesses.

JohnsonDiversey Chairman S. Curtis Johnson described the community-wide green cleaning event as historic. “In many ways, today is a reflection of my family’s deep commitment to this community and the environment,” he said. “As we stand here on the shores of one of the world’s largest bodies of freshwater, we’re reminded of our responsibility to this planet and to the people who will inhabit it long after we’re gone.”

This effort to improve indoor environments will lead to a healthier outdoor environment. Consider these facts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
* Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors.
* Buildings in the U.S., both commercial and residential:
* Consume 39% of all energy and 68% of all electricity.
* Add 40% to all carbon dioxide emissions.
* Use 12% freshwater and 88% of all potable water.
* Take up 40% of the municipal solid-waste stream.

The Green Racine campaign aims to track and report the impact that facilities have on the environment in Racine County. In the first year, for example, participating organizations will be able to measure impacts such as reductions of paper products used, improvements in indoor environmental quality, or enhanced occupant satisfaction.

In addition to the Green Racine signing ceremony and press conference, JohnsonDiversey Inc. and Kranz Inc. sponsored a green building / green cleaning symposium. National experts provided insight into what makes a building green. They also explained the ins and outs of a green cleaning program, including products, tools and procedures that maintenance teams of
participating organizations will be trained to use in coming months.

Identified as one of the greatest risks to human health by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), indoor air pollution has become a top priority for building administrators. In an effort to help reduce indoor air pollution, JohnsonDiversey offers building service contractors (BSCs) tips on how using GREENGUARD™ certified cleaning systems and products can help protect the health of building occupants while also giving their business a competitive advantage.

Third party certification programs such as GREENGUARD test cleaning systems and products for “off-gassing,” measuring the amount of emissions given off during recommended use and application. Those products and systems that receive certification limit the negative impact of cleaning on IAQ. When BSCs use GREENGUARD certified systems, they realize the following benefits:

1. Certification legitimizes the BSCs environmental program and “go-to- market strategy.” It provides crucial differentiation against the competition
2. Provides a program to help grow the top line of BSC business
3. It is cost neutral and easy to implement

BSCs can also use GREENGUARD certification as a strategy to penetrate specific market sectors. Since IAQ is of critical importance within hospitals, schools and office buildings, BSCs who use third-party certified cleaning systems will have an edge over competitors vying for the same business. Consider the following background information and practical tips for selling
GREENGUARD-certified systems within each sector:

Healthcare
Healthcare buildings are increasingly cleaned and maintained by contractors who have had to modify their cleaning programs to meet stringent healthcare protocol. Since most cleaning is done during the day while patients, nursing staff and visitors are most active, GREENGUARD certified cleaning systems and products become even more relevant because of their proven reduced impact in IAQ.

• Since healthcare facilities are places of healing, IAQ is of critical importance in the overall scheme of providing high quality indoor environmental quality for patients
• Patients and residents in hospitals and nursing homes are more likely to reflect the population most as risk of poor IAQ; i.e., the elderly, those with compromised immune systems due asthma, allergies or other respiratory illnesses, and those people going through treatments for other illnesses that result in greater sensitivities to poor IAQ

Schools (K-12)
Because children are particularly “at risk” for problems associated with poor IAQ, the issue has been of critical importance for many years. The U.S. EPA has developed programs such as Tools for Schools (TfS) and the HealthySEAT program to promote improved IAQ in schools across the U.S.

• GREENGUARD designed a much more rigid certification standard for products used in a schools environment. It is called GREENGUARD™ for Children & Schools Certification Program and is largely based on children’s smaller body mass and less mature respiratory systems as well as applying more rigid thresholds for VOC’s.

Higher Education
A study of university professionals shows that 67% of those surveyed
were placing either greater or much greater emphasis on environmentally
responsible approaches to managing their buildings. As a result, hundreds of
colleges and universities are currently implementing “best practices” from the
LEED® Green Building Rating System to improve indoor environmental quality
making a GREENGUARD Certified Cleaning System a very viable proposition.

• BSCs have an opportunity to bring a differentiated proposition to schools looking to maximize overall indoor environmental quality to create the healthiest, most vibrant and productive environment possible for student performance

• A GREENGUARD Certified Cleaning System is aligned with the indoor environmental quality goals and objectives of any college or university seeking LEED Certification or LEED “best practices”

• Outreach programs on college campuses today are very prevalent. BSCs can offer a program designed around greening the campus with a GREENGUARD Certified Cleaning System for IAQ that would resonate well with the student body and faculty of many campuses

Commercial Office
Commercial offices are a leading sector for the growing number of green buildings. Through the success of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Program, over four thousand buildings are in the queue for certification. Managers and owners of those buildings and others who focus on sustainable design and operations without LEED certification are top candidates for a
Greenguard Certified Cleaning System.

• Commercial offices are the heart of many BSCs businesses. Market differentiation and the ability to show greater value is perhaps more important here than in any other sector
• With the increasing number of major corporations, and federal, state, and local government buildings going green, BSCs with the savvy to articulate the benefits of a GREENGUARD Certified Cleaning System will surely gain a competitive advantage.

Kohler Co., a leader in kitchen and bath design and technology, has joined the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments. Founded in 2003, the mission of the Alliance’s international corporate members is to educate the marketplace and top management on the benefits of reducing the overall impact facilities have on the natural environment and on building occupants. Members include Johnson Controls, Milliken, Forbo Flooring, Philips Lighting, JohnsonDiversey, Owens Corning, and USG Corporation.

The Alliance invited Kohler to join based on the company’s commitment to water conservation through its product offerings, its recognition of sustainability as a critical part of its business strategy, and its efforts to green its facilities.
Participation in the Alliance strengthensKohler’s leadership in delivering innovation, quality, and performance water conservation solutions to customers and offers opportunities to leverage critical partnerships within the marketplace.

“Kohler uses renewable and recycled resources from the earth–sand, clay, iron and water–to create kitchen and bath products of lasting beauty, style, and performance that endure for generations,” said DavidKohler, group president of Kohler’s Kitchen and Bath Group. “As a company, we are committed globally to reducing our consumption of energy and resources in each of our four businesses groups while upholding our mission of contributing to a higher level of gracious living for those who are touched by our products and services.”

“We are excited to have Kohler join the Alliance bringing its expertise in water conservation,” said Craig Zurawski, executive administrator of the Alliance. “Kohler’s commitment to create products that not only conserve an important natural resource like water, but deliver quality, style, and value is well-known throughout the world in both commercial and residential applications.Kohler’s forward thinking exemplifies what this group of companies is trying to accomplish, and that’s to help the business community understand that sustainable development is not only the right thing to do, it’s at the core of profitable business strategies.”

Alliance programming and activities include education and promotion of a number
of environmental metrics, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) programs, the EPA’s ENERGY STAR, WaterSense and Climate Leaders programs, and others.