Needless to say, I was intrigued when I was contacted by the Paradigm Group:

Paradigm Group is launching a new line of “tree free” products under its Emerald Brand today.  Tree free products use bagasse – or sugar cane pulp – as the main ingredient, making these environmentally sustainable products cheaper than their traditional counterparts, without sacrificing quality.

Businesses and consumers can tap the Emerald Brand as part of their larger strategy to improve green practices at cost neutral or less than what they pay for traditional products.  So far, we’ve had corporate clients and customers actually save money by going green – contrary to popular belief.

I don’t like to accept many of the strange and often off topic advertising pleas that I get via email, but I was interested enough in this company’s products that I conducted a brief interview with their CEO, Ralph Bianculli.  I’m always skeptical of products that are labeled as ‘green,’ so I had a few questions that I hoped would provide some insight on whether this company is truly sustainable, or just marketing to a specific target audience.

I first wanted a bit of history about the company.
The company began 13 years ago as a paper products company which eventually went on to merge with Georgia Pacific. The then-founder decided he wanted to research and explore sustainable products, believing that sustainability would be the wave of the future. Georgia Pacific was not so keen on exploring new materials since they already owned billions of dollars in forests. So, the founder started his own company which is now known as the Paradigm Group, located on Long Island, NY. He began by using 100% recycled content and began using other content about 2 years ago that is sustainably grown and harvested. These raw materials include sugar cane bagasse (the stalk leftover after sugaring) and Eucalyptus fibers. Eucalyptus regenerate themselves much more quickly than larger trees.

I immediately wanted to learn where these raw materials come from – doesn’t it defeat the ‘sustainability’ of the renewable resource if you’re then shipping it from across the world? Apparently not!
Most of their raw materials come from the far east, some being sourced in closer-to-home Mexico or Canada, with a small portion sourced domestically. Concerned about sustainability, the company has done research to judge their habit of ‘outsourcing.’ It turns out that the energy used to ship their raw materials and non-domestically manufactured goods via cargo ships is actually as or more eco-efficient than it would be to ship the products from the equivalent of Houston, TX to the east coast via trucks. That’s pretty impressive!

I then asked about the company’s sales structure: who they market to, who they are accessible to and how my readers could purchase their products:
The Paradigm Group has 3 audiences:

1.     B to B, or Business to Business: They sell their products wholesale to other businesses who then package and market them via their own brands

2.     Retail via Walgreens. You can purchase the Walgreens “green reed” products at most of their stores. These products are also called “apartment five”

3.    B to C, Business to Consumer. Everyone from homeowners to small business purchasers can access the eco friendly paper products (from toilet tissue to paper plates and more) at www.EmeraldBrand.com. Sold in lower quantity ‘smart packs’ their products are accessible for very small consumers. You can buy the products online and have them delivered right to your door for prices that are competitive or even less than grocery store prices. A great option for those homesteaders living out in the sticks.

One very exciting detail that I learned from speaking with Ralph is that FINALLY prices are truly leveling out. Corn starch cutlery is now equal or lower in cost to the plastic competition. As the prices of resin rises, the price of corn starch stays level so you can choose ‘green’ options without subjecting your budget to slashing.

I asked one final question of Ralph:
I DO purchase paper towels on occasion and always choose Seventh Generation. How does his product compare? In his words he claims their paper towels are more cost effective than 7th Generation and meet or exceed the quality.

I’d love to hear if you’ve ever tried one of these products, or if you plan to. Here’s to more choices on the ‘green living’ front that really provide sustainable products, not just ‘hip’ marketing strategies.

Here at Emerald Brand we are striving to be as green of a company as we can be. In order to do this, we have sought the help of experts on environmentally friendly paper products in form of cross sector alliances with Canopy and Conservatree. We would like to thank these valued partners in helping us on our quest to be a genuine green company. Furthermore, we would like to point out a few key reasons as to why partnerships with nonprofit groups are important for green companies.

First, cross sector partnerships show a green company’s commitment to its mission. Strong nonprofit partners are deeply passionate for the issues they advocate for, which makes an endorsement from them very meaningful. For instance, Coca Cola features the World Wildlife Fund logo on many of its products to show its commitment to the environment.

The second reason for partnering with a nonprofit organization is the fact that they can help extend the positive impact of a company. A company can share its business acumen with the nonprofit to help them be more efficient in achieving their goals and more effective in engaging with the business community. A company can also engage its employees through volunteerism with the nonprofit partner. This is mutually beneficial for both the company and the nonprofit because employee volunteerism can create a happier work force and can help the nonprofit achieve its goals. Lastly, and most obviously, a company can extend its impact by donating to the nonprofit partner.

A third reason as to why nonprofit partnership is important for a green company is because the nonprofit can help provide assurance on the company’s green claims. Nonprofit organizations house some of the top experts on environmental issues and are very familiar with industry leaders and laggards on green claims. They can be a fantastic strategic ally and can help provide assurance at the fraction of the price that a consultancy would charge. Furthermore, these experts can help your company navigate pertinent environmental issues. For instance, as a paper products company it is important for Emerald Brand to have an in depth understanding of the drivers of deforestation. Since none of us are scientists we rely on our partners to help us navigate these issues.

Here at Emerald we know that consumers want to make purchasing decisions which are good for the planet. But we also know that this task isn’t always easy. This blog post is meant to help you understand some basic information about eco labels in order to aid your purchasing process.

General Information

1. There are A LOT of them

You may have noticed that almost every “green” product has some sort of label on it touting how environmentally friendly it is. In fact, according to Terrachoice’s most recent Sins of Greenwashing report, there are currently over 400 eco labels in the North American market. Furthermore, despite the recession green claims have increased by 70% in the last year.

2. They DO NOT all mean much

Although there has been an impressive proliferation of green claims and eco labels over the last year, not all these labels can be trusted. For instance some labels, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), have been created by industry groups to help their members appear green. Further still, some labels can simply be purchased online by just filling out a survey and paying a fee. These labels are particularly popular with small businesses which do not have the budgets to pay for the real labels but still want to appear green.

How to determine if an Eco Label is valuable

3. Does the label have NGO backing?

One of the best ways to tell if a label has meaning is if it has received endorsement from a big name not for profit organization. For example, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has received backing from the Rainforest Alliance and the Environmental Paper Network. These organizations are dedicated to environmental issues and wouldn’t back a label unless it had real meaning.

4. Is the label developed by an organization which is already trusted?

Several large and prestigious organizations have begun to capitalize on their strong brand equity by developing their own labels. An example of this is Good Housekeeping’s Green Seal, which is a spinoff of the company’s traditional Seal of Approval.

5. What does Consumer Report say about it?

A third way to determine if an eco label has value is to check out Consumer Report’s greener choices website. They have done detailed analysis on labels for a variety of different product categories.

To learn more, go to:

http://www.greenerchoices.org/

http://www.terrachoice.com/Home/News

http://forestethics.org/stop-sustainable-forestry-initiative-greenwash

Here at Emerald Eco Products we are passionate about doing our part to help save the forests of the world. However, our work pales in comparison to the work of the dedicated conservationists on the ground. In this blog post Emerald Eco Products would like to give praise to a true forest hero.

Suwanna Guantlett has had a tremendous impact on several extraordinary wild places and the species that live in them. She has designed, implemented, and supported innovative, on the ground conservation programs to save endangered wildlife populations from the brink of extinction. These triumphs have included saving the Amur Tiger, or the Siberian Tiger, from extinction in the 1990s in the Russian Far East, when only about 80 individuals remained, as well as, reversing the steep decline of Olive Ridley sea turtles along the coast of Orissa.

Today Suwanna is spearheading a conservation initiative in Cambodia, specifically the Cardamoms region. This region is unique because it is one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots on the planet and is the only unfragmented forest left in Southeast Asia. The region is home to keynote species such as elephants and tigers, as well as a plethora of monkeys, reptiles and other species.  However, this area is under serious threat from clear cutting and the wildlife trade. Cambodia is one of Asia’s five main source countries for exporting wildlife. The drivers of wildlife trade are traditional Asia medicine, exotic pet trade, and bush meat.

Suwanna’s methodology has proven to be extremely effective. Her organization, the Wildlife Alliance, has saved over 2 million acres of forest and helped reduce elephant poaching by 95 percent, tiger poaching by 50 percent, forest fires by 80 percent and repressed the wildlife trade by 70 percent.  So how has she been so successful? Well, the key to her success is alternative livelihood development. She works with local people and the Cambodian government to help provide a sustainable means of earning a living for the communities located around the forest. The Wildlife Alliance has created alternative livelihood programs for three communes. These programs have been built on sustainable agriculture and ecotourism.

In addition to the sustainable development programs which the Wildlife Alliance has built, they have also established the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team. This group enforces the Cambodian wildlife laws with the help of the Forestry Administration and military police. This team travels the country to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade through exports, restaurants and markets. Over the last nine years the team has confiscated 40,000 live animals, 5 tons of bush meat, and 7 tons of body parts, as well as, arresting 637 poachers.

We salute Suwanna Guantlett’s work and are proud to pay her tribute in this blog post. If you would like to support Suwanna’s and the Wildlife Alliance’s work please visit their website at http://www.wildlifealliance.org/. Also, from a broader prospective, it is imperative that we help stop the wildlife trade. In order to do this it is of the utmost importance that you only buy exotic pets from breeders, otherwise you run the risk of buying an animal taken from the wild.

Here at Emerald we are passionate about saving the forest because there are just so many reasons to do so. This blog is the final installment of a three part series of why we need to preserve one of our planet’s most precious resources, the forests.

In this post we’d like to examine some compelling environmental reasons to keep the world’s forests standing.

1. Climate Change

Deforestation is a double edged sword when it comes to climate change. First, forests are the lungs of the world, sequestering carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. Second, forests are “carbon sinks” which means that they store carbon. Therefore, when a forest is cut down we not only loss their potential to sequester carbon and create oxygen, but we also release the massive amounts of carbon which they have already stored. For these reasons, halting deforestation would curb global greenhouse gases emissions by over 30 percent.

2. Hydrological Cycle

The rainforests are key players in the hydrologic cycle. These humid areas collect vast amounts of moisture and when it evaporates it creates clouds. It has been estimated that a rainforest tree can transpire eight to ten times more water vapor into the atmosphere than an equivalent area of the ocean evaporates. Collectively the Amazon rainforest releases 20 billion tones of moisture into the atmosphere each day. Furthermore, it has been proven that when forests are cut down the local weather pattern becomes more arid. If forests are cut down on a global scale we risk altering weather patterns all over the world.

3. Ecosystem Services

From a local prospective, forests provide many extremely valuable services.  For instance, they act as a sponge and soak up all the precipitation, which is a safeguard against flooding. They also are able to filter water and give local people access to clean drinking water. Furthermore, forests harbor a wide array of plant and animal species which provide food for the locals.

4. Haze

Generally burning is the preferred method of clearing a forest because it requires minimal labor and capital. Furthermore, when a forest is degraded it is more vulnerable to fires. When a forest burns it emits so much smoke that the effects can be felt hundreds of miles away. For example, during the 1997 forest fire in Borneo, Singapore (350 miles away) was inundated with smoke.

5. Food Source

As population continues its ascent to 9 billion people by 2050, there is an ever growing need to produce more food. Forests are a vital resource for developing new food sources. Foods derived from the rainforest include hallmarks such as potatoes, rice, yams, fruits, nuts, spices, coffee and chocolate. Furthermore, of an estimated 75,000 edible plants found in nature, only 150 are used globally and only 20 stand between human society and starvation. Therefore, it is extremely important continue to study the forests in order to increase our food diversity.

All of these reasons explain why humanity depends on the forests. However, the forests are still being destroyed at an astronomical rate. Forest destruction is primarily caused by improper valuation of these incredibly valuable assets. The only way for us to ensure that forests will be left standing is to push markets to value them properly. Will you make a stand? You can help protect the forests through buying environmentally responsible products such as paper made from agricultural residue, post consumer recycled content, or FSC certified wood fiber. You can also use alternative building materials such as Trex, Resysta or Bamboo which displace the use of tropical hardwood trees. Lastly, think about donating some time (in the form of volunteered services or petition writing) or funds to a nonprofit organization like Conservatree, Canopy, Rainforest Alliance, or Rainforest Action Network which are dedicated to protecting forests all over the world!

Want to learn more? Go to:

http://www.rainforestsos.org/about-rainforests/why-rainforests-matter/other-ecosystem-services/

http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/background/rainfwld.htm

http://www.rain-tree.com/

Here at Emerald we are passionate about saving the forest because there are just so many reasons to do so. This blog is the second of a three part series of why we need to preserve one of our planet’s most precious resources, the rain forests.

In this post we’d like to examine some compelling social reasons to keep the world’s forests standing.

1. Indigenous Lifestyles

Many indigenous people, such as the Dayak’s of Borneo, have been practicing their unique way of life for centuries. They depend on intact and health forests to fish, forage, hunt, and medicate. Without these resources they cannot survive.

2. Fragile Cultures

The vast majority of indigenous cultures pass on their traditions and knowledge base via word of mouth. Therefore, when just one generation is lost, the entire culture is lost with it. It is said that when a tribe’s medicine man dies without transferring his knowledge to another person, it’s like burning down a library. Furthermore, when many of these tribes are first introduced to western culture, they are in awe of it and are quick to try and emulate it without actually understanding what they must give up to become “westernized”.

3. Communicable Diseases

As history has shown us, most native people are not immune to the same diseases as western people. They are extremely vulnerable to diseases such as small pox and influenza and just coming into contact with outside people can prove to be fatal. Therefore, it is very important that we leave uncontacted tribes alone.

4. Atrocities against indigenous people

Unfortunately, when forests are exploited they tend be developed in a way that is very unethical. Take for instance the plight of Papuan natives. The people of West Papua have been subjected to gross human rights abuse since Indonesia gained control of the territory in 1962. Many of the tribes in West Papua had never been contacted by outsiders before and had no idea what the intensions of Indonesian forces where. Since that point, the rights of West Papuan’s have been ignored in lieu of the vast oil, mineral, and timber resources of the region. The West Papuan’s have suffered genocide at the hands of the Indonesian military for the sole purpose of exploiting their land.

5. Existence Value

Existence value is the term used to describe how people value knowing that something exists even if they have no intention of ever visiting it in person. Clearly, with the incredible amount of biodiversity, mystery, and adventure that forests offer, there is a large amount of existence value associated with them. Every child grows up in wonder of at least some part of the forest, whether it be a specific animal like the jaguar or an interesting culture like the Dayak’s.

All of these reasons explain why it is morally incomprehensible to destroy our forests. Will you make a stand? You can help protect the forests through buying environmentally responsible products such as paper made from agricultural residue, post consumer recycled content, or FSC certified wood fiber. You can also use alternative building materials such as Trex, Resysta or Bamboo which displace the use of tropical hardwood trees. Lastly, think about donating some time or funds to a nonprofit organization like Conservatree, Canopy, Rainforest Alliance, or Rainforest Action Network which are dedicated to protecting forests all over the world!

Want to learn more? Go to:

http://wpik.org/Src/genocide.html

http://mongabay.com/

http://canopyplanet.org/

http://www.conservatree.com/

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/

http://ran.org/

http://www.rainforestsos.org/

Here at Emerald we are passionate about saving the forest because there are just so many reasons to do so. This blog is the first of a three part series of why we need to preserve one of our planet’s most precious resources.

As we all know the forests are a beautiful and inspiring place that ideologically should be saved simply for their intrinsic value. However, did you know there are several compelling economic reasons to save the forest as well?

1. Pharmaceutical potential

Currently western medicine has only studied 1% for all rainforest plants. However, this small sample has derived 25% of all western pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, of the 3,000 plants that the U.S. Cancer Institute has identified as active against cancer cells, 70% of them come from the rainforest. Therefore, the market for plant derived medicines tops 20 billion dollars in annual sales.

2. Eco-tourism

Eco-tourism is the fastest growing sector in the entire hospitality industry. Over the past decade it has grown at an average rate of approximately 20% annually and is currently a several billion dollar industry. This industry has the potential to provide a significant amount of income for local people and greatly reduce their need to destroy the forest

3. Non timber product potential

The rainforest holds a cornucopia of edible fruits and plants that the western world is only beginning to utilize. Tropical forests worldwide have at least 3,000 fruit species, of which native people use 2,000. In the west we only use 200 of them.  Recently, fruits such as Acia berries from the Amazon and Mangosteens from Southeast Asia have received much fanfare as great tasting fruits with very healthful attributes. These products can be harvested sustainably from the forest and provide significant income for local people.

4. Plethora of timber alternative products

Not only is there incredible potential for economic value in keeping the forests standing, but there is also a decreasing need to harvest wood from the forest due to an increase number of alternative wood products. These products include paper from agricultural residue and building material made from recycled inputs. For example, Emerald Brand uses Bagasse, which is the waste left behind after sugar cane is pulped, to make its tree free paper products. Also, Trex uses only reclaimed wood and plastic bags to make its quality decking material and furniture. Therefore, these types of products displace the need to cut down forests.

5. Carbon credit potential

Over the last several years REDD credits have gained a significant amount of attention in the carbon market because of their potential to be the highest quality type of carbon credit. REDD stands for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, and works through a process of paying local people or governments to keep forests intact. Once an agreement is in place, traders can sell carbon credits for keeping the forest standing because health forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it underground. As carbon markets develop all over the world, there is massive potential for this mechanism to help save the rainforest by monetizing the value of an undamaged forest.

All of these factors can raise the value of an acre of forest land or decrease the value of tropical hardwoods; thus making it economically insensible to cut them down. However, for this to occur we need consumers like you to vote with your wallets! Next time you’re planning a vacation why not patron a luxurious Ecolodge in the forest and then off set your travel with forest carbon credits (when their widely available)? Or next time you’re shopping for a paper or wood product why not opt to buy paper made from agricultural residue, like the Emerald Brand, or an alternative wood product like Trex?

Want to learn more?

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/background/rainfwld.htm

http://www.trex.com/index.html

http://www.emeraldecoproducts.com/Emerald_Washroom_Bathroom_Products_s/6.htm

http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1209

By Debra A. Berliner

With Earth Day just behind us, gas prices projected to hit $6 per gallon by the end of summer and an election year ahead, there is no question that environmental protection, sustainability, and the greening of America will continue to be part of the conversation in our news and in our lives.

While the politicians debate global warming, oil drilling in Alaska and gas subsidies, folks at home will still be trying to incorporate sustainability best practices into their everyday lives.  Parents will be looking to reduce chemicals in the home, buy organic food when they can and set a good example for their children by recycling and reusing.   Corporate purchasing managers will be seeking to put into practice an often non-specific social responsibility agenda which has come from the top.

As everyone tries to do their part, consumers will also look to buy “green.”  However, as the marketplace continues to be populated with a growing number of products claiming to be environmentally-friendly, how does the purchaser, both at home and at work, distinguish between those products that are truly green – Emerald green – or just another shade of pale?

As interest in these products has increased, so have concerns regarding false claims and misleading labeling.  In fact, the problem has become so widespread there is even a word to describe it – “greenwashing,” a term well-known to those who work in or write about the green product industry.

But help is on the way.

This year, The Federal Trade Commission is planning to update its guidelines regarding environmental claims (called the “Green Rules”), a year earlier than it had originally intended.  The rules, first written in 1992 and last updated in 1998, are not sufficient to address the issues currently in the marketplace.  In the meantime, the FTC is already beginning to put pressure on companies making environmental claims by requiring third party testing and endorsement.

While all of that is coming into place, how can you assess the “green-ness” of a product?

Here are a few ideas:

• Does it reduce consumption?  A light bulb which uses less energy, for example, is green by its very nature because it reduces fossil fuel consumption (even though the glass and coils aren’t necessarily green themselves).

• Check if the claims apply to the product or packaging.  Check to see how much of it is recycled.   If the product is not 100% recycled, the rule is that the percentage of recycled material must be indicated on the package.

• Look for claims that provide some substance — the additional information that explains why the product is environmentally friendly or has earned a special seal.  For example, certain products may claim to be “non- toxic,” “essentially non-toxic,” or “practically non-toxic.” To make those claims, a manufacturer must have reason to believe that the products won’t pose any significant risk to people or the environment.  Information as to why they believe this to be true, either because of specific ingredients or the manufacturing process, will help you assess its value.

If you would like to see the current FTC guidelines yourself, they are available for the general public.  Simply contact: FTC Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580; 202-FTC-HELP (382-4357); 1-866-653-4261 (TDD for the hearing impaired).

Here at Emerald Eco Product’s we are committed to making a difference through the product’s we sell. Based on this commitment we have been inspired by L. Hunter Lovins’ new book Climate Capitalism: Capitalism in the Age of Climate Change and would like to solute a few of our favorite climate capitalists!

L. Hunter & Amory Lovins

Both L. Hunter and Amory have been committed to the fight against climate change for decades. L. Hunter Lovins founded Natural Capitalism Solutions and Amory founded the Rocky Mountain Institute. Both of these organizations have worked with businesses, institutions and governments to foster sustainable change in a cost effective and inspiring way. Their book Natural Capitalism was one of the first pieces of work that laid out a compelling argument for businesses to consider sustainability as a competitive advantage. These thought leaders have helped an entire generation of climate capitalists see the opportunity in sustainability.

Ray Anderson

Ray Anderson is the founder and former CEO of Interface, inc. He led Interface from being a typical carpet manufacturing company to one of the most sustainable business. Through sustainability he has inspired his organization to innovate and strive to achieve what they call Mission Zero. The basic goal of this quest is to have no negative impact on the environment by 2020. In the 16 years Interface has been striving for this goal they have found unique ways to cut costs, engage their community, and drive sales.

Andrew L. Shapiro

Andrew L. Shapiro is the Founder and President of GreenOrder, which is a boutique sustainability strategy consulting firm. Through his leadership, GreenOrder has engaged with some of the largest companies in the world on using sustainability as a strategy for success. GreenOrder’s sound counsel has helped these companies decrease their environmental footprint while improving their performance as a business. This is particularly impactful because the sheer size of these corporations gives them the leverage to move our society in a more sustainable direction.

We would like to commend these individuals on their profound impact in the fight against climate change and we hope we can follow their guidance in making Emerald Eco Products a leader in sustainable janitorial and sanitary products.

Here at Emerald Brand we work with a lot of hotels that are interested in being more environmentally friendly. Through the use of our products we help them save trees and other valuable resources. However, our commitment to the environment runs deeper than that, we want to help hotels all over the world be as environmentally friendly as possible. Thus, we give you this blog post which illustrates some steps any hotel can take to be more green!

Energy Efficiency

1. Buy Energy Star appliances

Energy Star appliances are certified to use less energy than standard products. Not only will these appliances save your hotel money over the course of their life but there are also rebates available to save you money today!

1. Buy fluorescent or LED light bulbs and motion sensors

Through converting from incandescent bulbs to fluorescent or LED lights a hotel can save over 70 percent of the energy used to light a building. Furthermore, if motion sensors are installed the hotel can save a significant amount on electricity in rooms that don’t receive a high volume of traffic.

1. Invest in a energy management system

An energy management system enable users to easily view and reduce their resource consumption in real time, resulting in utility bill savings upwards of 20 percent or more per month.

Visible Green Products

1. Buy eco friendly tissues, toilet paper, soaps and shampoos

Providing tangible takeaway’s to your customers is a key strategy for virtually every hotel. By making items such as soap and shampoo eco friendly you are promoting a lasting green impression to your patrons. Furthermore, buying green tissue and toilet paper (like Emerald’s Tree Free products) provides a visual queue to guests that the hotel is acting responsibly towards the environment.

Water Use

1. Buy water-saving equipment

The purchase of water-saving equipment such as low-flow showerheads, 1.5 gpm aerators, 1.6 gpm dishwashing valves, low-flow toilets, and waterless urinals can reduce a hotel’s water bill significantly.

1. Use water friendly landscaping practices

Through the planting of native and drought resistant plants a hotel greatly cuts down on  the need to water the grounds and thus the infrastructure and labor that goes with it.

Waste Management

1. Recycle and compost

Waste hauling can be a significant cost center for a hotel. Recycling and composting can divert upwards of 70 percent of a hotel’s waste stream.

1. Reduce packaging

Before there is a need to divert waste why not avoid it all together! Hoteliers can ask vendors to minimize packaging and deliver orders in bulk.

Green Cleaning

1. Buy natural and non toxic cleaning products

Traditional cleaning products can significantly decrease the indoor air quality of a hotel. This can led to negative health implications including respiratory problems. No one wants to put their family at risk when on vacation, don’t let your hotel’s clean product’s harm your customers or employees.

Certification

1. Get Green Globe or LEED certified

Certification can be a dynamic marketing tool that provides assurance to your customers and can position you as a leader in environmentally friendly vacation opportunities. The Green Globe certification is a hospitality specific certification, while LEED is the benchmark for sustainable buildings.

Check out these sites to learn more:

http://greenhotels.com/index.php

http://www.energystar.gov/

http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/landscap.htm

http://greenglobe.com/

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

Check out all of the eco-friendly products for home and office at Emerald Brands.