What Is Clean Green Certification?

19Jul
TRSA Clean Green Certification

Companies that demonstrate an effort to protect and preserve the environment through their business practices are recognized by the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), which awards them “Clean Green” status. Common recipients of this status are industrial laundries due to their extreme efficiency conserving water and energy versus an individual doing his or her laundry at home. Essentially, Clean Green certification verifies that the items laundered at a particular facility are done so in a manner that is friendly to the environment.

Companies seeking Clean Green certification must document their business practices, the items washed, water and detergent used, and undergo inspection from TRSA to validate these practices. Some key practices that TRSA looks for prior to issuing certification are the use of reusable items, recapturing and reusing drained water, and alternative or more efficient forms of energy use. These companies are accredited every three years.

Clean Green Companies for Clean Green Certification

Several industrial laundry chains have gained Clean Green certification by adhering to TRSA’s conservation standards. They have done so primarily by focusing on water usage and minimal production of solid waste.

Save Some for the Fishes!

You’ve heard it a million times before. 70-percent of the Earth is covered by water. Why the need to conserve if there’s so much of it? Well, believe it or not, there is a worldwide decline in the availability of fresh water. Of all the water on the planet, less than two percent of it is fresh water, and only one percent is available for drinking. The more water used in your home or business, the less fresh water in the environment, and the more it costs treatment plants (and ultimately you) to filter and put it back in the environment for consumption.
With that said, did you know that bringing your laundry in to an industrial laundry conserves one third more water than doing it in your washing machine at home? Couple that with the fact that these Clean Green companies already employ strategies to reduce the time of wash and dry cycles; this means less water used without compromising quality. In fact, these companies practice the use of 35-percent fewer gallons of water per pound of laundry than your home wash. That’s a lot of happy fish.

Down in the Dumps

Companies that use disposable towels, mats and other items that get dirty, grimy and are subsequently thrown in the trash produce tons of solid waste – literally. Two billion pounds of waste are produced by these paper products each year and use of these products also lead to the destruction of millions of trees. Clean Green certified industrial laundry companies use reusable textile products which, in addition to keeping more waste out of landfills, actually use less energy to manufacture and can be used hundreds of times before their ultimate disposal. That’s hundreds of uses versus a single use.

But wait! There’s more!

The increased water and waste conservation practices employed by these Clean Green certified companies also save plenty of energy. Shorter wash/dry cycles cut down the amount of power used per load of laundry, and use 42-percent less energy than your home wash. Additionally, the use of an industrial service also cuts down your CO2 footprint by 46-percent when laundering company uniforms.  With all these environmental and pocket friendly facts, is it even an argument anymore?

Release date: 07/19/2013

Contact: Jerry Martin, V.P. of Sales & Marketing (949) 250-4850 ext 275

By: Jerry Martin, VP Sales & Marketing

About the author

Jerry Martin is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Prudential Overall Supply, a leading provider of workplace uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE) to a wide range of industries and organizations. Currently President of the Board of Directors for the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) where he works on projects to further the benefits of reusable textiles versus disposable alternatives. Martin also contributes to the Textile Rental Service Association (TRSA) where he is a former chairman of the association's Marketing & PR committee and helped establish TRSA’s international standard for its Clean Green certification program.