“Going Greener”
We at Solutex, Inc. know that “Going Green” now in the year 2017 offers many more options and choices than were available 7 years ago. We have also learned and have been promoting the term “Greener” because of the fact that although a product may be considered “Green” today, we and our industry may have a “Greener” alternative a few years from now with the progress of newer chemistry and technologies.
We, just like the experts at the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Division prefer words like “Greener” or “Safer” for that reason.
Our search for these better, safer, greener high-performance products that are competitively priced is never quite over.
Solutex, Inc. is also proud to announce that we are the first industrial supply distributor in the U.S. to become an SDSI Champion with the U.S EPA Safer Choice Division for our commitment of eliminating APE’s and NPE’s from any products that we sell. Over 200 of our chemical products meet the criteria and they range from floor cleaners to odor counteractants and from drain openers to coil cleaners. So every task in a building that requires a cleaning chemical can be achieved using products with safer surfactants from Solutex.
Our proudest accomplishment at Solutex in relation to our planet and the environment is for having been recognized by the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Division as a “Safer Choice Partner of the Year” for 2015, 2016, and 2017 in the distributor category.
We received the award because of our commitment to promoting safer chemistry and the “Safer Choice Label” that only appears on products that have met both the strictest scientifically backed testing for safer, greener chemistry and for performance. In other words, the product also has to perform very well to be considered. A photo of a product bearing the label is shown to the right. Many companies market products with green labels or icons with plant leaves or symbols of the earth but keep in mind that only a few “green” labels are backed by third-party certification processes and we feel that the Safer Choice Label is the best.
The industries we serve expect only the best from us and we will continue to deliver!
We will continue our commitment to add products with “Greener,” “Safer” and more “Earth Friendly” attributes to our product offering and will discontinue any product that can be replaced with a safer alternative that performs as well and is competitively priced.
Things to Consider When You “Go Green”
Performance – Many “greener” products exist that can clean or perform as well as conventional products, with little or no extra effort.
Cost – Although some “greener” products are more costly than others, many are well priced and still use superior ingredients than those with less safe alternatives.
Usage – Some paper dispensing systems can actually save on paper usage while keeping restroom patrons happy and quality. Foam soap can outlast conventional soaps by 2 to 1.
Packaging – Reduction of packaging means less wasted resources and less in the landfills
Misinformation – Be careful of misleading statements on labels.
100% Natural – Arsenic, mercury, and uranium are also all natural.
Chemical Free – Water is a chemical and all living things are made of chemicals.
100% Biodegradable – In ten days or ten years?
Resources – Solutex maintains and has access to manufacturer information and test data prove “Greener Claims.”
U.S. EPA Safer Choice: https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice
Greenblue: www.cleangredients.org – a great resource and glossary for customers to better understand terms like “bioaccumulation.”
Scorecard: scorecard.goodguide.com/chemical-profiles –
LEED-EB: www.usgbc.org – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Existing Building as a program that lists 80 possible points a building must earn to receive certification.
“Live Green, Give Green”
The “Live Green, Give Green” logo started off years as our own “Earth Friendly” seal of approval before we discovered the U.S. EPA DfE (Designed for the Environment) now known as the “Safer Choice Label.” Our “Live Green, Give Green” label was used in the past on products that we could verify had greener attributes but where the cost to third-party certify them was above our budget or would cause a significant cost increase to our customers. We would then donate a percentage of the sale of these products to a few approved “Environmental Charities.” We no longer use the “Live Green, Give Green” logo as an “Earth Friendly” seal on new products, but we do still donate to a list of charities. More information is available on our website at www.solutex.com.