Watch as Donna Duberg discusses how kids can avoid germs at school on Great Day St. Louis on the KMOV station website.

It seems to go without saying that napkins are compostable. Thin paper with the occasional ink — nothing stands out that would question if they break down along with food scraps.

But as more restaurants and cafeterias create composting programs, they’re also checking the materials they handle to confirm what can be done with them when tossed away. Add in stiff competition for companies’ purchasing dollars, and certifications can help products stand out from the pack.

That all led paper product maker SCA to seek verification of the compostability of its Tork brand of napkins, making them the first to carry the Biodegradable Products Institute certification for napkins.

“We’re known as a very sustainable and ethical company,” said Mike Kapalko, SCA’s sustainability marketing manager, “and we just didn’t feel it was right to make a claim for something we did not have proof or backup for.”

The label means Tork’s napkins can quickly break down in municipal and commercial (also referred to as industrial) composting operations.

Kapalko said customers like national food chains, individual restaurants and cafeterias at universities, campuses and hospitals have been inquiring about proof of compostability. “They’re approaching it like they would with a biodegradable fork or a takeout container,” he said.

Some businesses are also looking beyond products and what they’re made of, Kapalko said, and seeking information about the companies making them, what other products they make, what social programs they have and other non-product details.

In that vein, Tork’s goods also carry the EcoLogo and Green Seal certifications, two of the oldest and most reputable eco-logos. Both are given based on an overview of a company’s overall operations, including facility audits, raw materials (Tork’s napkins are 100 percent recycled content), water and energy use, and waste and emissions generated.

Not only do those labels and the compostability certification speak to what customers are looking for, Kapalko said they make it possible for Tork’s products to stand out among the many others that distributors carry by giving businesses a quick way to check their green credentials.

“We think that third-party certifications are absolutely essential for products,” he said. “It just eliminates the chance of greenwashing and inflating your claims.”

You can make a real difference by taking the time to consider how work routines influence the health of the planet. By evaluating everyday actions and cooperating with your office manager and colleagues, you can get your office on track for a greener future.

Of more than 1,000 business professionals surveyed for the Tork Report: Healthy People, Healthy Planet™, commissioned by SCA and conducted online by Harris Interactive in 2010, results revealed that 59 percent of respondents have started to make small changes to become greener when making lifestyle or business decisions.

You can also work with your facility manager to see what green initiatives are being executed at a higher level and encourage further efforts. Find out if your building is LEED certified or if there is a corporate sustainability plan in place. Your facility manager can also share if third-party certified products are being used in building operations, such as toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels made from 100 percent recycled fibers.

Here are some ways you can put green into action throughout your workday.

• Commute to work. While hopping in the car may be an easy option, taking public transportation, biking or even carpooling can start off your day in an environmentally conscious way. With high gas prices, it may even help save a penny or two.

• Rethink drinking containers. Before you grab that cup of joe, reconsider the type of drinking container you’re using each day. Get into the habit of reusing a mug or glass for water at the office. Avoiding the use of disposable cups can make a big difference and help set a positive standard in your office.

• Get some small indoor plants.  If you’re lucky enough to have an office with a window, put your green thumb to work and bring in a plant. If you work out of an interior office or cubicle, do a little research to determine which plants can survive without direct sunlight.

• Do you really need a lift? While taking the elevator may be easy, save that energy by taking the stairs instead. Picking this alternative can make a sizable difference in your everyday energy consumption. It’s also a great way to get some exercise.

• Watch your printing habits. If you have to use large quantities of paper, suggest your office buy recycled paper and make it a habit to print on both sides to cut use in half. If you’ve printed off too many copies, be sure there is a recycling bin nearby to dispose of the extra paper.

• Evaluate the restrooms. Take a close look on your next bathroom break to see if one-at-a-time paper towel dispensers are being used. These dispensers help cut down on the use of excess paper and will help your organization save money. Remember to bring this up with your facility manager if they’re not currently using energy saving technology.

• Turn off the lights.  Avoid leaving the light on in the copy room if it’s going to be unused at night. The same goes for other common areas in your office.  Be sure to turn off your computer and power strip at the end of your workday and encourage others to do the same.

Take green to the next level in your organization by working with those around you. Your office manager can be a key player in executing office efforts to go green. As the decision maker for purchases and processes for your office, it is important to voice your desire for environmentally conscious practices with him or her.

You can also work with colleagues interested in implementing green initiatives. Establishing a team to drive green programs can be a great way to raise awareness of their importance in your organization, says Josh Radoff, co-founder and principal of YRG sustainability consultants and a member of the Tork Green Hygiene Council.

For more information on how to incorporate sustainability into your way of life, visit www.torkgreenhygienecouncil.com.

Restaurants Should Be Cleaning Up Their Act

Amanda Balthazar, Restaurant Management Magazine

One quarter of diners would not complain to a manager if they felt the restaurant they were eating in was unhygienic. They would, however, feel free to pass their negative review on to others, either by word of mouth, or social media.

This is according to a report, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, by cleaning and paper product company Tork, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and conducted by Harris International.

“Word of mouth is a powerful tool. With consumers using social media as a way to share their everyday experiences, negative reviews can be posted on Twitter or Yelp within a matter of seconds, but have long-term effects on a restaurant’s performance,” says Donna Duberg, assistant professor of clinical laboratory science at Saint Louis University, authority on hygiene and disease prevention and a member of the Tork Green Hygiene Council.

Until recently there’s been a common misperception among the American public that food prepared in restaurants is safer than that prepared at home, adds Duberg, but that is obviously not the case any more.

She recommends, therefore:

• Keeping your restaurant as clean as possible, both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house.
• Letting your customers know about your hygiene methods so your restaurant is known for cleanliness.

Be sure not to neglect the back-of-house areas.

According to the report, 88 percent of people believe that restroom cleanliness reflects the hygiene standards of an entire restaurant so this is an important area to focus on.

It’s essential to ensure your staff are responsible and to train them in cleanliness from day one, then follow up with continual training, Duberg says.   Proper hand-washing techniques should be drilled into employees and signs emphasizing this in bathrooms should regularly be changed, maybe to feature fun graphics, to make them stand out.

And in the bathroom, look at the little things: does your soap lather enough to keep employees scrubbing their hands? Is there a wastebasket by the door for used paper towels?

Also consider how people—employees and guests—dry their hands. It may be best to use paper towels instead of hot air hand dryers.

Research shows that consumers don’t use the dryers for long enough to dry their hands, so damp hands then attract more bacteria, which is spread through your restaurant. Also, paper towels can be used to turn off faucets and open the bathroom door, both of which prevent the spreading of bacteria.

To clean your restaurant’s many different areas, use different colored wipes, Duberg advises. Red could be used for raw meat; white for floors, etc., to prevent cross contamination.

Servers who use the same cloth to clean tables and chair seats are simply moving bacteria around and guests who see it will question the cleanliness of the entire facility.

And of course foodborne illness is one of the biggest concerns for a restaurant.

“More attention needs to be placed on how food is brought in,” Duberg says. “The food needs to get cleaner and cleaner as it gets to the food production area.

She advises that the receiving area be kept as spotless as possible and that all wrappings are thrown away before the food is moved to the production area.

If there’s time, soak all vegetables for 10 to 30 minutes in a mixture of 10 percent white vinegar and 90 percent water. Some foodborne illnesses that were previously only found in meat—such as listeria— have been detected in vegetables. This bath can remove up to 99 percent of bacteria.

Carefully wash vegetables that are oiled for appearance, and brush those that are rougher like cantaloupes. Oils can trap bacteria, Duberg warns.

And finally, take care of your employees to take care of your business. If workers are sick, they should not be working, Duberg says. Make it easy for them to take a sick day.

Tork Green Hygiene Council™ member Donna Duberg offered proper hand hygiene and food safety tips that could help you prevent unwanted illness.

Share Fun, Not Your Towel

Swimming is a refreshing summertime activity, but it’s important that each member of your family be given their own bathing towel. Wet towels harbor germs and exchanging them among each other can spread unwanted bacteria. Give your kids their own special summer towel in a design they love so they can easily distinguish which towel belongs to them.

Don’t Let Your Picnic Turn Sour

Picnics are one of the most popular summer perks, but warmer weather allows bacteria to grow more easily on food. The CDC indicates that one in six people will suffer from a foodborne illness. To protect against this, make sure you carefully handle food and minimize contaminants. Keep the following tips in mind:

• Before eating or cooking, thoroughly clean all surface areas before placing food on them
• Place all raw meat in foil and store it away from any ready-to-eat items
• Sufficiently cook all meat. According to the CDC, cooking meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit can help kill harmful bacteria
• If you’re heading to an area that doesn’t have handwashing stations, bring antibacterial hand sanitizer
• Sufficiently cover all food and eating utensils to protect from insects that carry harmful bacteria
• Stock your picnic with plenty of reusable recycled paper napkins, plates and cups to limit the spread of bacteria

Stay On the Road to Healthy Living

If you’re planning a family trip this summer, be sure to keep hygiene top of mind when visiting washrooms along your route. Germs can be found anywhere from rest stops to hot dog stands to airport restrooms. When washing your hands in a facility that contains recycled paper towels, you can also use the paper towel to open door handles and keep your newly clean hands as germfree as possible. If you visit a washroom with a hot air dryer, make sure to dry your hands thoroughly. According to the Tork® Report: Healthy People Healthy Planet™, only 56 percent of hot air dryer users keep their hands under the dryer until they are completely dry. Failure to dry hands properly is a dangerous habit, as wet hands transfer 500 times more germs than dry hands.

Beware of Bacteria at Food Fests

Summer food fests can be lots of fun, but when large crowds are involved hygiene protection becomes more difficult. Consistently wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before you take a bite out of your favorite snack to keep food fests enjoyable. With food and money rapidly changing hands throughout the gathering, you could be faced with an excess of germs that may make you sick.

Take a trip to the nearest handwashing station or restroom to thoroughly wash and dry your hands to make the most of your outdoor social experience.

For more hygiene tips download the Tork® Report: Healthy People Healthy Planet™, where you can find the latest in hand hygiene perceptions.

By Mike Kapalko,

SCA recently conducted the third annual Green Business survey to determine consumer green purchasing habits, and for the third year, results showed a positive uptick in green spending among adults.

This year’s survey showed that 77 percent of American adults purchase green products and services, including 57 percent who do so because they believe it’s better for the environment. This is reflective of the 2009 and 2010 survey results which revealed that seven in 10 adults purchased green products even in the midst of a down economy.

After conducting this survey for three consecutive years with at least 7 in 10 adults purchasing “green” products and services, I think it’s safe to say that “green” is here to stay.  Major companies and brands are offering a wider selection in more locations. This convenience, along with more competitive pricing compared to traditional products, has removed some of the previous barriers, moving the needle from niche to mainstream. 

It is becoming a driver of purchasing decisions and turning into a liability for companies not focused on sustainability – both internally and externally – as a growing understanding of green and the desire to protect the environment for future generations is helping spread those habits to more people every year.

Survey results unveiled several interesting opinions among adults.

Support for Third Party Verifications

Consumers are careful about how they verify companies’ claims to sustainability, with 72 percent of American adults indicating they know how to determine if a green claim or statement is true. Only 6 percent of American adults rely on reputation, awards or news stories about the company to verify green claims or statements. However, 21 percent feel that independent third-party certification is most reliable method to determine viability.

A Preference for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Restaurants

American adults showed a willingness to stand behind restaurants that prove to be socially and environmentally responsible, with 53 percent indicating they would choose a restaurant fitting this description over another which did not. Twenty-three percent of American adults said they would make the same choice even if the wait time was longer. 

This is a remarkable finding considering wait time can be a huge factor in a customer’s decision to eat at a restaurant. Consumers seem to be willing to sacrifice brief convenience for more sustainable choices. 

When it comes to making a green purchase, customers won’t always let price or a slightly less convenient option stop them from doing so. It’s important for businesses to adopt that same mindset in order to build a greener world. For more ways to green your business, visit the Tork® Report: Healthy People Healthy Planet™, which takes a comprehensive look at new sustainability and hygiene trends.

The newly published Tork® Report: Healthy People Healthy Planet™ – a comprehensive study analyzing business professional and American adult perceptions – unveils answers to these questions and others with accompanying commentary from the Tork Green Hygiene Council™ members.

Results from an online survey of 2,208 adults and 1,000 business professionals give business owners insight into how adults view establishments while offering guidance to help ensure businesses are taking the necessary steps to creating a more hygienic and sustainable workplace.

Keep it Clean

When a customer enters a facility they pay attention to the details. If a facility seems unclean, most customers are not shy about sharing their opinions. However, our research shows that nearly 25 percent of adults would not complain to an employee of the facility they found to be unclean – while some of those surveyed would not address the situation at all, some would share their feelings with others. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and negative information can have a lingering effect on a business’ performance.

Go Green

Being green isn’t a passing fad – many consumers consider it a lifestyle. In fact, 77 percent of American adults have made changes to live greener over the past year and 61 percent are more likely to patronize a company or business that makes green initiatives a priority. However, only 30 percent of professionals indicated their business currently has a sustainability program in place, leaving a greater opportunity for businesses to pass along the green message to employees.

What This Means

The goal of this year’s Tork Report is to provide insight into how businesses can become better by employing greener and more hygienic practices. When you make your customers’ priorities your priorities, they notice. This positive word of mouth only benefits a company’s reputation – and helps you build a better business.

To review additional survey findings, visit http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b91093fd

· Get out of your car: Bike or walk to the grocery store, work and everywhere in range.

· Avoid purchasing new stuff: Garage and yard sales are the essence of summer. Put the “reuse” back in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. And say no to plastic bags. Use reusable grocery and produce bags and purchase groceries in bulk to reduce packaging waste.

· Wash your car at a car wash: Washing your car in the driveway sends soaps, oils, toxic metals and chemicals into nearby waterways and is harmful for downstream drinking water. Use a commercial car wash instead. They are required to send water to the sewer system for treatment before being released.
Swim in greener pools: Saline and oxygen technology pools are chlorine alternatives. Keep pools covered when not in use, to limit evaporation.

· Eat local and organic: Purchase local groceries from your farmers’ market, sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture program or choose local food at supermarkets. This supports local farmers and lessens transportation energy.

· Don’t be an energy hog: Use fans instead of air conditioning, open windows at night to let in cooler air and close blinds during the day to keep out sunlight. Keep the thermostat closer to 78 than 68. If purchasing new AC units, buy Energy Star qualified. Switching from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescents also lessens lighting and cooling energy consumption.

· Green your lawn: Replace turf grass with lower water consuming plants like native ground cover. Plant perennial trees and plants. Avoid gas-powered lawn mowers by using a push or electric one. Minimize toxic pesticides and herbicides by planting native plants. Water lawns in the morning or evening to increase water infiltration and minimize evaporation.

· De-tox when using bug spray and sunscreen: Avoid bug sprays with the ingredient DEET (unless going to a country with insect-borne diseases) and look for plant-based repellents that include citronella, lemongrass, rosemary and geranium oil. Some sunscreen ingredients are thought to negatively affect your endocrine system, so select mineral-based products containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. And choose those offering “broad-spectrum” protection against more than just UVB rays.

· Eliminate single serving items: Bottled beverages require packaging and energy just to get that liquid to your mouth. Avoid single-serving items and bring a coffee mug and water bottle instead.

· Pay attention to places you patron: Visit establishments that reflect the same environmentally conscious values that you live by – whether it’s a fast food restaurant or a grocery store. Pay attention to the type of napkin and paper towel dispensers used. Look for single-use dispensers that allow patrons to grab one napkin or paper towel at a time to help lower consumption and minimize waste.

· Make your house chemical-free: There are nearly 80,000 chemicals in conventional cleaning products. Most end up down the drain or in our bodies. Try safer green cleansers.

As flowers begin to bloom, birds start to chirp and the weather slowly cooperates, it’s time to consider freshening your home from the winter blues. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to cheer up our homes and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer.

Tork Green Hygiene Council member Donna Duberg – an Assistant Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Saint Louis University, and a leading hygiene expert – provides several tips to help you get your cleaning job done the green way.

Switch It Up. Simply changing the direction of your ceiling fans from clockwise during the fall and winter to the standard counter-clockwise direction in the spring and summer provides a pleasant breeze and cools your home more efficiently by redistributing the air throughout the room and blowing it downward.

Vinegar & Water. If you clean regularly, you won’t need industrial-strength cleaners to cut through household grime. As vinegar is almost 100 percent effective at killing germs, use a 10 percent solution of vinegar to disinfect floors, chairs and other indoor structures while doing less harm to the environment. Another wonderful remedy for cleaning washing machines, dishwashers and coffee pots is to run one cup of white vinegar through each cycle to effectively flush out backed up sludge.

Green Your Ducts. Even if you diligently clean your house daily or weekly, it’s important to give your home’s infrastructure a regular cleaning. Be sure to get your home’s heating and cooling air ducts inspected and cleaned on a regular basis. If you’ve been in your home for a while and have never had your air ducts inspected, it may be time to do so. After all, the air that circulates around your home affects your health as much as dirt and grime buildup! When possible, ask the duct service if they use a citrus oil-based cleaning agent. It’s a natural cleaner that will help remove the greasy film on the duct walls that easily collect dust and germs.

Shape Up Your Closets. Storing your clothes well means they’ll always look their best. And if you organize your closets and drawers, you’ll find you wear more of your clothes more often.

• Divide the closet into zones and stack cubbies across the closet floor to create additional space for shoes.
• Remove dry-cleaning bags, which trap moisture; use fabric bags instead.
• Before storing heavy coats, stuff the arms with acid-free tissue.

Wash Fruits & Veggies. Although this is a year-round must, be sure to properly wash your fruits and vegetables before eating. Produce is known to carry harmful bacteria that may cause mild to severe gastrointestinal disease from sources contaminated with fecal material, like fruits and veggie fields, irrigation water, insects and/or human handling of the crops. Be sure to thoroughly rinse delicate produce such as berries in lots of cool water. You can also soak vegetables in a 10 percent water-to-white vinegar solution for 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water to kill nearly 100 percent of the bacteria.

Give Your Houseplants a Bath. Plants need showers, too, as they can become dusty or dried out by indoor heating. Washing away plant dust also decreases the number of mites which may help those who have significant allergies. Use a shower-head attachment to spray large plants lightly with tepid water. For smaller plants, wrap the pots in paper towels, turn plants upside down and gently swish the leaves around in a pot of water.

Recycle Old News. Did you know 38.2 percent of our total waste is from paper and paperboard? Thankfully, Tork products are made of paper that is 100 percent recycled from 750,000 tons of wastepaper. More than 50 percent of this wastepaper is post-consumer waste. Even so, do your part and steer clear of sending unnecessary waste to our nation’s landfills by shredding or properly discarding used newspapers, magazines, mail, cardboard and cereal boxes.

Donna Duberg is a member of the Tork® Green Hygiene Council ™ (TGHC), Assistant Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Saint Louis University and a leading hygiene expert.