Greensafe Program 101: Create a Sustainability Program with Ease

Do you need help determining what you need to reach your sustainability program goals? Imperial Dade’s Greensafe Program makes going green easy!

Industry experts created the Greensafe Program to help your facility develop its sustainability program.

The program starts with a thorough assessment of your facility’s current products and needs before recommending green products and tools that will meet both your current needs and your sustainability program goals.

Read on to learn more about the Greensafe program and how it can help make going green easy.

What is Imperial Dade’s Greensafe Program?

The Greensafe Program, first developed in 2005, is a comprehensive supply chain management program designed to help your business reach your sustainability program goals. It includes:

Consulting
Product Sourcing
Fulfillment
Procedural Training

Experienced specialists with extensive training in sustainable supply chain concepts, products, procedures, and certifications start by conducting a site survey and product review before recommending products that fit your sustainability program goals.

We have a line of Greensafe products designed with sustainability in mind, from production to end-use. Our trained specialists can make recommendations for your program using these green products.

After your sustainability program has been implemented, our experts will continue to support your program with documentation and additional services to support sustainability.

The program has two main paths that you can choose from to help you achieve a more sustainable operation:

Facilities Maintenance
Foodservice

The Facilities Maintenance Greensafe Program focuses on janitorial and sanitation services and supplies, while the Foodservice Greensafe Program focuses on sustainable packaging.

1. Facilities Maintenance Greensafe Program

Our trained specialists will walk you through the needs to create a sustainable plan for your facility that protects the health of your staff and building occupants while reducing the impact your facility has on the environment.

They will begin by reviewing your current products, processes, and equipment. Then, they will offer suggestions to enhance your program, focusing on your sustainability goals and facility needs.

For example, our trained specialists will review your cleaning chemicals, such as glass cleaner. They may recommend a glass cleaner that is green-certified. The new cleaner would reduce the environmental impacts of your cleaning program.

It also offers effective and cost-effective green cleaning products that help improve indoor air quality and reduce waste, including:

Cleaning Chemicals
Paper Products
Tools
Equipment

We have a line of Greensafe products that have been thoroughly vetted to ensure they meet sustainability standards.

Victoria Bay Greensafe Chemicals

Victoria Bay Greensafe chemicals are designed with sustainability in mind. They are manufactured with the latest technology and research to reduce waste and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while retaining their chemical effectiveness. VOCs are chemical pollutants found in many cleaners that can negatively impact health.

These chemicals can help you create a healthier environment for guests and staff and a more sustainable cleaning program throughout your facility.

Sometimes, you may want to make your sustainability efforts known to your guests. You can do this by certifying your building. The Facilities Maintenance Greensafe Program also has LEED-credentialed professionals who can help you meet the LEED Program’s needs.

What is LEED?

The United States Green Building council developed leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and is one of the most widely used rating systems for green buildings. A globally recognized symbol of sustainability, LEED certification is voluntary and provides the sustainable structure for efficient and cost-effective green buildings.

LEED certification is recognized in over 180 countries and territories.

2. Foodservice Greensafe Program

The Foodservice Greensafe Program begins by understanding the various attributes of traditional and new product technology in food packaging and serviceware. This will help determine what needs can be met with more sustainable products.

For example, if you currently use foam products to serve your food, a more sustainable option may be switching to products made from recycled materials. It may also include installing a recycling program if you switch to recyclable products.

Then, our experts will assist your foodservice operation in making the best choices that fit your goals for both functionality and sustainability. For example, if you serve hot soup, a compostable spoon may not be the best choice for your meals as the spoon may melt during use.

Cost, recyclability, functionality, and raw material sources are all factors to be weighed when sourcing new products.

Recyclability

Recycling is collecting materials that would be thrown away as trash and processing them to create something new. Some products are made with recycled materials, while others are made with new materials that can be recycled. Some products that are made with recycled materials can be recycled as well.

Our team can help you determine what level of recyclability is possible for your functional product needs when building your sustainability program.

Raw Material Sources

All materials have to come from somewhere, and this origin may play a factor in your sustainability goals.

Products made with bagasse, a sugarcane byproduct, may help you reach your sustainability goals better than using products made with recycled plastic materials.

The reverse may also be true. If there are no commercial composting facilities near you, a more sustainable practice may be using recycled material products.

Some states regulate organic waste management, which can help determine what source materials you can use. Our team will help you decide which source materials are feasible for your sustainability program and help curate a product list based on your needs.

Victoria Bay Greensafe Products

Our line of Victoria Bay Greensafe products isn’t limited to chemicals. In fact, we have many compostable and recyclable products in our line, including trash bags, plates, and carryout containers.

These products are designed to cover a wide range of sustainability program goals and needs, aligning with each facility’s unique needs.

How Does the Greensafe Program Work?

Both paths of the Greensafe Program follow the same process: evaluating your current needs and products and providing recommendations to meet your sustainability program goals.

Site Survey
Product Review
Supply Chain Documentation
Provide Additional Greensafe Services

1. Site Survey

To begin the program, one of our experts will review your facility to get a better understanding of your current processes and needs. This will help determine what needs must be met when developing a sustainability program.

Trained specialists will look at things like:

Current Products
Current Processes
Current Equipment
Current Capabilities
Current Needs

Current Products

Our specialists will look at your current products when conducting the site survey. They will evaluate the current product list and determine what options might be more sustainable.

For example, they might recommend cleaning products with fewer VOCs. If they evaluate your foodservice packaging, they might recommend recyclable or compostable products to replace biodegradable products for more sustainability.

Current Processes

Our specialists will also review your current processes to determine how they can be enhanced when developing your sustainability program.

If you have recyclable foodservice packaging, you may need to implement a recycling program for those products at your facility.

They also evaluate your current cleaning processes. Chemical floor stripping is not as sustainable of a practice as using an orbital floor stripper with no chemicals for example.

Current Equipment

Your equipment can also affect your sustainability program. Our specialists can evaluate your current equipment and recommend more sustainable options.

For example, you might be able to upgrade your equipment to machines with more eco-friendly batteries.

They may also recommend a dilution control system to prevent under-dilution of your chemicals, preventing unnecessary waste and the need to re-clean.

Current Capabilities

No matter your sustainability program goals, there are limitations to what your facility can do. Our specialists will work to understand all your capabilities.

One of the biggest considerations is your budget. Our team will work to determine what changes will help you meet your goals while staying within your budget.

Other considerations would include local regulations and facilities. If your local area doesn’t have the facilities to properly compost materials, compostable products probably aren’t the right fit for your sustainability program.

Current Needs

When evaluating your current needs, our specialists will try to understand what factors are shaping your needs to help build your sustainability program to meet those needs.

They will work with you to determine why you want a more sustainable program to ensure the new program meets your needs. Are there new regulations you need to comply with? Are you trying to meet customer demands? Is there something else?

Our trained specialists will help you select the right solutions to meet those needs.

Upon completion of the review, they will meet with you to discuss their findings and any needs you have determined and goals you wish to achieve. Then, they will begin to provide recommendations.

2. Product Review

During the site survey, our trained specialists will audit your current products, processes, and equipment. This will help determine your current needs and what Greensafe products will best support your sustainability program.

After our audit and discussion with you about your needs and your goals, our team will review our available green products that align with your needs and goals and provide recommendations.

This discussion will develop the Greensafe program that will be used in your facility. But our program doesn’t end with your facility implementing the use of the products.

3. Supply Chain Documentation

Once a sustainability program has been developed and implemented, we can develop your green-spend reports.

Green-spend reports detail the value of compliant products purchased with a specified time frame. We can also provide carbon disclosure reporting, which details the carbon consumption related to product delivery within a timeframe.

These documents help track the overall impact of your sustainability program throughout the supply chain. From source materials to transportation costs to product use, we can help you build a program that considers all aspects of the supply chain in your sustainability goals.

4. Provide Additional Greensafe Services

Our experts will perform an audit and recommend alternative products that meet your sustainability program goals while still maintaining your facility and food service standards.

We also provide consultative support on topics such as:

Source-Reduction
Recycling
Composting
Life-Cycle Assessment
Third-Party Certifications

Final Thoughts

A sustainability program will be unique to one’s own facility. Our trained specialists will work with you to understand the specific needs of your facility and your sustainability program goals.

Our program is meant to be tailored to meet your needs and wants. We know that going green isn’t always easy, and our team is here to provide comprehensive support in achieving your sustainability program goals.