Since Green Irene launched the Activeion ionator EXP as part of our non-toxic cleaning product line, we’ve received a ton of questions about the underlying technology for the device. After years of using typical cleaning chemicals on employees desks, breakroom and other work surfaces, the idea of a totally chemical-free cleaning and sanitizing solution struck some as a little too good to be true. Many companies have an outside cleaning crew come through nightly or periodically, but you should have a say in what toxic (or non-toxic) products they are using in your employees work areas.

We were also skeptical until we tried the ionator ourselves and studied the independent lab results. This amazing device really works, and many businesses and institutions have already adopted the technology as part of their day-to-day cleaning toolkit. The technology driving the ionator products has even been used for decades in food processing plants, four-star restaurants, and large hotels.

So how can an appliance transform water into a safe cleaning and sanitizing agent?

Most cleaners work through chemistry by creating a reaction to break up dirt, stains, or germs. The Activeion ionator EXP works through physics: much like the freezing of water creates ice, and the heating of water makes steam, the ionator EXP gives water a tiny electrical charge. This process, called “water electrolysis,” actually makes tiny bubbles throughout the water that hold this electrical charge. As these “nanobubbles” build up on a dirt particle, the electrical charges push against each other (like magnets pushing away from each other), which breaks the dirt apart and suspends it in the surrounding water, making it easy to then wipe away.

Most typical sanitizers also work chemically, relying on a chemical reaction to kill bacteria. However, the ionator EXP uses the physical process of “electroporation.” The electrical charge held by the water creates holes in the cell walls of surrounding germs. This irreversible process kills bacteria, viruses, and other germs within 6 seconds of exposure.

The ionized water is completely safe; you can get it on your skin and it’s 100% safe for ingestion. (Don’t try that with the chemicals your cleaning company uses now!) The nanobubbles and the electrical charge in the water last only 30 to 45 seconds, after which the water returns to a completely regular state.

By eliminating the repeated expense of buying general-purpose cleaning chemicals to clean things like desks, whiteboards, windows, countertops and the like, the ionator EXP can give you a safer, quicker, and less expensive way to clean and sanitize. Your local Eco-Consultant can help you to better understand how the device would fit with your business’ cleaning routine. You heard it here first…just like every office has a vacuum cleaner, every office and institution will soon have the ionator EXP.

One of the most cost-effective options for improving indoor air quality is to, quite literally, go green. Many plants can actually suck up indoor air pollution, a problem that plagues stuffy workplaces throughout the country. Not only do plants absorb CO2 and release oxygen, but many also take in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), such as benzene and formaldehyde. Many plants can simply tolerate substances, like VOCs, that are toxins to people, due to differences in our biology. It’s mainly these VOCs that contribute to poor indoor air quality and an illness known as Sick Building Syndrome.

So how does our air become full of VOCs in the first place? If you’ve ever cringed at the harsh scent of a window cleaner, you may not be surprised to find that the majority of chemical-based cleaners contain VOCs. There’s a reason these unnatural cleaners burn our nasal passages and can cause irritation. Unfortunately, VOCs can also come from a vast array of other manufactured products, such as carpeting, cabinets, desks, and paint, and it’s probably impractical to replace all these sources.

That’s where plants come in. By eliminating VOCs from the workplace, plants clean the air we breathe. In addition to scrubbing out air toxins, plants also reduce levels of dust particles, humidify the air, and moderate temperatures. NASA recommends at least one large plant for every 100 square feet of office space. Studies have shown that indoor plants have many other benefits as well—plants make people feel happier and reduce stress, leading to better productivity. Encourage your employees and coworkers to go green by using plants to create a healthier and more productive work environment.

This is just one of hundreds of industry specific initiatives we recommend and can help you implement as part of our Green Business Makeover with Green Business Bureau Certification.  If you are a Green Irene client already, it is certification initiative #238,  using air filtering plants to improve indoor air quality. For information about which office plants combat specific toxins best, our customers can check out Ask Green Irene entry #645, or ask your local eco-consultant to recommend the right types of office plants as part of your Green Business Makeover. We also recommend other green business supplies, such as natural cleaners, to help improve your business’s indoor air quality.

Sustainably Yours,
Green Irene

Cellular technology like Blackberries and iPhones have become vital communication tools for businesses today, but are they bad for your health?

Your cell phone emits radiation to send voice and text messages from you to the other caller. Some studies of frequent cell-phone users suggest this radiation may increase risks for cancer. Nothing has been proven, but considering that risk, it can’t hurt to be conscious and make smart choices. One way to make smarter choices is to choose a phone that emits less.

The non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created an interactive online guide to cell phone emissions, covering over 1,000 phones currently on the market. Their report is available at http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone?allphones=1. Find your cell phone or the brands used by your business to see how they compare to others.

If changing to a lower-radiation cell phone isn’t an option for your business, the EWG has a few tips for reducing your exposure while still staying connected:

1) Use a headset or speaker:  Headsets emit much less radiation than phones. Choose either wired or wireless, but some wireless headsets emit continuous, low-level radiation, so take yours off your ear when you’re not on a call. Using your phone in speaker mode also reduces radiation to the head.

2) Listen more, talk less. Your phone emits radiation when you talk or text, but not when you’re receiving messages. Listening more and talking less reduces your exposures.

3) Hold the phone away from your body. Hold the phone away from your torso when you’re talking (with headset or speaker), not against your ear, in a pocket, or on your belt where soft body tissues absorb radiation.

4) Choose texting over talking. Phones use less power (less radiation) to send text than voice. And unlike when you speak with the phone at your ear, texting keeps radiation away from your head.

5) Poor signal? Stay off the phone. Fewer signal bars on your phone means that it emits more radiation to get the signal to the tower. Make and take calls when your phone has a strong signal.

6) Skip the “Radiation Shield”. Radiation shields such as antenna caps or keypad covers reduce the connection quality and force the phone to transmit at a higher power with higher radiation.

How does your cell phone rate? Have you or your coworkers taken any steps to reduce their exposure? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

The next time a vendor walks into your office with a box of doughnuts  – ask yourself “would I rather have a healthy green plant that is also removing contaminants from the air I am breathing OR a box of doughnuts that is probably going to push the needle on my scale up a pound or two by the morning?”

When I worked at an office prior to starting my own business, it was always the same battle of the bulge war at every cubicle.  We would all be on a diet and then “wham” a vendor would walk in with doughnuts or some other diet wrecking temptation and the diet was once again sabotaged. Our goal in our office also happened to be to make our work environmentally healthy – both mentally and physically.  The addition of plants here and there seemed to lift our spirits but was a large expense for the company to incur.  I decided to ask vendors not to bring doughnuts, snacks, etc. to our purchasing department, but asked if they could bring a plant instead.

It probably cost about the same as what the vendor spent on doughnuts anyhow – it was good for our office environment and was one less temptation there would be to ruin our diets!  This eliminated the initial expense of purchasing plants for the office and since taking care of plants is often mental therapy for most people, we were never short handed in finding someone in the office that would be willing to take care of them.  The program worked well and soon we had a plant on every desk and in the waiting area.

This concept can be taken a step further. During Christmas time, requests can be to suppliers that normally are the bearer of fruit cakes, cookies, etc. to instead send plants or even purchase carbon offsets or other green items the office needs to provide a happier and healthier work environment!

So if you are trying to improve the air quality of your office and the mental well being of your employees – try getting your vendors to give you a hand and you’ll be well on your way to a happier and healthier workplace!

Fun Plant Facts:

•    Research suggests that indoor plants reduce symptoms of fatigue, headache, cough and dry skin.

•    Plant-filled rooms contain up to 60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants, studies show.

•    The following plants are best at decontaminating air and balancing humidity: Areca, Reed and Dwarf date palms; Boston ferns, English ivy and Peace Lilies.

For more information about greening your office, contact Kim Hawkins:

Kim Hawkins

Green Irene Eco Consultant

Kent Island, MD

GLWS.kentisland@greenirene.com

www.greenirene.com/glwskentisland

With green becoming mainstream in the operations of thousands of businesses, you may be wondering what else you can do to further green up. Most offices tend to organize regular events for various reasons. Ever thought your event had a significant environmental impact? Have you ever considered not only greening your event, but cutting event costs at the same time as you green up? You don’t have to think too much any longer; we’re here to help.

Green Irene offers a Green Office Event Checklist. The Checklist allows you to identify aspects of your office’s event that have a significant environmental impact based on categories, such as choosing a venue accessible by public transportation, sending e-mail invitations, and using reusable silverware, and then prepare for them in advance by following the specific recommendations for those items you identify.

Whether your event is in your office or in a large venue, you can identify specific targets for which you can prepare in advance to help you achieve real measurable results. The Checklist provides recommendations to help you reduce energy use and carbon emissions, cut on waste and save resources, and educate your guests, all while reducing your overall costs.

Green Irene believes that greening your event is not just responsible, but also saves you money by eliminating unnecessary costs and sets you apart as a green leader. To find more about the Green Office Event Checklist, ask your Local Green Irene Eco-Consultant.