ServiceMaster Practices Sound And Responsible Environmental Stewardship
At ServiceMaster, it is our responsibility to do our best every day to practice and promote sound and responsible environmental stewardship. In every great brand and functional group of our company, associates on every level are working to find ways to put that responsibility to work – whether it is with a customer, a partner, in the community or with a colleague.
Last year we showcased many of our company's initiatives and how they were implemented. This year those initiatives continue with great success. But we haven’t stopped looking to implement more great initiatives to increase our environmental stewardship.
Below are updates on what’s new and still meeting with success.
TruGreen
Education: This past March, TruGreen launched My Botanic Planet.com, a creative online educator resource to inspire K-5 students’ interest in the diverse plant world. TruGreen collaborated with Memphis Botanic Garden on My Botanic Planet, where participants can adapt their avatar then discover colorful plant environments and related interactive games as they meet Inspector Nectar on a flower mystery or Flavor Flores on a sensational sap safari. Created by professional curriculum developers, the initial six lessons meet national education standards and benchmarks, and focus on the plant origins of flavors, the parts of the flower, and how pollination occurs.
Transforming the TruGreen fleet: TruGreen put its first hybrid truck into service on March 17 of this year. Along with ServiceMaster Fleet, TruGreen will add 10 hybrid vehicles to TruGreen routes in California. Also, nearly 7,000 trucks are in the process of converting to electric spray systems and innovative oil filters to help one of the nation's largest private fleets to run cleaner and more fuel efficiently.
Organics: TruGreen has been offering organic programs for decades and encourages Americans to adopt a 100-percent natural, organic option and sustainable practices - most recently with our TruNatural® service line.
Reduction in pesticides: We are continuing to significantly reduce pesticide usage by lawn by treating weeds only when and where needed through Targeted Lawn Treatment using proprietary technologies and greener innovation. To achieve our goals, it's imperative that every branch use the dual-line system in accordance with operational standards.
Preserving green spaces: TruGreen actively participates in preservation projects, such as helping to restore and maintain the 1,000-acre Fernald Preserve of wetlands and greenery in Ohio that formerly served as a uranium-processing site.
Recycling: 100 percent of all TruGreen marketing materials are printed on recyclable materials and close to 40 percent of materials are printed on recycled materials (10 percent postconsumer waste).
Terminix
Terminix has served as a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 2009. The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.
Terminix is GreenPro certified for eco-effective pest control.
Mosquito Sentry MachineTM – Terminix completed a national rollout of its Mosquito Sentry machine. The product is designed to repel mosquitoes with natural active ingredients at a range of up to 900 square feet and is safe to use around pets and people alike.
SmartTruckTM allows Terminix to be more environmentally conscious in many ways. Using satellite and Monthly Planner technology, service professionals are able to service customers in clusters of neighborhoods, thereby reducing the miles driven and fuel consumed. Smart Truck is a GPS-guided service vehicle that works in conjunction with the Monthly Planner and BestFit Scheduling technology to help maximize efficiency in servicing routes. The satellite technology allows service professionals to synchronize handheld data devices with the branch office without having to physically drive to the branch to retrieve or submit work orders.
Terminix SafeShieldTM
Terminix SafeShieldTM is a fast-acting, non-aerosol, handheld spray made from 100 percent natural active ingredients that is highly effective against 25 common household pests. Learn More about Terminix SafeShieldTM
Terminix Insulation Service (formally R-Plus) is no ordinary insulation. Made from all-natural materials and recycled newsprint, this product not only contains boric acid which helps fight pests, it also conserves energy for Terminix customers, saves on their utility costs and increases the resale value of their homes. Proper insulation also reduces wear and tear on HVAC equipment because it does not have to run as much. How does Terminix Insulation Service positively impact this? Because of its blown natural fibers, it can fill gaps and voids, providing a cooler home in the summer and a warmer home in the winter. In addition to Terminix customers being able to save money on heating and cooling bills, they may also qualify for a tax credit of up to $1,500 or 30 percent of the initial investment under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) from Terminix is another service that not only helps reduce the use of product but also helps commercial customers mitigate infestations. IPM is the governing principle behind the new commercial "green" service offering called Terminix EcoControl, which launched in April. Terminix EcoControl offers commercial customers a service that is LEED compliant and meets the criteria to qualify as a "green" pest service. Rather than offering treatment as the single and only option for pest control, service professionals offer service plans that integrate multiple means of control with emphasis on the identification and correction of conditions that contribute to the pest infestation and non-chemical control means before offering treatment to solve pest problems. Even if treatment becomes necessary, products with the lowest environmental impact are introduced as the first means of treatment.
Terminix Commercial Natural Pest Control is basically the commercial version of the residential product, Terminix SafeShield. It's sold by the case and can eliminate up to 25 common types of pests on contact when sprayed. Terminix Commercial Drain Fly Killer is also sold by the case and is specially formulated to control drain and fruit flies as well as minimize odors in drain and waste areas. The ingredients in both of these products are natural. Commercial clients have the power of Terminix in their hands in a safe-to-use formula they can use in kitchens or food prep areas.
Sales Mobility saves on printing costs; cuts down on use of paper/printing which positively affects the environment.
The Terminix Termite Inspection and Protection Plan reduces impact on the environment by delaying the use of treatment on homes until it is absolutely necessary. A homeowner receives the same benefits and guarantees of a conventional liquid termite protection plan; however, treatment is not administered until it is absolutely necessary - when termites infest the structure.
American Home Shield
American Home Shield is finding ways to grow the business and strengthen its connection with its customers through more environmentally conscious outreach such as e-mail. Also, all printing vendors for the real estate business are now required to be certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), meaning the wood used in the production of these paper products is not the result of clear-cutting. It also means the printers use soy-based inks, which are less harmful to the environment. AHS also encourages its customers to be responsible by placing the "Please Recycle" logo on all of its direct mail pieces.
American Home Shield recently kicked off its second annual Live Green Save Green campaign to help home owners adopt more energy efficient practices, just in time for the summer heat that affects so many of its customers. By announcing the availability of $25,000 in giveaways, and encouraging supporters to join the awareness day challenge called “Three Degrees of Preparation” on June 1, AHS expects to create awareness and further increase its 5,000-strong member base. Created in 2010, Live Green Save Green centers around http://LiveGreenSaveGreen.com, an online social community for homeowners and enthusiasts to learn and share strategies on reducing home energy consumption.
Merry Maids
Merry Maids uses a bound home repair manual book that each client receives as part of every general home inspection. Last year, it introduced the repair manual book on CD and most franchise owners order the CD version along with the environmental binder, which is printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled chipboard with low-VOC vegetable ink. Merry Maids also has a turned edge binder available for order, which is more of a paper/cardboard based binder. The environmental binder is the most popular among the franchisees.
Merry Maids has been committed to making available the safest and most effective products for our team members, managers and franchisees since the company was founded in 1979. In 2008, the company launched a line of Green Seal-certified products, and now the products have evolved. Merry Maids Shineffective cleaning products bear the Design for the Environment (DfE) label, a standard established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that is widely recognized by U.S. consumers. Also in 2010, the company introduced Oreck Steam-It floor cleaners as recommended equipment for steam cleaning most hard-surface floors.
ServiceMaster Clean
ServiceMaster Clean Disaster Restoration providers are using the nanotechnology of the OdorKlenz® Air Deodorization Cartridge (Nano Filter) to tackle offensive odors on residential and commercial jobs such as: skunk, urine, smoke, trauma scene, sewage, garbage, oil, decomposed animal and more. As part of the ServiceMaster Clean odor remediation product line, the environmentally conscious, non-toxic and non-corrosive, the OdorKlenz® Air Deodorization Cartridge fits into an air scrubber and rapidly eliminates strong and harmful odors more effectively than ozone and activated carbon - by trapping, destroying and removing odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and air particles. (Air scrubbers are portable air filtration devices that filter the air of particles and contaminants).
ServiceMaster Fleet
ServiceMaster, which has one of the largest private fleets in the country, will add 10 hybrid vehicles to its TruGreen fleet in California. The first truck was put into service March 17. A hybrid vehicle combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric power train is intended to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle, or better performance.
It is expected that using hybrid vehicles will help ServiceMaster reduce its carbon footprint by improving fuel economy by up to 40 percent, providing a 30 percent reduction in maintenance costs and up to 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
AmeriSpec
At AmeriSpec, each client receives a have a bound home repair manual book as part of every general home inspection. In 2010, the brand introduced a version of the repair manual book on CD and in an environmentally preferred printed binder, using 100 percent post-consumer recycled chipboard with low-VOC vegetable ink. We also have a turned edge binder available for order, which is more of a paper/cardboard based binder. The environmental binder is the most popular among the franchisees.
Furniture Medic
At Furniture Medic, the core principle is to restore wood furnishings to their original beauty, encouraging reuse, rather than replacement. Through expert repair and maintenance, Furniture Medic extends the life of furnishings, reducing the need to toss damaged items into landfills.
As we celebrate Earth Day 2011, think of it as a new beginning - a renewal of how to think and work responsibly to keep the earth healthy. It all begins with you and how you choose to impact the earth - at home and at work at ServiceMaster.
TruGreen LandCare
At Miramar Wholesale Nurseries (a LandCare company) in San Diego, Calif., LandCare associates are engaging their customers by giving credit back to those who return black plastic containers so the nursery can clean and re-use them.
Miramar composts all green waste generated at the nursery and by the TruGreen LandCare maintenance branches in San Diego. The green waste is used to produce both compost and mulch which are sold in the landscape center and used in the nursery in soil mixes and for weed control.
LandMap route planning – From an operations perspective, TruGreen LandCare is continuing its efforts to right-size its fleet and to help ensure that its vehicles are as efficient as possible. LandMap route planning will reduce fuel usage as routes are analyzed and then modified to increase savings.
Xeriscaping – In the landscaping arena, LandCare is involved with initiatives such as xeriscaping, which is becoming increasingly popular in the western U.S. area. This involves removing non-native plants and replacing them with plants that thrive in the climate without need with minimal or no irrigation needs.
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