Companies Profit from Going Green

ermit the Frog always sang, “It’s not easy being green,” but some manufacturing companies in Augusta, Georgia firmly disagree.

Cleaning products supplier Kamo Manufacturing Company, Inc. plans to open a retail store that will focus on selling green-certified products.

Management at the Augusta Marriott Hotel & Suites have uncovered substantial savings by switching to 100% recycled bath and facial tissue.

Cartridge World’s Robert Amos has spared 50,000 used printer cartridges from ending up in area landfills while making money in the process. A standard toner cartridge takes up to 400 years to disintegrate in a landfill.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokesman Dale Kemery said the “green business movement” is moving forward at full steam despite the absence of universal “green standards”.

“What it means to be green at one company might not to another,” Mr. Kemery said.

At Kamo Manufacturing, going green simply means encouraging its customers to use eco-friendly cleaning products.

“I’ve changed my whole business,” Kamo co-owner Harris Weinstein said.

One of the ways in which Kamo has changed is by introducing its “Green Way” training program. The program is designed to teach custodial staff how to use eco friendly products, which contain natural enzymes instead of toxic ingredients, and to take accurate measurements to avoid using too many chemicals on the job.

Kamo customer Augusta Marriott Hotel & Suites started working with the company last year and along with saving money by switching to recycled tissue products, the company starting using an eco-friendly laundry detergent that is less abrasive on linens, which prolongs their life.