During my first month with Maintenance Solutions magazine, the flourishing trend of “going green” was a popular topic of conversation.
I wasn’t quite sure how significant the phrase was at the time, but that was before I traveled to Chicago Nov. 6-8 for Greenbuild 2007. A record crowd of 22,835 packed McCormick Place to get an inside look at the newest products and ideas that will fuel the green industry for years to come.
Knowing California is recognized as the leader of the green movement, I ventured into an educational session aptly titled, California Raises the Bar: Environmental Product Standards and Specifications. Dan Burgoyne, sustainability manager for California’s Department of General Services, discussed Executive Order S-20-04 and California’s ambitions to make its buildings more environmentally friendly in the next 5-10 years.
California, home to an economy that ranks in the top 10 worldwide, owns 22,000 buildings and 205 million square feet of space. While not all of these facilities will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, many are affected by the green movement in some way. Green purchasing, which includes maintenance products, is motivated by three primary factors, Burgoyne says:
•It’s good for the environment. •It lowers operating cost. •It preserves public health.
Burgoyne’s points were California-specific, but they apply to many of the products and green-driven ideas featured at the conference. Although California might have jump-started the green movement, Greenbuild’s long lines, crowded sessions, and wall-to-wall visitors proved the ideas have spread in a hurry.