properly treat the wastes you cannot say you are acting in a green manner.” Knell cautioned operators to carefully consider any green product before buying into the hype, and instead focus on the overall wash process. “Green cleaning standards should mean the total lifecycle environmental cost of the cleaning process. To us, this means mak- ing concentrated products to reduce waste in packaging and shipping,” he said. Alot of green terms are “feel good” market- ing copy, said Stuart Hammerschmidt, also of Shore Corp. For instance, none of the follow- ing terms have a proper, quantifiable defini- tion: eco-friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic, renewable, recycled, natural, organic and safe. Instead, Hammerschmidt said operators should consider the federal, state and even municipal regulations in place. Carwash own- ers can look to California for an example of what may be heading down the pipe line, too, since it has rather strict VOC (volatile organic compound) and discharge regulations. Across the ocean American manufacturers aren’t the only ones concerned about the environment. MA-FRA, an Italian-based chemical provider which is poised to break into the American market, views its eco-friendly business practices and products as a neces- sity (thanks to strict Italian laws), as well as a personal responsibility. The compa- ny’s commitment to the environment began in the early 80s, when it launched a complete CFC-free (chlorofluorocarbons) spray line. In the 1990s, the company began production of its Ecomaf line, deter- gents based on natural surfactants, as well as launched alkylphenols-free and phos- phate-free detergents. In 2004, the company received its ISO 14001 certification, which maintains the company is an environmentally friendly managed one, and in 2008, it developed NTA-free formulas detergents and later launched its Ecolabel consumer line. According to the company, these products clean as well, and cost comparative to those of non-green products. It also offers an ecologi- cal certification program to carwash owners which use MA-FRA’s low-impact products. “[This certification] guarantees them to maintain COD and BOD levels,” explained Alessio Casselini, executive director for the company. COD, or chemical oxygen demand, and BOD, biochemical oxygen demand, are two important indicators of the quality and safety of water used and treated at the wash, which are regulated by the European government. “The active certification of MA-FRA has allowed many carwashes to avoid closing down in particularly dry summer seasons due to town council resolution,” Casselini said. Carwashes are often considered “squanderers of water control, he further explained, but control bodies have realized that carwashes using MA-FRA products can guarantee a low environmental impact, as well as lower water consumption. PC&D
