OH EPA Chief Recognizes Washing Systems

Craig W. Butler, the director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OH-EPA), visited Washing Systems LLC’s headquarters on Feb. 3 to tour the facility and honor the company’s commitment to environmental conservation, according to a news release.

“Washing Systems has made a commitment to be environmentally sustainable and encourage other industries to adopt more sustainable practices,” said Butler, whose agency named Washing Systems last year as the winner of a silver award in the OH-EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) program. “Their leadership and success are measurable and important. We are proud to recognize this outstanding Ohio business.”

Washing Systems CEO Robert Fisher thanked state officials for acknowledging the company founded in 1989 to serve the North American laundry processing industry. “We are very honored and humbled to receive this silver-level award for Encouraging Environmental Excellence from the EPA,” he said. “We think of our chemistry as a key success driver for our customers, the critical piece that allows laundry operators to deliver quality textiles to their customers. By delivering completely NPE-free and phosphate-free products, we are further adding to the overall quality of the textiles they produce.”

Based in Loveland, OH, Washing Systems today is one of the largest chemical suppliers to commercial laundries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the release said. The company’s research has led to the production of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) free detergents. It created a detergent builder that is based on a natural, sustainable and biodegradable agent to soften water in the washing machine. The company also has removed phosphates, petroleum-based solvents and a chemical known as EDTA from its products.

Ohio’s E3 program acknowledges state business and other organizations for completing environmentally beneficial activities and encouraging a commitment to environmental stewardship. Businesses that earn the group’s silver award must have a good environmental compliance record and complete environmental stewardship activities that show a strong corporate environmental ethic. To learn more, go to www.epa.ohio.gov/ohioe3.aspx.

In addition to E3, Washing Systems is active in environmental-protection initiatives, including:

• The U.S. EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. Washing Systems has developed five DfE products, including its Pure Solutions Line™ of chemicals.
   
• The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR). Washing Systems was a charter member of the NPPR’s Safer Chemical Challenge Program, which has pledged to reduce hazardous chemicals by 25% by 2025.