The word “Green” is not the omniterm for anything environmental, although there is a tendency to replace the word “Green” with “Environmental”. Environmentalism is a broad topic that has several subdivisions. Under this great theme of environmentalism, we will find Green, Sustainable, Pollution and Conservation. Each of these subdivisions are a huge topic on their own.

In the mix of words and concepts, we have lost the fundamental meaning of Green. Environmental, Green, or Sustainable now blur into that ugly green color we created in kindergarten when we mixed all the colors together into one big blob. We cannot progress when confusion reigns and all science starts from a definition of terms.

The best definition of green refers to the health impact of what we do on living things. So Green is primarily a health related issue. This is seen in the fact that cleaning products were the first green topics. In fact, indoor air quality is an important factor in green buildings. Sick building syndrome was the result of poor indoor air quality, which is the antithesis of Green.

Sustainability has also been misrepresented in many applications, but essentially it is about managing our resources. This is a complementary theme to Green, so a Green and Sustainable business means that the company considers the health of the workplace as well as the material demands of the business.

The health of the workplace can be affected by cleaning products, building materials, furniture, paint, and carpeting. “Outgassing” is a well-documented concern. Installing new carpet, new furniture, new paint, and new wood leave behind residual fumes as these items continue to dry. Your senses will betray you because we think that everything new is clean and healthy, but that is a big mistake. Varnishes and additives for paint, carpet glue, and wood fall into the category of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are not good for you. If your health is understood, these vapors can worsen your condition and accelerate the disease. If it’s healthy, long-term exposure will wear it down over time.

Think of recirculated dust that contains bacteria, viruses, feces and scale from dust mites, carbon from copies, and much more. It is a miracle that we are not sick all the time, except that we are generally healthy and can live in harsh environments for a long time.

The people who are supposed to help clean our facilities and protect our health through disinfection processes are the janitors, but clean does not mean healthy. The ammonia in window spray is harmful, the zinc in floor finish is bad for humans, the many chemicals in cleaners all add up to a worsening situation.

Mold is a persistent problem for many buildings. Mold spores are never good for workers and can become a critical concern if left untreated. Latent problems also remain in the HVAC system. It is fair to say that the air in any building is a kind of “Ground Zero” for any office or business. If employees are negatively affected, productivity will drop. Headache in the afternoon, occasional nausea, and lethargy can be signs of unhealthy indoor air quality. So while your building may be energy efficient and you may be able to conserve water and recycle your trash (sustainability issues), the building may be very ungreen because it is unhealthy.

The Green Business League believes that a green office begins with an understanding of the healthy office and a serious look at the components that compromise indoor air quality. Consider using a Green certified janitorial service that also uses Green cleaning products, microfiber cloths, and HEPA vacuums. Don’t let mold go untreated. Be careful with all paint, carpeting, and furniture used in the facility because they introduce a large volume of gases into the air.

Green is primarily a health-related issue that mixes with other issues of sustainability, pollution control, and conservation. By dividing the topics properly, the plan of attack seems much clearer. To attack the problem in a methodical way, companies should consider “Going Green” first and then move on to sustainable issues. The early disdain for the word green stems from the anti-business attitudes of ultra-conservatives who needed a target for their vitriol. Green is not an anti-business concept when properly understood. A green company is one that is a good place for living beings in the workplace, in the community and in the world.