ECOS, the maker of environmentally friendly cleaning products, has won the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional WasteWise Award, demonstrating their continuous leadership in sustainability and TRUE. The award is given to three organizations in the EPA’s Southwest region and is an award ECOS has won numerous times.
ECOS’s mission is to protect the health and wellness of people and the planet by providing sustainable and affordable cleaning products for all. For over 50 years ECOS has been dedicated to green laundry detergent and cleaners, but their dedication to sustainability reaches far beyond their products. ECOS has been able to divert over 95% of waste from landfill and incineration through the pursuit and achievement of TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste.
“I’m honored and happy to work with TRUE. They’re there to make the most of our resources and make it happen,” says ECOS’s Vice President for Sustainability, Dr. Nadereh Afsharmanesh. Afsharmanesh has led the company to its goals in carbon neutrality in 2013 and to the switch to 100% renewable energy. For Afsharmanesh, ECOS’ TRUE certification is a continuation of these company values, in addition to the opportunity to increase efficiency while reducing costs on handling and disposal.
TRUE provides companies like ECOS with the guidance to collect, record and report on sustainability tactics and ultimately go further with them. The certification goes beyond recycling and aims for zero waste by creating innovative solutions to mitigate waste at the source.
In addition to ECOS’s four TRUE Platinum sites, they are also in the process of earning a LEED Zero certification in all four categories at all four of their locations. Facilities can achieve LEED Zero Waste through LEED certification and through TRUE Platinum certification. With LEED Zero, companies can earn certifications in LEED Zero Carbon, LEED Zero Energy, LEED Zero Waste and LEED Zero Water. The certifications aim to advance green buildings for the planet, people and the green economy.
USGBC and GBCI President and CEO, Mahesh Ramanujam, congratulated ECOS on their accomplishments and highlighted some of their good work:
ECOS’s continued dedication to TRUE, along with their pursuance of LEED Zero certifications, demonstrates their commitment to always going beyond expectations when it comes to environmental stewardship. In addition to their TRUE Platinum certification, ECOS is a carbon and water neutral company and all of their sites run completely on renewable energy.
Running a bicoastal company, ECOS has sites across the U.S in Parsippany, NJ, Addison, IL, Lacey, WA and Cypress, CA, making the pursuit of TRUE certification a facility-based endeavor. “Each facility has its own personality, so we modify and monitor these plans for each,” says Dr. Afsharmanesh. To reach and maintain their goals, teamwork is needed from the whole team, from the upper executives to the janitors. No matter what location, unity helps bring together the whole company to fulfill their vision.
Dr. Afsharmanesh has been crucial in guiding the company’s goals for sustainability. Starting as a plant manager in 2010, she has created a legacy of neutrality and certification achievements for ECOS. She has learned to look at every angle when it comes to managing resources, suppliers and a dynamic company culture. Under her leadership, the company continues to meet and exceed environmental expectations.
Going forward, ECOS is focused on maintaining its TRUE certification and looks forward to earning four categories of LEED Zero certifications. ECOS continues to prove its leadership by winning the EPA WasteWise Award and succeeding in its vision to help the environment in any way that it can.