UP FRONT
Continued from p. 13
some of the trust comes from the history, but there are several components. There’s the trust, the history, the science, the facts, and quite honestly—the global reach, the areas that UL plays in today that support the definition of sustainability, that all comes into play. We’ve learned from some of our customers that as they look at their message in the market, many of them on a global scale, the number of global players that can support the message that our customers are trying to communicate is very limited. So when you add up all of these components together and look at our global footprint, quite honestly, we have a huge opportunity at UL to drive the message and the mission forward, as well as the mission of our customers.
“Everyone in the organization believes in that mission and history that started 120 years ago. You watch how it continues to evolve, and it makes you want it to evolve even more.”
Product Spotlight American Dryer’s ExtremeAir CPC By Vincent Caruso
A one-of-a-kind dryer, created with patented technology, kills germs on the spot and saves you money Washing your hands is a transient process. Whether as a precautionary flu season routine or after tending to nature’s call, we follow the deed with a habitual wash and dry regiment without a need to lend any mind to this automated routine. After all, the soap takes care of everything, right? In reality, there are a great variety of smaller factors at play. So small, in fact, that most are not detectable by the naked human eye, and thusly not made subject to our consideration and concern. It’s negligence without justification, and it’s one that oftentimes risks counteracting the sanitizing effects of washing your hands in the first place. Fortunately, to disinfect our conscience, American Dryer has introduced the ExtremeAir CPC hand dryer.
gb&d: UL was one of the first companies to start setting standards and certifications and obviously tons have followed. With that have come issues with “greenwashing.” How is UL combatting that problem? Meier: Greenwashing is a challenge. We did a study, which was recently released, titled “Under the Lens: Claiming Green,” that researched how people interpret some of the claims in the marketplace. We did find that many of the claims and messages being communicated were surrounded by a question of greenwashing. So we’re very sensitive to how we use the market and how that message comes across in promoting what the customer is trying to relay. It’s backed by science, and that science is promoting the brand we believe, which goes back to trust and standing by the message or the initiatives that the client is trying to promote. PART TWO BUSINESS BACKGROUND gb&d: Your work history sort of prepped you for this job in terms of experience, but did you ever see yourself working in the sustainability realm? How does it feel to be here? The conversation continues on p. 19
16
march–april 2015
MRSA Influenza
E. coli Up to
99.6 %
Salmonella
the dryer’s kill rate against
Staph
C. diff Odors
What is Cold Plasma?
Often referred to as the “fourth state of matter” and known for its germ-killing ability, cold plasma is ionized air that contains positively and negatively charged molecules.
How does it work here?
Those molecules attract and kill germs leaving a by-product of pure water vapor.
How long has it been around? Since the 1930s.
Where is it typically used?
In schools, hospitals, and other facilities to keep the air clean. More recently, it’s been used in the medical industry to treat surgical incisions and in the food processing industry to break down harmful microbes.
gbdmagazine.com
IMAGES COURTESY OF AMERICAN DRYER, INC.
IN CONVERSATION with Lisa Meier