Western Washington wins green cleaning award

By DAVE GALLAGHER, THE BELLINGHAM HERALD, Dec. 1, 2009

Western Washington University has won the 2009 Green Cleaning Grand Award for Schools and Universities from American School and University magazine, the top award given in the category nationally.

"We're honored to receive this prestigious award and to be recognized as the national leader in green cleaning. We work hard every year to make our cleaning practices more sustainable and environmentally friendly, and are always seeking ways to improve - and I think that shows in awards such as these," said Tim Wynn, WWU's director of Facilities Management in a press release. "The hard work of our cleaning staff has really paid off."

The award is sponsored by American School and University magazine, The Green Cleaning Network, and Healthy Schools Campaign.

WWU's Academic Custodial Services has been a "green" department for the last six years and has been on the nationally recognized leading edge in the green-cleaning movement for the past nine years. The department has divested itself of petrochemical cleaning products and has begun using compostable trash liners with a goal of reducing the university's waste stream to zero in a few years.

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