Greensafe News, Events & Seminars

Dade Paper's Greensafe Program was featured on CBS on February 17, 2009.  See the video at www.cbs4.com/greenflorida

It is a pristine, cavernous warehouse tucked into a South Florida neighborhood, but there's anything but 'business as usual' unfolding here. This is the unlikely epicenter of a green movement branching out to protect our most precious and vulnerable resource, children. Striding through its corridors is a woman driven to making our children's classrooms green and clean!

"The children who spend their time in buildings that were cleaned with green cleaning products have better attendance, had better test scores and better attitudes," Laura Craven tells CBS4 Chief Investigative Reporter Michele Gillen. Craven is the 'architect' of a green mission launched by a South Florida family owned and operated giant of a business, Dade Paper.

She's sold on reducing student's exposure to chemicals used in many common cleaning supplies. "Cleaning green" as she describes it has many benefits, "it's better for the indoor air quality. They are going to be healthier, they are going to be more alert, they will learn more in school, they are going to be happier kids", she contends.

The effort, the GREENSAFE program, can involve all details of cleaning practices, paper supplies and even transportation of products. At the end of the day, she says, it's about better protecting children, the planet and good business."Improvement of the indoor air quality has an impact on human health" she insists.

Indeed studies have shown that poor indoor air quality can trigger asthma attacks, skin and eye irritations, and headaches.

Reducing chemical exposure can be accomplished by using glass cleaners that don't use ammonia, to reusable micro fiber cleaning cloths that she explains,"naturally attract the dirt and trap it so you can clean surfaces and not use chemicals."

At our invitation, Craven visited the Linda Ray Center at the University of Miami. It is for abused and neglected children, some of whom have suffered brain injuries and have been brought there to be lovingly nurtured back to health.

Upon learning from us that conventional chemically laden cleaning supplies were used here, Craven and Dade Paper decided to spearhead a green makeover of the nationally acclaimed center.

Dr. Lynne Katz , center director, says it's a step forward for the children and one that she relishes. "This is an opportunity, a win win for us," Katz said.

Changing the face of cleaning America's classrooms. A fitting challenge for a company born 70 years ago,the brain child of a founder, Irving Genet, who sold his paper products from his bicycle and who's imprint may well affect children and mother earth, for generations to come.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

DadePaper participates in many educational programs including hosted seminars at DadePaper facilities, customer specific seminars and other industry trade shows and events.

Recent speaking engagements include:

• Miami Beach Senior High School
• Federal Reserve Bank - Academy of Finance
• Miami-Dade College Conference
• Miami Beach Sustainable Living Council
• USGBC Continuing Education Program for AIA
• National Pollution Prevention Week
• Florida Green Lodging Program Workshop
• Green Earth Expo
• Florida Green Lodging Conference

Upcoming Events:

DadePaper's Regional Expo: Atlanta, GA May 18, 2010

DadePaper's Innovations Expo: Fort Lauderdale, FL September 21, 2010