Working together for sustainable tourism: Green Care Professional and Green Key continue their partnership

The eco label Green Key and the Green Care Professional brand of Tana-Chemie GmbH have extended their partnership to 2024. The non-profit run eco-certification for environmentally friendly accommodations and the Professional Division of Werner & Mertz, the Mainz-based cleaning products manufacturer, joined forces in 2019 to promote sustainable solutions for washing and cleaning in the tourism industry.

Green Key is a voluntary eco certificate for hotels, hostels, campgrounds, attractions, conference centers and restaurants. Green Key certification is based on strict criteria for sustainability management and sustainability training of personnel and suppliers. Compliance with the criteria is checked in annual audits. Currently, more than 3,000 facilities in more than 60 countries bear the Green Key seal. The program is administered by the international charitable organization Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Green Care Professional is one of the world’s leading sustainability brands for commercial building cleaning. The hygiene solutions of Tana-Chemie GmbH are distinguished by their environmentally compatible ingredients and innovative recycled packaging made from used plastic. For its unwavering focus on sustainability in all business areas, the Professional Division of Werner & Mertz was awarded the sought-after platinum medal by the CSR rating agency EcoVadis. That officially puts Tana-Chemie among the most sustainable companies in the world.

Performance Calculator: Online calculation of ecological benefits

Collaboration with Green Care Professional delivers real support to Green Key member companies as they work to achieve their sustainability goals. Since 2019 Green Key has made available its stand-alone version of the Green Care Performance Calculator from Werner & Mertz Professional. With the online tool, companies can figure out how much the conversion to sustainable cleaning products reduces their own ecological footprint.

The Performance Calculator yields concrete data on how many tons of plastic waste, crude oil and greenhouse gases a user can spare the environment by using environmentally friendly products. The tool is available to certified members on the Green Key Website under the heading “Washing and Cleaning”.

“We are very happy that we can continue our successful collaboration with Green Key in the coming years,” says Thomas Ulbricht, Head of the Professional Division of Werner & Mertz. “Wherever Nature is destroyed by climate change and pollution, the tourism industry loses one of the most important basics for its business. Therefore, together with Green Key, we will continue our work of explaining to owners and guests the environmental benefits of a functioning circular economy.”

Green Key is a voluntary ecolabel for hotels, hostels, campsites, holiday parks, small accommodations as well as conference centres, attractions and restaurants. The Green Key award is based on compliance with strict criteria in the areas of environmental management (water, energy, waste, cleaning, etc.) and sustainability education (staff, guests, suppliers, etc.). Compliance with the criteria is confirmed through a rigorous application process and verified at on-site audits. The award is valid for one year at a time. Currently (May 2021), more than 3,000 establishments in 60 countries are Green Key awarded. The programme is managed by the international charity, the Foundation for Environmental Education. Green Key is endorsed by the World Tourism Organization and its hotel criteria are recognised by Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

FEE International Head Office
Green Key International
Scandiagade 13
2450 Copenhagen SV
Denmark
info@fee.global
www.greenkey.global