“Green” cleaning products have long been on the shelves of many MRO distributors, but these days they're likely to be part of an expanded offering that includes energy-efficient lighting and motors, green-certified soaps and hand lotions and recycled paper products—all aimed at helping customers reduce waste, save money and meet state and federal environmental goals.

Large distributors like HD Supply, Wolseley and W.W. Grainger are developing formal programs to promote environmentally conscious products, but smaller independent players say the issue is on their radar screens as well. Both parties say it's a trend that is just beginning to grow.

HD Supply is in the initial stages of developing a formal program, but its Facilities Maintenance division has offered energy efficient and green products for several years, said Paula Presenkowski, director of strategic marketing for HD Supply Facilities Maintenance, which sells MRO supplies to the hospitality industry, real estate management market and government customers, among others.

She says some customers want green options as a personal choice, others aim to meet federal, state and local government mandates and still others seek to save money with energy-efficient lighting, air conditioners and similar items.

Presenkowski's colleague Robin Soehl, vice president of marketing/merchandising, says the division is building its green arsenal to meet current and future needs.

“It's important to offer your customers a choice,” Soehl says. “In some cases for us, green is an option that might not be right [for customers] today, but it will be tomorrow or sometime down the road.”

The demand for green products crosses a wide range of categories at HD Supply, including cleaning chemicals, indoor air quality and water conservation, according to Ken Graat, a product manager in the Facilities Maintenance division.

“We've seen a demand now for recycling services as well,” he says, pointing to an outsourcing service HD Supply offers that helps customers recycle batteries, computer monitors and fluorescent lighting, among other items.

Smaller distributors are seeing similar trends. Henry Babb, a 30-year veteran of janitorial/sanitary supplies distribution, says he's watched the demand for eco-friendly products ramp up in recent years. Babb is vice president of operations for Waxie Supply Inc., an independent jan/san distributor headquartered in San Diego.

“The products have changed. There continues to be more of a push to the green side, in product use as well as knowledge and implementation,” Babb says. “The industry has become a lot more environmentally friendly and environmentally aware.”

Most green products stocked by distributors are certified or rated by independent agencies. This means distributors can point customers toward products with certain “seals” or stamps of approval.

W.W. Grainger explains this in detail on its Green Products page at www.grainger.-com. It outlines the government-backed Energy Star program, which certifies energy-saving products such as air conditioners, emergency lighting and fluorescent lamps; Green Seal, a non-profit group that certifies various products to green standards; the EPA-backed Comprehensive Procurement Guide for recycled products; and NEMA Premium, a trademark of the National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. that designates efficiency standards for motors. Grainger offers links to recommended products in each category.

The Web site is the main vehicle for promoting Grainger's green options. Director of marketing Yolanda Hernandez says employees use the site to educate customers on how Grainger can help them become more environmentally responsible in their MRO purchases. She agrees that going green is a growing trend, and says products are especially in demand among commercial and government customers.

“Some governors have issued executive orders requiring new government facilities be built and maintained in accordance with LEED certification,” she explains. “It will be interesting to see whether these initiatives will be adopted by more states.”

LEED is the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, which has become a standard for constructing and sustaining green buildings. Grainger works with customers to accommodate these goals as well.

Hernandez says Grainger sees demand for green items in the electrical, plumbing and chemicals categories, in particular.

“Lighting is an important green product category,” she says. “Upgrading a facility to energy-efficient lighting can have a significant environmental impact as well as a measurable return-on-investment. Plumbing and chemical products are also in high demand.”

Construction and building supplies distributor Wolseley plc took a big step into the green market recently when it broke ground on a $6 million facility dedicated to showcasing sustainable building products. Located near the company's headquarters in Leamington Spa, U.K., the 6,800-square-foot Sustainable Building Center is expected to open in mid-2008 and will showcase innovations in sustainable, energy-efficient and recycled building products.

Though large companies such as Grainger and Wolseley may be out front in the race to go green, smaller companies say it's only a matter of time before they're forging ahead with programs of their own. NetPlus Alliance, a network of independent distributors, is grappling with the issue.

NetPlus president Dan Judge says more manufacturers are developing green products these days—or are trying to raise awareness about the environmentally friendly options they already have. It's an issue his marketing director, Jennifer Murphy, is watching closely.

“It's definitely very much on my radar screen,” says Murphy, noting that NetPlus doesn't have an official “green” program in place. “Maybe [members] could opt-in to a select number of lines. Or, what if we just tagged those suppliers that have environmentally friendly products? I'd like to see that happen.

“What I don't want to see is this industry on the back end of the curve.”