Automotive shops, manufacturing and industrial facilities often will rent shop towels from uniform companies. These towels are used to wipe up grime, oil and other contaminants in the facilities.

Chris Nolan, president of H.T. Berry Co., in Canton, Mass., has had success getting customers to make the switch from rental towel programs from uniform companies into purchasing wipers from his company.

“A lot of times, customers are willing to allow us to do an analysis converting to wipers from rags,” says Nolan. “We’ve had good success selling wipers. It takes some time for customers to let us come in and do a site survey and some analysis, but when we do that, it really makes their eyes pop out on what they save.”

As many as six additional charges are often associated with laundered shop towels besides the actual rental fee. These include a damage fee, an energy charge, a delivery charge, a replace fee, and an environmental/fuel surcharge fee. These additional fees can increase the overall cost of renting shop towels by as much as 25 percent, and, oftentimes go unannounced to customers at the time of signing a contract, according to distributors.

“You could show customers a six to eight month return as far as them doing a disposable wipe system vs. shop towels,” says Ryan Myers, vice president of Myers Supply & Chemical in Little Rock, Ark. “It’s also more environmentally friendly to use wipers than rent shop towels because of the laundry process.”

Another selling point distributors point to is the fact that there is less environmental impact when using disposable wipers vs. laundering towels. Some pollutants are discharged into the public wastewater system during laundering as well as emitted into the air. The absorbency, strength and size of a towel also can diminish over several launderings.

Distributors also say that by switching out towels for wipers, it is promoting a better environment for employees. Distributors point customers towards a 2003 study by The Gradient Corporation titled “Evaluation of Potential Exposure To Metals In Laundered Shop Towels.” The study found that “clean” rental shop towels frequently contain lead, cadmium, iron, antimony, oil and grease. In the same study, the Gradient Corporation found that someone using laundered shop towels could accidentally ingest enough lead to cause them to exceed safe levels. Oftentimes, metals are not completely removed from rented shop towels during the laundering process and can be transferred from the shop towel to a person’s hands and ultimately ingested. Plus, after laundering, rental towels often are not returned to the same facility, carrying its contaminants with them.

In addition to being a potential health and safety problem for workers, there are still misconceptions about the environmental benefits of rental shop towels, distributors say. For example, a study conducted by Lockheed Martin Environmental Services found that 30 percent more solid waste is sent to landfills from the processing of laundered shop towels than from disposables. The study went on to state that sludge from laundered wipes is potentially more threatening to human health and the environment, noting that “water washed sludge contains approximately 22 percent water which could increase the mobility of these pollutants into soil and ground water.”

Even laundered shop towels end up in a landfill after about 10-15 uses, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Links to download a PDF of these MSDS sheets

• 9503 Simple Solutions (English)
• 9503 Simple Solutions (French)
• Needle Punch MSDS
• 9500G Microbe Guard MSDS
• MSDS Orange Dot Stretch
• MSDS sheets 1.0 oz oil cloth (Spanish)

After reading this Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into and is a part of the Web Site’s Terms of Use, you will know:

1)    What information the Company collects from you
2)    How the Company uses your information
3)    What choices you have about how the Company treats your information
4)    How the Company protects your privacy
5)    How you can contact the Company

1.INFORMATION THE COMPANY COLLECTS FROM YOU

Active Information Collection
Like many other Web sites, we actively collect information from our visitors both by asking specific questions on the Web Site and by permitting you to communicate directly with us via e mail.  Some of the information that you submit during the registration process or while making a purchase may be personally identifiable (that is, information that can be uniquely identified with you, such as your name, business name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, etc.).  Also, if you place an order, you may be required to provide financial information.

When you visit the Web Site, we will not collect any personally identifiable information about you unless you provide it to us voluntarily.  If you choose to register with the Web Site, during the registration process you will be asked for both personal and demographic information, most of which is required in order to complete the registration.  We will inform you which information is optional.  If you opt not to register with the Web Site, you still can visit the Web Site but you will not be able to access pricing information or make a purchase.

The Company does not have control over the privacy policies applied by any other party that you may disclose information to.  Third party sites that are linked to from the Web Site are not under the control of the Company and we are not responsible for their content or privacy policies.  If you would like information on any other party’s privacy policy, you should contact that party directly, and we encourage you to do so.

Passive Information Collection
As you navigate through a Web site, certain information can be passively collected (that is, gathered without you actively providing the information) using various technologies and means, such as navigational data collection.  Like most Web site operators, we track IP addresses, use both session and persistent cookies, and assign Internet tags.  Our system also automatically gathers information about the areas you visit on this site and collects operational information about the technology you use, such as your browser, type of computer, operating systems, Internet service providers and the domain name of the Web Site from which you linked to our site.

In addition, when you view the Web Site, we may store some information on your computer.  This information will be in the form of a cookie or similar file and will help us in many ways.  For example, cookies allow us to tailor a Web site or advertisement to better match your interests and preferences.  Most Internet browsers enable you to erase cookies from your computer hard drive, block all cookies, or receive a warning before a cookie is stored.  Please refer to your browser instructions or help screen to learn more about these functions.  The Company does not collect personally identifiable information automatically, but we may tie information collected automatically to your previously submitted personally identifiable information.

We passively collect information to understand what areas of the Web Site are most popular, which areas may require improvement and what technologies are being used by our visitors.  This information helps us to update and improve the Web Site.  We also use this information for security purposes, to detect and to block security breaches and to provide you with a safe online environment.

2.    HOW THE COMPANY USES YOUR INFORMATION

The Company uses your personal information to enhance the operation of the Web Site and allow you to use all of its features.
Consider the following and adapt as necessary to fit the practices at the Company Web Site:
Your contact information (name, company name, mailing address, phone number, email address) will be used for the purposes for which you supplied it to us (e.g., registering with the Web Site, information or sample request.), to send you related notices or promotional materials and to respond to your comments or requests for information.  If you direct comments to us or you request information from us, we may ask you to verify where you are doing business so that we can be assured that the response or information we provide is appropriate for that geographic location.  We may also enhance or merge personally identifiable information with data obtained from third parties for the same purposes.

The Company will not give or sell your personally identifiable information to any outside organization for the organization’s own use without your consent.  The Company may disclose your personal information to the reputable vendors that assist us in processing information or delivering the items that our customers order.  These vendors are restricted from using the information for any purpose other than helping us to provide products and services.

The Company does not otherwise distribute to third parties your personally identifiable information.  The Company, however, will have no liability for disclosure of information obtained due to errors in transmission or the unauthorized intervention of third parties.

The Company may provide aggregate statistics about our customers; sales, online traffic patterns and related information to reputable third parties, but these statistics will not include any personally identifying information.  The Company also will disclose any information that it is required to disclose by law or by an appropriate government authority.

Although the Company does not currently rent, sell, or otherwise share your information with third parties for purposes unrelated to this site, it may do so in the future.  If you do not want your information to be shared, you should contact us at sales@atlanticmills.com as described in Section 3.

Some of our advertisers may display ads on the Web Site that solicit, or contain technology to collect, information about our users.  This information is collected and used by our advertisers, and is outside of our control.  If you have any questions about a banner advertisement, you should contact the responsible advertiser directly.

If you do not wish us to collect cookies, you may set your browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent.  If you do so, please note that some parts of the Web Site may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

You should review this Privacy Policy carefully, because if you do not agree with our practices, your ultimate choice is not to use the Web Site.  Remember, by using any part of the Web Site, you accept and agree to our privacy practices.  If we update this Privacy Policy, your continued use of the Web Site (following the posting of the revised Privacy Policy) means that you accept and agree to the terms of the revised Privacy Policy.

3.    HOW THE COMPANY PROTECTS YOUR INFORMATION

We work hard to protect your personal information.  We use both technical and procedural methods to maintain the integrity and security of our databases, including the use of firewalls.

This site contains links to other Web sites operated by third parties that may be of interest to you.  We cannot control these third party sites, which may collect personal information from you.  When you follow a link and leave this site, you do so at your own risk.

All users of the Company Web Site are subject to the following terms and conditions of use (these “Terms of Use”).
Please read these Terms of Use carefully before accessing or using any part of this Web Site.  By accessing or using this Web Site, you agree that you have read, understand and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, as amended from time to time, as well as the Company Privacy Policy, which is hereby incorporated into these Terms of Use. If you do not wish to agree to these Terms of Use, do not access or use any part of this Web Site.

The Company may revise and update these Terms of Use at any time without notice by posting the amended terms to this Web Site.  Your continued use of the Company Web Site means that you accept and agree to the revised Terms of Use.  If you disagree with the Terms of Use (as amended from time to time) or are dissatisfied with this Web Site, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using this Web Site.

COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS/USE OF CONTENT

The entire contents of this Web Site (including all information, software, text, displays, images and audio) and the design, selection and arrangement thereof, are proprietary to the Company or its affiliates or licensors and are protected by United States and international laws regarding copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other proprietary rights.  You are authorized only to use the content on the Company Web Site for personal use or legitimate business purposes related to your role as a current or prospective customer, supplier, or distributor of the Company.  You may not copy, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display or perform, republish, store, transmit or distribute any of the material on this site without the prior written consent of the Company, except to: (a) store copies of such materials temporarily in RAM, (b) store files that are automatically cached by your Web browser for display enhancement purposes, and (c) print a reasonable number of pages of the Company Web Site; provided in each case that you do not alter or remove any copyright or other proprietary notices included in such materials.  Neither the title nor any intellectual property rights to any information or material in this Web Site are transferred to you, but remain with the Company or the applicable owner of such content.  Except as expressly authorized by the Company in writing, you may not reproduce, sell or exploit for any commercial purposes (a) any part of this Web Site, (b) access to this Web Site or (c) use of this Web Site or of any services or materials available through this Web Site.

ACCESS AND INTERFERENCE
You agree that you will not (a) use any robot, spider or other automatic device, process or means to access the Web Site, (b) use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on this site or for any other unauthorized purpose without the prior written consent of the Company, (c) use any device, software or routine that interferes with the proper working of the Web Site, (d) attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Web Site, (e) take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Company’s infrastructure, or (f) access, reload or “refresh” transactional pages, or make any other request to transactional servers, more than once during any three (3) second interval.

TRADEMARKS
The Company name, the terms Microbe Guard®, Simple Solutions® and QuatGuard™ and the Company logo and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans are trademarks of the Company and/or its affiliates.  You may not use such marks without the prior written permission of the Company.  All other names, brands and marks are used for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

DEALINGS WITH OTHER MERCHANTS
If you choose to correspond, participate in a promotion or engage in transactions with any merchant found on or through this Web Site you acknowledge and agree that the Company is not a party to, and will not be responsible for, your interaction with such merchant, including its treatment of your information and the terms and conditions applicable to any transaction between you and the merchant.  The terms of your interaction with any merchant are solely between you and such merchant.  You agree that the Company will have no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage of any kind that you may suffer as the result of any such interaction or the presence of such merchants on this Web Site.

LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY AND ITS LICENSORS
The Company does not assume any liability for the materials, information and opinions provided on, or available through, the Company Web Site (the “Site Content”).  Reliance on the Site Content is solely at your own risk.  The Company disclaims any liability for injury or damages resulting from the use of any Site Content.
THE COMPANY WEB SITE, THE SITE CONTENT AND THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS WEB SITE ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITH ALL FAULTS.  NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR ANY PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPANY MAKES ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY, ACCURACY, OR AVAILABILITY OF THE COMPANY WEB SITE.  SPECIFICALLY, BUT WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPANY WARRANTS OR REPRESENTS THAT THE COMPANY WEB SITE, THE SITE CONTENT OR THE SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THIS WEB SITE WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE, ERROR-FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED; THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED; THAT THE COMPANY WEB SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS; OR THAT THE COMPANY WEB SITE WILL OTHERWISE MEET YOUR NEEDS OR EXPECTATIONS.  THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT.

IN NO EVENT WILL THE COMPANY OR ITS LICENSORS OR CONTRACTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE COMPANY WEB SITE, THE SITE CONTENT, ANY SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THIS WEB SITE OR ANY LINKED SITE, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, LOST PROFITS OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DELAY, INTERRUPTION IN SERVICE, VIRUSES, DELETION OF FILES OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, OR ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR OTHER INACCURACIES IN THE COMPANY WEB SITE OR THE SITE CONTENT OR SERVICES, WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS NEGLIGENCE BY THE COMPANY AND WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGES.

INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, third party information providers, licensors, contractors and others involved in the Company Web Site or the delivery of products, services or information over the Company Web site, from and against any and all liabilities, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising from any violation by you of this Agreement or your use of the Company Web site or any products, services or information obtained from this Web Site.

PRIVACY; PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
The Company’s use of your personal information and your responsibilities in connection with protecting your privacy are described in the Company Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

COMMENTS AND SUBMISSIONS
The Company welcomes your comments.  All comments, suggestions or other information sent by you to this Web Site for internal use by the Company or its advertisers or business partners in response to solicitations on this Web Site will become the Company’s property and you agree that all intellectual property rights therein are transferred to the Company.  You understand that any postings, or content submitted for posting, to publicly available portions of the Company Web site are non confidential for all purposes.

LINKS TO OTHER SITES; REFERENCES TO THIRD PARTIES
The Company Web Site contains links to other Web sites on the Internet.  The Company is not responsible for and does not endorse the content, products, services or practices of any third party Web sites, including, without limitation, sites framed within the Company Web Site or third party advertisements, and does not make any representations regarding their quality, content or accuracy.  Your use of third party Web sites is at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for such Web sites.

COMPLIANCE
The owner of this Web Site is based in the State of New Jesrsey, USA.  The Company makes no representation that materials in this Web Site are appropriate or available for use in other locations.  If you access this Web Site from other locations, you are responsible for complying with local laws.

CONTACT
Please contact us at 1-800-242-7374 or lwhitten@atlanticmills.com if you become aware of any content that may infringe the copyright of a third party or that you believe to be in violation of these Terms of Use.

MISCELLANEOUS
These Terms of Use shall be governed in all respects by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, USA, without regard to its conflicts of law principles, and exclusive jurisdiction over any cause of action arising out of these Terms of Use or your use of the Company Web Site shall be in the state or federal courts located in or near Ocean County NJ.  You agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such courts.

These Terms of Use, as they may be amended from time to time, completely and exclusively state the agreement between you and the Company with respect to the Company Web Site, and no other terms that may have been communicated to you orally or in any other manner shall have any force or effect.  Any cause of action you may have with respect to the Company Web Site must be commenced within one (1) year after the claim or cause of action arises or such claim or cause of action is barred.

If any part of these Terms of Use is unenforceable, the unenforceable part shall be construed to reflect, as nearly as possible, the original intentions of the parties.  The other provisions of these Terms of Use shall remain in full force and effect.

The Company’s failure to insist upon or enforce strict performance of any provision of these Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of the provision.  Neither a course of dealing or conduct between you and the Company nor any trade practices shall be deemed to modify these Terms of Use.