LAKE FOREST, ILL. – In celebration of Earth Day, Grainger will host green educational events, in 25 markets across the country, to help businesses and institutions garner the knowledge and tools needed to maintain and operate more sustainable and energy-efficient facilities. In addition, Grainger announced the launch of an online green product catalog that provides customers access to more than 3,300 environmentally responsible products.

“Businesses are looking to navigate the many definitions of green to ultimately find ways to maintain and operate their facilities more efficiently and cost-effectively, without taxing our environmental resources,” said Deb Oler, vice president of Grainger Industrial Supply. “Our green catalog (printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper), coupled with the free educational Earth Day events, are designed to provide businesses with a roadmap toward a more sustainable future. It’s just one of the many ways Grainger is demonstrating its commitment to helping businesses become more sustainable while saving them time and money in the process.”

The online catalog features items certified by Green Seal, EcoLogo, NEMA Premium and Energy Star as well as products that have environmentally preferable attributes and can be used to earn credits toward LEED certification.

The Earth Day events will include representatives from Grainger’s supplier base who will discuss green product information and solutions as well as offer needs assessments and audits in areas such as energy, water, green cleaning and waste reduction.

Grainger has made a commitment to sustainability by implementing programs to preserve the natural resources within the communities where the company operates. In October 2008, Grainger opened its first two LEED certified branches in New Iberia and Gonzales, La.