Recycling paper is the most common environmental move in commercial office buildings. This is just the tip of the iceberg regarding ways companies can make a difference. “Green is not static. There is no ‘bar’ that once you cross it you’re green. Rather, it's a process of continual improvement”(1). This implies that everyone can get on the road by carrying out the following three distinct components that constitute green:
1. Products
Green cleaning looks at all products including chemicals, consumables, vacuums and other equipment, entry mats and microfibre technology. For a green cleaning program to achieve success, it's imperative that all of these products are used and used correctly.
Use caution against products with common packaging terms like ‘biodegradable’, ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘natural’—these terms are meaningless. Look for what’s not in a cleaner instead. Always check Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and ensure products are free from chlorine, bleach, petroleum, synthetic fragrances and dyes.
2. Packaging
Suppliers are now actively reducing their consumption of virgin plastic in their packaging. This plastic reduction also translates into reducing CO(2) emissions in the energy productions of plastics. Green cleaning super-concentrates also pose a significant reduction, as their dilution rate is half that of a traditional chemical. These products last twice as long, resulting in half the packaging required on a site over a nominated period.
3. Processes
For a program to be truly sustainable, it must go as far as to examine how cleaners are trained. If pre-determined green standard operating procedures are not adhered to, then the standards may not be met and the green benefits can easily be compromised.
Changing how our customers think about cleaning is the first challenge. Building managers and agents would also do well to take advantage of the opportunity green cleaning offers to transform their buildings—and our industry. As social and regulatory pressures gain momentum, now is the time to do something about it, before we are forced to by legislation. Our customers, employees, stockholders and future generations will all be glad we did.
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