The aim of Green Cleaning is to protect the health of building occupants and cleaners, while minimising the environmental impacts associated with the cleaning process.
Some traditional cleaning chemicals are high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when evaporated—circulate through a building’s ventilation system—can cause respiratory irritation and trigger asthmatic attacks. These chemicals can also leave residues that cause eye and skin irritation and the spreading of bacteria from one surface to another by floored cleaning processes are the main reasons for staff absenteeism through sickness.
Sick staff, means less productivity.
The manner in which cleaning products such as chemicals, bin liners and washroom consumables are manufactured, packaged and distributed determines how ‘green’ they are. The ‘Why Should be Clean Green’ panel discussion held at the recent Building Services and Maintenance (BSM incorporating Ausclean) Expo illuminated what ‘green’ actually means. During the forum, Nick Capobianco from Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA)1 commented that “every manufactured product has some degree of impact on the environment, the questions is: how much good and how much harm do they create?”2
With green products, packaging and processes readily available, it is time for all responsible building managers and cleaning companies to look at cleaning through the lens of the triple bottom line—people, profit, planet. People working in a hygienically cleaned space are more productive which improves everyone’s bottom line, whilst minimising environmental impact.
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