Corporate sustainability is the future, and in many ways, it’s already here. Consumers have demonstrated a clear desire to select businesses with specific and measurable sustainability goals. From tree planting initiatives, supply chain zero emissions efforts, water conservation, electric cars, the list goes on and on.
But with cleaning, however, the push towards sustainability has been perhaps a bit slower. So how can companies make sure they are acting sustainably and responsibly in their cleaning efforts? Here are a few ways to start.
1. Invest in eco-friendly cleaning equipment.
Investing in high quality equipment is one way to boost your sustainable cleaning efforts. Automatic floor scrubbers are calibrated to use a precise amount of cleaner and water each time, eliminating waste, saving time, and freeing up cleaning personnel to work on other tasks.
Hand soap dispensers that only release an exact portion of soap will also help
2. Choose cleaning products that promote reusing bottles and wipes.
Skip any solution that involves constantly throwing away bottles. Nowadays there’s really no excuse to not reuse your plastic cleaning bottles and their triggers. By using dissolving cleaning products, you can keep reusing the same bottles over and over again, and simply receive new shipments of concentrated pacs of your cleaning chemicals. Additionally, opt for reusable microfiber cloths instead of single use wipes like paper towels or other disposable options.
3. Use products & cleaning service providers that have earned Green Seal Certification.
Many cleaning products and services might claim to be environmentally friendly, but make sure to trust but verify. Checking on Green Seal Certification status is a great way to do just that. Green Seal puts out strict standards for a variety of aspects of commercial cleaning, including cleaning services and industrial/commercial cleaning products. Abiding by their rigorous standards means a firm has demonstrated a clear commitment to sustainability. Green Seal looks at everything from equipment, staff training, policies and procedures, and transparent messaging.
4. Understand and improve upon your carbon emissions footprint.
Your cleaning product supply chain might be throwing off more CO2 into the atmosphere than you think. Whenever possible, buy products that are made in the USA and minimize shipping weight. Using concentrated dissolving cleaning pacs, for example, requires less than 1/10th the gasoline to transport compared to traditional, pre-mixed cleaning products.
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