Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Three tips for running a sustainable cleaning company…
Courtesy of Living Wage pioneer, Kingdom Cleaning
“More and more consumers are focusing on being eco-friendly in their personal and professional lives, which means they want to use companies that will commit to helping the environment.
To stay ahead of the competition, cleaning companies must now look into ethical business practices. But how?
1. Create a corporate cleaning policy
If you want to ensure your business remains environmentally friendly, the first step is creating a policy that outlines your mission and values.
Ensure that everyone in your company sticks to the corporate policy by teaching them about these environmental issues. Advocate for green products within the work environment and educate your employees on the effects of non-eco cleaning products.
Simple things like implementing reusable cutlery and water bottles or encouraging car shares between employees can make all the difference for both the environment and promoting the green policy within your business.
Establishing a recycling programme and offering sustainability reports will also encourage this behaviour and promote awareness of environmental issues. This will also help reduce waste and the greenhouse gas emissions that arise from landfill use.
You have to be serious about your green messaging, which could mean getting eco-friendly certifications and licenses like Green Seal or signing the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning.
Being eco-friendly isn't an easy task. Many businesses revert to their old ways because they want to save money or work faster, but promoting sustainable cleaning could help you out in the long run.
2. Examine the products you're using
A lot of the products used by commercial cleaning companies contain harmful chemicals. Eco-friendly products tend to be non-toxic, odour-free, dye-free and biodegradable. The best way to determine if your products have these qualities is simple: read the labels.
One thing to keep an eye on is volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used for dilution in paint and cleaning products. It can release toxic gas in the air when used. It's also a good idea to watch out for products that contain chlorine bleach, lye, or ammonia.
Keep up to date with the latest information regarding chemicals and ingredients you should avoid using and work to find eco-friendly and just as effective alternatives.
These alternatives include those using biodegradable packaging made from wood, bamboo, and cornstarch - and even mop heads made from textile waste and recycled materials.
Your customers aren't the only ones who'll benefit from your eco-friendly products. This reduction of harsh chemicals will also help cut down the number of employee sick days and keep your employees happy by showing you care for their health and wellbeing.
If you can't completely cut out these products, start small with one product a month and slowly ramp this up until you can be completely sustainable.
3. Invest in new technology and green practices
A big part of being eco-friendly is staying on top of the latest technology and practices to help the environment. As your business grows, you'll want to invest in technology to make it more scalable.
Some of the latest eco-focused products include compostable sponges, plastic-free cleaning accessories such as wooden toilet brushes or reusable mopheads made from recycled paper.
New technologies to consider include no-touch cleaning systems, which consist of high and low-pressure sprays and vacuums to clean bathrooms, stairwells and kitchens and ATP testing. This can provide data on hygiene levels and formulate a cleaning regime for touchpoints and high traffic areas.
Marketing that you use these new technologies and care about your business' environmental impact is a great way to find new customers or clients. While going green can be an investment of your time and money, there are plenty of benefits both commercially and environmentally.”
20th January 2022