What is Green Cleaning?
Green cleaning is the holistic approach to caring for a building. It’s a concept that focuses on creating the safest, healthiest and best performing indoor environment meeting the specific needs of building owners, managers and occupants.
“Green cleaning is a new approach to janitorial services that offers better environmental performance and improved worker health and safety, while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive methods. When correctly employed, no clean power is sacrificed through green cleaning practices.” The Green Cleaning Pollution Preventer Calculator.
WHY GREEN CLEANING?
The EPA has estimated that reduced levels of toxin due to a green cleaning program increases productivity up to 12%. The EPA has also estimated that 20% to 30% of people suffer adverse effects from cleaning toxins on surfaces and in the air (VOC’s) leading to lost work days and decreased productivity.
We can develop and implement a janitorial program that conforms to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Standards. Such a program can improve indoor air quality and have a substantial impact on tenant/employee attraction and retention with little, if any, impact on the bottom line.
Green cleaning is not a fad. It is a movement motivated by an awareness of the impact we have on our environment. Concern will not diminish with time or change in the economic climate. In the near future the LEED standards will be mandated in all commercial and residential construction as they have been in many individual states for State owned buildings. Building owners and managers can position themselves as leaders in sustainability with forward looking policies.
