The Evolution of Green Cleaning – To Infinity and Beyond!

The Beginning – When Green Cleaning Wasn’t Even a Buzzword

Today, smart businesses recognize the health and economic benefits of green cleaning. Yet, not so very long ago, the practice seemed light-years away from being a practical reality.

Now the buzz is all about green building and maintenance. The president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Rick Fedrizzi said, “Green buildings provide operational performance, environmental sensitivity and improved health for their occupants. It's a triple bottom line great companies can relate to.”

Where did it all begin? According to architects, sustainable design – or building with the ecological environment in mind – dates back to early man. They lived in caves or built shelters of stone, wood, mud and grasses. When abandoned, the man-made shelters would eventually return to the natural ecosystem. Over time, however, building materials changed, and structures could withstand harsher conditions. As a result, buildings no longer recycled themselves back to nature. In addition, we began to require larger and stronger buildings for business and industry. The manufacturing of building materials and the energy consumption of massive structures placed an enormous strain on the environment.

The term “conservation,” which came into existence in the late 19th century, means the management of natural resources. By the 1960s, alarming research showed the harm that chemicals and pesticides inflicted on the environment. The energy crisis of the ’70s caused people to question the wisdom of relying on fossil fuels for transportation and buildings. Architects began paying closer attention to designs that were more ecologically friendly. Eventually this practice became known as “green building.” Six years ago, the USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED), which certifies buildings as “green” if they meet certain criteria.

While not every real estate developer has jumped on the green building bandwagon, the real results from the early adopters have led many to see the true value. The U.S. government has mandated green practices in federal buildings. Green cleaning has become vital to the maintenance of green buildings, as well as to traditional buildings.

And now, earth-friendly cleaning products are on par with their conventional counterparts in both effectiveness and price. According to a recent article in Real Estate Weekly, “As the industry has become more aware of the benefits of green cleaning, the products have significantly improved, and because they are more readily available…. it now costs nearly the same to buy green products [as traditional products] whereas five years ago, it would have been 50 percent more.” In addition, technological advances in cleaning equipment – such as vacuum cleaners and even dusting cloths – have made these tools better for the environment and more efficient. When you factor in the other benefits listed below to determine the true cost, green cleaning can more than pay for itself in the long run.

The Benefits

Green cleaning programs promote health, safety and social consciousness. Processes focus on improving indoor air quality, recycling, and minimizing the use of raw materials and toxic products that require disposal.

Green cleaning can:

• Help decrease air pollution, water pollution, ozone depletion and global climate change.

• Help reduce health problems associated with allergens, chemical sensitivities and contaminants, such as mold and bacteria. Green cleaning products contain low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) levels that emit fewer fumes and are gentler on the facility itself.

• Increase worker satisfaction, improve morale, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity, efficiency and retention. These statistics are well documented.

• Help reduce costs to building management, tenants, and/or the janitorial company, including costs associated with sick leave, health care, and productivity loss. In addition, green cleaning practitioners use energy-efficient equipment and focus on preventative maintenance to reduce expenses.

• Enhance an organization’s reputation and brand equity, because being socially conscious has become a desirable business trait.

To Infinity and Beyond

Twenty years ago, few resources existed on green building and cleaning. Today information is readily available through many organizations, including the USGBC, the American Planning Association, the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology, Sustainable Industry Buildings Council, the Unified Green Cleaning Alliance and more. Conferences, such as the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, annually attract thousands who come to learn the latest on green products and services through educational tracks and exhibits. In addition, some large janitorial companies specialize in green cleaning and offer expertise in planning and implementing customized programs. And if you still require more information, an online search for “green cleaning practices” will return about 14 million results.

What does the future hold? Green has surely taken hold. “We can safely say that green buildings are no longer a fad, but rather an increasingly important new way of doing business,” said Harvey Bernstein, vice president, Industry Analytics and Alliances, for McGraw Hill Construction. And, the USGBCs Fedrizzi comments, “Green building isn’t the wave of the future. It’s the reality of the present. The question is no longer why build green; the question is why wouldn’t you?”

Additional indicators that green will only gain popularity include the March 20, 2006 issue of Fortune magazine, which contains an advertising special feature called “Building A Greener Future” – the second issue of its kind in just 18 months.

Green cleaning will continue to gain ground as more companies see positive results from those who decided to go green early. Not only does it go hand-in-hand with green building, it is increasingly important for businesses in buildings that were not built “green.” Beginning in 2004, existing non-green buildings could seek certification under LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), and in 2005, LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) was launched to certify “high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce the environmental footprint.” Many smaller businesses and schools that might not seek LEED certification have also embraced green cleaning as an important factor in creating a healthier environment for employees, customers, students and other occupants.

While some building owners and property managers may think it’s not easy being green – they will soon find out that information, resources and expert providers are available today to implement green cleaning programs in big or small steps. In fact, green is the only way to go if you consider what George Burns once said, “I look to the future because that’s where I’m going to spend the rest of my life.

Five Features of Effective Green Cleaning Programs

Astute individuals, businesses and governmental agencies know that clean plus green equals good. More than just a trend, implementing a green cleaning program is now recognized as a wise business move. The much touted benefits of creating a healthier workplace include increased productivity and reduced costs. Green cleaning has also become a key component in obtaining certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.

If you understand the advantages of green cleaning and have decided to implement a program, how do you go about choosing the right one? What elements separate superior green cleaning plans from the rest? Below are some features to consider when evaluating a program.

1. A Holistic Approach
When it comes to maintaining a healthy facility, all areas – from entryways to bathrooms to HVAC systems – affect the indoor environment. In choosing a green cleaning program, make sure that the provider looks at your building holistically, considering the building’s purpose and uses.

Because entryways serve as gateways for pollutants entering the building, a good program will begin there. While traditional cleaning methods attempt to control this dirt after it enters and spreads throughout the building, effective green cleaning focuses on trapping and removing contaminants at entryways. Cleaning chemicals, janitorial processes and equipment, ventilation systems, waste removal, and even occupant habits are other areas that a holistic green cleaning program will address.

2. A Beyond-the-Surface Focus
The primary intent of most cleaning programs is to leave surfaces looking spotless and dirt free. Green cleaning programs should go far beyond this, however. Dirt, bacteria, mold and other pollutants may not be seen, but they can certainly affect the indoor air quality. Green cleaning programs aim to remove harmful particles from the air, not add to the problem by using harsh chemicals.

Although it may be difficult to judge how well a green cleaning program has removed unseen particles, you can ask about equipment used to make sure that it is efficient and well maintained. Steps that facility maintenance providers can take to demonstrate a beyond-the-surface focus include emptying vacuum bags when half full and keeping equipment clean. Even something as simple as a dusting cloth can make a difference: A microfiber cloth captures dust, rather than just moving it around. These small measures ensure that the equipment and processes contribute to, rather than counteract, the effectiveness of your program.

3. Products and Services Offered
The products used in green cleaning play a vital role in the program’s success. Products should qualify for third-party certification by organizations such as Green Seal. Unlike traditional cleaning products, these certified chemicals and equipment are designed to work effectively, while minimizing environmental impact and decreasing risks to health and safety.

4. Knowledgeable Employees
Employees who will be designing and implementing your green cleaning program must understand the objectives of green cleaning, as well as their own role in the process. Janitorial staff should know each product’s designated use, green cleaning processes and equipment maintenance procedures. Regular inspections and quality control programs ensure that employees’ work meets high standards. The best facilities maintenance providers also continually train their employees on the best practices in green cleaning.

5. Educational and Communication Programs
A truly professional green cleaning provider goes beyond the tactical implementation of cleaning strategies to become your partner in creating a healthier environment. Most successful programs include regular communications so that building occupants and facility stakeholders understand the importance of green cleaning and what they can do to make a difference. For example, improper care of live plants can increase contamination levels and require strong pesticides that counteract the green cleaning program. When occupants know of such risks, they can become a true part of the green cleaning process.

Small actions, including minimizing clutter and eating only in designated areas, can go a long way in ensuring a healthy environment. Facility users and tenants should also know whom to contact and how to react to a spill or contamination. The faster such situations are dealt with, the less harm they do to your facility.

Communicating your green program to the community and building occupants helps you reap the benefits of being a socially conscience facility or business. You will attract the growing numbers of people who care about protecting the earth’s resources and improving indoor air quality.

These five features of effective green cleaning programs may apply to your facility in different ways. Each facility has unique goals, and each maintenance provider will bring its own set of expertise to a project. The provider you choose should recognize your goals and offer customized services and products that ensure your program’s success.

Why Security Outsourcing Is Cost-Effective for Your Business

Office buildings, banks, factories, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, sports arenas – these are just a few of the places where people gather, valuable assets are kept, and/or vital information is stored. As varied as they are, they all have an obvious need for a corporate security solution. But the question remains whether to try and provide that security through internal resources, such as existing employees with the appropriate skills or through new hires, or to consider security outsourcing from a dependable provider.

Choosing a Corporate Security Solution

For smaller facilities, where resources of all kinds are typically more limited, the situation usually dictates the use of contracted security, simply because the organization lacks existing employees with the requisite skill sets, and it is too costly to hire full-time workers who have these skills. But for larger organizations or any organization with sufficient resources, the choice is a real one. Even then, however, a corporate security solution is usually the best option for a variety of reasons.

The first is that security outsourcing is very cost competitive. In fact, when all of the costs associated with providing a corporate security solution are considered, contract security is almost always less expensive than a home-grown, proprietary security solution. For example, hiring uniformed security guards as full-time employees entails the normal costs associated with any employee, such as salary, payroll taxes, paid vacation, medical and retirement benefits. But it often also includes additional costs specifically associated with the security function, such as specialized training in areas as diverse as emergency response, verbal de-escalation, counter surveillance and CPR.

With managed security services outsourcing, these necessities should be handled by the provider at no additional cost. In addition, an outside contractor handles all of the costs and administrative details associated with ongoing training, licensing of its workers, tracking and renewing licenses, paying state fees, handling workers’ compensation claims, administering unemployment claims, providing supervisory oversight and, if necessary, handling disciplinary actions.

In addition to these cost advantages, security outsourcing also provides a number of additional benefits at no cost that are essentially byproducts of the outsourcing model. For larger security outsourcing providers (like ABM), these include the ability to:

• Draw on expertise nationally (and internationally) to offer clients a broader array of choices and recommendations for mitigating security-related issues or events;
• Adapt proven security and process improvement plans to the client’s environment to create a customized corporate security solution that maximizes the efficacy of the overall security outsourcing program;
• Deploy proprietary technology that allows real-time alerts, report monitoring and GPS tracking;
• Draft, finalize and implement security policies and procedures;
• Leverage numerous security education and awareness programs to ensure that the people and systems comprising the corporate security solution remain relevant and reflect the most recent developments in security services;
• Conduct quarterly business reviews in order to identify security-related trends, outcomes and recommendations for program improvement; and
• Keep contractor management costs relatively static, allowing for Scope-of-Work additions with little-to-no indirect cost increases.

Perhaps the single greatest benefit from security outsourcing derives from the knowledge that once an appropriate security partner has been chosen this vital function – protecting information, hard assets and, most important, people – is in the hands of experts who are on top of the latest security-related issues, techniques and technologies. This trust in a comprehensive, corporate security solution in turn allows the company (or other organization) to focus its energies and expertise on where it’s needed most, to the benefit of its customers, employees, owners, shareholders, or other stakeholders. And that’s a benefit worth paying for.