“The cleaning industry is a huge industry,” says Steve Ashkin, co-author of “The Business of Green Cleaning,” president of The Ashkin Group and executive director of the Green Cleaning Network. “The things our cleaning departments use collectively have huge environmental impacts.”

He asks custodial managers to consider the following facts about the jan/san industry:

• It consumes 6.2 billion pounds of cleaning chemicals annually, many of which are made from non-renewable natural resources.

• It uses 36 billion waste receptacle liners every year. The virgin plastic in many liners comes from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.

• It consumes 4.5 billion pounds of janitorial paper products, which if made from virgin tree fiber requires the harvest of 30 million trees.

• It disposes of a billion pounds of equipment such as vacuums, mops and more, which is enough waste to fill 40,000 garbage trucks.

With that in mind, going green is no longer an option, but a necessity for custodial operations. According to Ashkin, in-house operations can either go green now, wait for the boss to demand green cleaning or for a contractor to step in and say, “Your operation is behind the times, let us do this for you.”

In-house cleaning operations face the constant threat of outsourcing — a problem that becomes even more acute in a troubled economy. Companies struggling to keep their doors open may opt to outsource housekeeping efforts as a means to cut costs. The in-house organization failing to green its operations may be vulnerable, Ashkin says — especially if the department is already more expensive to operate.

Ashkin stresses in-house programs must demonstrate their value by staying on the cutting edge and planning for the future. “Everyone’s on the chopping block,” he says. “That’s the reality of the marketplace today.”

Good News, Bad News

That was the bad news. The good news is many organizations, such as the custodial operation at Canada’s University of Alberta in Edmonton, have paved the way for those operations going green today. Custodians at this leading research university embraced the green movement in the early 1990s.

Long before the industry tagged certain chemicals and custodial practices as green, this operation sought chemicals and equipment that were easier and healthier for their custodians to use, comments George Thomlison, facilities and operations manager. Ironically, when green certification became commonplace, chemicals their custodians used on a daily basis for a decade received this recognition.

“It wasn’t something we thought about,” Thomlison says. “We did it because it made sense for our staff. These changes were driven by our desire to be as effective as we could be.”

The 37-year industry veteran recalls a time when custodians used chemicals, which made their eyes and nasal passages burn and caused them to cough. “The products we use now are a lot easier on the staff,” he says. Not only that, but Thomlison adds that the operation receives a better bang for its buck because pre-measuring chemicals ensures the correct amount gets used every time. Using concentrated products means the operation also generates less plastic waste and consumes less water.

“These are all small things, but if you have 1,000 people or 1,000 operations doing them, it becomes much bigger,” he says.

Green cleaning practices save money and resources but also mitigate health risks, adds Sharon Nicholls, co-founder of the Green Hope Foundation, a non-profit Memphis, Tenn. organization established to raise awareness of children’s environmental health issues. She points out that 14.7 million students missed school in 2008 due to asthma-related illnesses, making it critical to embrace changes that can improve indoor air quality; green cleaning being one of them.

But places where vulnerable populations exist — such as schools, health care settings and nursing homes — are not the only ones where indoor air quality plays a role. One in three people in the United States suffers from asthma or allergies, says Mark Bishop, deputy director of the Healthy Schools Campaign, so workers with these afflictions can be put at risk from the chemicals and equipment custodial operations use. Converting from chemicals high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), strongly scented products and inefficient vacuums that blow fine dust into the air reduces everyone’s respiratory risks.

“It is a corporate responsibility to provide all employees with a healthy and safe working environment,” Nicholls says. On the flip side, some corporations fear going green costs more. That just isn’t so, she adds, asking: “In the long run, what costs you more? An employee who’s out sick or paying a few cents more for a green cleaning product?”

Facility Services Supervisor Candy Hammer, from Washington state’s Issaquah School District, admits they paid a price to initiate green cleaning in its 24 schools. Among the products and equipment in its green arsenal are peroxide-based chemicals, backpack vacuums with HEPA filters, auto scrubbers and microfiber cloths.

“When we began, it cost us a little more,” she says. “Now the prices are comparable. When you’re using one product at multiple strengths in various dilution systems, these chemicals are actually a lot cheaper.”

Learn What You Know

As with any change, getting started in green cleaning seems kind of daunting. “Change is hard,” Ashkin admits.

But he offers a tactic designed to simplify the switch. This method begins with auditing everything from the chemicals and equipment operations used to the practices they employ. This examination must consider everything, from chemicals, paper products, entryway systems, cleaning practices, building redesigns, the occupant population and more. Auditing tools exist through a variety of sources, but distributors also can aid in these efforts.

Ashkin recommends putting the resulting list of needs and wants into three imaginary buckets. One bucket holds those solutions easily and cost-effectively implemented. Another holds expensive and time-intensive changes to carefully weigh and plan for. The third bucket carries all strategies falling somewhere in between.

“Inevitably the boss is going to ask how much these changes will cost,” he explains. When custodial managers break things out, it provides a means to cost-effectively implement changes immediately and develop plans to add the rest.

Ashkin also recommends following a roadmap, such as adopting the requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council’s green cleaning program, following the recommendations of the “Green Guide for Health Care” or using “The Quick and Easy Guide for Green Cleaning in Schools” from the Healthy Schools Campaign.

“They all talk about green cleaning in the same way,” he says. “Selecting a roadmap simplifies decision making.”

We’re Here To Help

When the Issaquah School District went green six years ago, its custodians didn’t immediately jump on the green bandwagon. Hummer says custodians accustomed to using harsh chemicals with strong odors didn’t believe the new cleaners would provide comparable results. They rallied custodians behind the change by forming a committee to test the chemicals and equipment being considered.

Telling custodians everything they do and have done for years is changing is a bit like saying, “We’re here from the government and we’re here to help,” Ashkin jokes.

Custodial managers, Ashkin says, must recognize that while they think the changes are good for everyone, front-line workers may fear them. He suggests meeting with workers at the audit’s onset to explain the organization’s intent and mitigate fears that it seeks to reduce the workforce or find fault in what workers are currently doing.

“It’s important to stress they are not getting rid of bad products, but trying to make the operation greener and healthier for everyone,” he says. “Tell them you want to be a leader and this is your operation’s commitment to future generations.”

Help the staff understand why green cleaning is necessary, adds Thomlison. The university’s operation prepared a tagline, “Green Cleaning for U,” and discusses what that means with every new hire. They explain the “U” stands for university as well as “you.” “The reason we clean green is to keep the workplace healthier and safer for them,” Thomlison says.

The university also organizes teams to test new processes, chemicals and equipment, which helps implement changes.

“If you ask the staff that is actually doing the work, you’ll get buy-in,” Thomlison explains. “It’s easier if they think it’s their idea — in a lot of cases it is — than when they feel you’re forcing it on them.”

The Green Journey

Green cleaning doesn’t happen overnight, says Ashkin, who reminds it goes beyond the chemicals operations use.

“If you just change out the chemicals, that’s a really good thing to do,” he says. “But it’s really just the first step in a long journey. If you’re going to switch out the chemicals, why not look at all the equipment and processes you use?” Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together creates healthier spaces and reduces environmental impacts.

Changing paper products because some products contain an incredible amount of dust or implementing a pollution prevention strategy by adding entryway matting takes organizations farther along the green roadway.

“You need to take a holistic view,” says Thomlison. “If you’re not using microfiber cloths, if you’re not using low-water-volume floor machines, if you don’t have mats in your entryways, you’re not using your resources as effectively and efficiently as you can and should.”

He adds that regular inspections also play a crucial role in successful green cleaning programs. The university regularly monitors its operations to ensure custodians carry out green cleaning practices as intended. “It’s the only way to make sure you’re actually following through,” he says.

As in-house operations wade into the green cleaning sea, Ashkin reminds managers to consider the facts outlined earlier. One organization adopting green cleaning has an impact, but the industry collectively going green is where real change will occur.

Ronnie Garrett is a freelance writer/photographer in Fort Atkinson, Wis.




POSTED ON: 6/8/2009