Rethinking Green

Henry David Thoreau once observed: “There are a thousand people hacking away at the branches of a problem for every one who is digging at its root.” The cleaning industry’s “green” message looks to me like hacking away at the branches of the problem.

I’ve been uncomfortable with the cleaning industry’s green message from the beginning. I’m getting even more uncomfortable as I see the direction that green cleaning is taking the industry. First, I don’t think that cleaning with what are being touted as green chemicals should be the focus of the cleaning industry when it comes to protecting the environment. The subtext of the recent green movement in the cleaning industry is that janitors are a bunch of polluters. This is completely misleading. If janitors are using dangerous pollutants, then what are household cleaners doing to the environment? There are a number of cleaning industry issues that I think are far more problematic than whether or not cleaning workers are using so-called green chemicals.

The green-cleaning movement focuses too heavily on products. Most of the products that have been converted to green compositions are all-purpose cleaners designed for scrubbing and mopping. While these products are necessary in any cleaning operation, they are only a small part of the chemistry menu.

Everyday cleaning operations require use of a chemical that may never be available in an environmentally friendly option because it is a pesticide. This chemical is the germicide or disinfectant we use to kill pathogenic microorganisms and it is very important to every cleaning operation. The proper mixing and use of germicides is an important issue in cleaning to improve the health of people in public buildings. Disinfecting pesticides are not part of current green certifications but pose a larger environmental risk than the all-purpose and glass cleaners.

Use less, waste less
Product is only a fraction of the issue. There are more important things to consider when making your cleaning operation environmentally friendly. For instance, waste. I have surveyed every Janitor University class over the past 12 years about waste. Participants estimate that between 15 percent and 80 percent of all cleaning materials purchased annually are wasted. They define waste as unnecessary, misused, not used and overused. If 15 percent to 80 percent of those materials are wasted, it doesn’t really matter if the chemical is green or not. That’s 15 percent to 80 percent of material that is transported from the manufacturer, stored, broadcast throughout our buildings, poured down drains and taking up space in our landfills. It is important for cleaning operations to buy only what is needed and to use what is bought.

With all the talk lately about environmentally friendly cleaning, I have been surprised at the lack of attention given to the indoor environment. If we are not protecting the indoor environment, we are damaging it. Disinfection of pathogenic microorganisms and proper removal of lung-damaging particles and other contaminants from the building are parts of our job as cleaners. If we’re overstocking our inventories with waste, not properly diluting chemicals and not properly training workers on safe practices — we’re not environmentally responsible.

The real issues are training and processes. Cleaning operations striving to be green need to look at their overall processes and not just their materials. Cleaning organizations may be able to have a positive impact on the environment — instead of lining manufacturers’ pockets with another “green.” It’s time for the cleaning industry to stop hacking at the branches and start focusing on the root of environmental problems.

John P. Walker is the owner of ManageMen consulting services in Salt Lake City. He also is the founder of Janitor University, a hands-on cleaning management training program.