Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and recognized as the "father of green cleaning," announced that his writings as well as much of the consulting work provided by his company in 2014 will focus on three key areas, all of which affect the professional cleaning and building industries.

Those three areas include: 

  • Paper
  • Plastic
  • No-chemical or less cleaning


"The issue with paper, specifically sanitary paper products, is that while recycling has proved successful, recycling alone will not meet the world's paper needs in the 21st century," says Ashkin. "We need to start discussing this issue and explore other strategies."

 
As for plastic can liners, the Environmental Protection Agencies Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines requires only 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. But Ashkin intends to address whether there are other attributes that matter, including whether a bag is too large for the container, thicker than necessary, or so thin that it requires double-bagging as not to rip or leak. Ashkin noted tha these common practices waste resources and money.

Ashkins third area of focus in 2014 is advocating the use of cleaning methods that require little or no chemical such as electrolyzed  cleaning systems. According to Ashkin, these devices appear to be effective in many situations, safe, green, and increasingly a cost-effective way to perform a number of cleaning tasks.

"This technology has existed for more than 40 years, and we know it can be used for cleaning surfaces," says Ashkin. "The big change is that these systems are becoming easier to use and more cost effective. That should increase their chances of being viewed as viable green cleaning alternatives in the near future."

While these three topics will be Ashkin's primary areas of interest in 2014, he adds that green cleaning will still be a central theme in his writings and his company's focus.

"Green cleaning is ever evolving, and we need to keep educating people about these changes and how our end customers can operate their facilities in a greener and more sustainable manner."