environmental conservation, woman working in green office

With planning and the use of green cleaning products and practices, Business.com reports that maintenance costs and ecological footprints for facilities and small businesses can shrink.

According to American Institute for Cleaning Sciences, creating more sustainable environments not only benefits the operational bottom line, greening a workplace can reduce absenteeism and presenteeism, as well as improve effectiveness.

Going partially green, however can be ineffective and costly. For instance, if a business sets up recycling program, it needs to follow through to confirm where the recyclables are actually ending up.

There are four operational changes, however, that a business can implement immediately and see results:

• Use as many green-certified cleaning products as possible
Go through all the items currently used for cleaning, from aerosol sanitizers to textile spot removers. Even if green products cost more upfront, the tradeoff will be a location with improved indoor air quality and healthier, more productive employees.

• Choose dry methods of carpet cleaning
Dry polymer carpet encapsulation processes can reduce the dust in the air and research has shown that airborne debris can affect workers' ability to think clearly.

• Switch to sustainable paper and sanitary products
Consider using bamboo fiber recycled toilet tissue that hasn't been bleached by chlorine or covered in a thin, nonrecyclable plastic wrap.

• Reduce packaging
Check suppliers: Find out which ones align with a commitment to a green workplace. If a shipment arrives in a plastic bin or sturdy box, turn those items into long-term storage containers. When shipping to customers, consider the materials. The packaging sends a message and less packaging used means less money spent.

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