Where Cleaning Falls In The Greening Of Facilities

Green buildings are being credited with keeping their inhabitants happier and healthier, but according to an article on the Triple Pundits website, they’re changing the future in other important ways.

• Companies are saving cash. According to a 2010 study, 90 percent of companies say they saved money because of their environmentally friendly investment.

• More buildings are being built. It’s usually cheaper to tear down an old building and rebuild it than it is to try to make an old building greener.
 
• Energy is in the spotlight. A 2014 survey was able to identify more than 160 structures that are currently zero net energy buildings, along with another 50 that were capable of being set up in this way.

•  So is water. One university hall in Reno, Nevada, for instance slashed its water usage with low flow toilets and drought-resistant and native plants.

Attitudes are changing, too. A Contracting Profits survey showed that two-thirds of facility executives rank a healthy environment for building occupants as their most important cleaning priority. These efforts also are important to employees.

Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and an advocate for sustainability in the professional cleaning industry, says employees, especially younger workers, feel better about an employer that is green- and sustainability-focused.

“It starts in the office. The most important thing these companies must do is walk their talk,” says Ashkin. “Employees need to see these efforts in action.”

Click here for techniques custodial departments can use to get recognition for the green and sustainable programs they have in place.