There’s no other time in history when we’ve known more about how humanity impacts the environment than we do today. And that knowledge is coupled with a responsibility that we need to do what we can to minimize our impact on the environment.
By now, everyone knows that pouring non-biodegradable chemicals directly down the sink is simply not good. Yet, for many cleaning professionals, that’s exactly what we’re doing – indirectly – every time we use non-environmentally friendly cleaning products.
This is an international issue and one facilities around the world are trying to get right by implementing eco-friendly cleaning products.
Why Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products Are The Right Choice
1) Demand From Building Occupants
The attitudes among consumers and building occupants are changing and they’re wising up to the fact that some cleaning products simply better for the environment than others. This change in attitude is having a big effect on buying decisions. This is evident in the popularity of products that utilize ‘natural’ and ‘biodegradable’ in their marketing. In short, going green is what consumers actually want. It makes them feel good about themselves for using eco-friendly products and services.
2) Better Water Quality
Many of the more traditional cleaning products we use in our businesses contain high levels of phosphates, which can contribute to a decline in water quality. You see, once a cleaning solution containing phosphates is washed down the water ways, it encourages algae growth. More algae pulls more oxygen from the water, causing a decline in quality. This is bad for both us and the myriad animals in our ecosystems.
3) It’s Good For Business
Switching your business to using products more in line with consumer behavior will help both cleaning workers, building occupants and the environment. Of course, the best part about this is that everybody wins. You’ll lean into what building occupants actually want, which in turn will lead to more business for cleaning professionals and positive word of mouth.
Green Initiatives From Around The World
1) USA
The United States has one of the largest and most important environmental agencies in the world, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One of the EPAs best initiatives is their ‘Sustainable Marketplace: Greener Products and Services‘ program. This initiative not only encourages customers to ‘buy green’ but has also driven accurate labeling of products. This is incredibly important because it’s very hard for any one person to do all the research. These labels give us comfort of knowing that if we buy a product with the right label we’re making a conscious choice.
Furthermore the EPA has a wealth of information on what green products to buy and why they’re a better choice. With the government taking the lead, we are in good shape for the future.
Michael Brooke is a professional cleaner from Sydney, Australia.
