The Green Building Solution
How much does it cost to become a Green office or Green Building? One of the challenges is that businesses have been encouraged to “Go Green,” but they have not been told what Green represents unless you take into account a rambling list of environmental and ecological changes an answer. In truth, it seems that the concept of a Green building has been hijacked and taken to every extreme possible.
The basis for a Green office or building comes down to improvement of the health issues of the building for the people that work there. While it is helpful to change the light bulbs, reduce energy, conserve water, and recycle the trash; the ideal place to start a Green office is in the janitorial service.
It need not be so complex. We feel that any building can accomplish a three step janitorial improvement. The first step is what we call the Green Agenda. This is when the decision-makers implement polices. The second step is to insure the Green products are used, and the third step is to require a Green certified janitorial service at contract time.
The importance of a Green building is the improvement of the health factor for those who do the cleaning and those who put their eight hours in each day. Studies should that there are acute and chronic influences based on the cleaning of the building. This reflects in the cost of manpower and the loss of profitability through absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased medical costs.
The Green practices of the janitorial service are just as important as the Green products. For example, the use of microfiber cloths reduce chemical use, and also decrease the bacteria and dust moved around the building. New sanitizing methods must break the old “Spray and Wipe” routine to allow for a “Dwell Time” of the product. Disease spread is greatly reduced through change of cleaning tools and methods. It isn’t enough to toss a Green product into the mix and declare the whole project Green.
It is encourages that companies require a “Green Practices Clause” in the bid or quote process for your building. Rather than employ old janitorial services, give preferential treatment to janitorial services that offers Green products and that boasts a Green trained and certified workforce. It makes absolute sense that the worker is equally as essential to the Green process as the tools of the operation. We all know that a set of tools does not make a typical man into an expert mechanic. How can we assume that a bottle of Green cleanser makes a service Green as well?
Companies are encouraged to seek out a Green Clean Institute Certified janitorial service in their area. At least require that those seeking to provide janitorial services for your building are Green Clean Institute Certified. You will make the world and your office a superior place, and this is the foundation of getting your building Green Clean Institute certified as well.
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