Going Green
Part of the ProTeam Package of Green Cleaning Solutions
The Cleaning Industry
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One of the largest industries in the world
$150 BILLION industry in the U.S.
Employs over 3 million people in the U.S.
Consumes huge quantities of natural
resources
Why Do We Clean?
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Create a good impression…
Improve morale…
Improve customer retention or sales…
It’s in the contract…
It’s my job…
Appearance
Cleaning as a Commodity
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Perception that all cleaning services are the same
Focus on cost reduction
Maintain “acceptable” appearance
Tends to neglect cleaning’s impact on
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Indoor air quality
Occupant health & safety
Occupant performance & productivity
The environment as a whole
Green Opportunities
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Distinguish yourself from the competition
Positively impact your facility’s occupants’
– Health
– Safety
– Performance
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Improve your ROI for products & equipment
Make a difference
“Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world.
In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
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Agenda
• Understanding Green Cleaning
• Exploring the impacts of cleaning
• Implementing a Green Cleaning program
• Stewardship
• Conclusion
Understanding Green Cleaning
• Defining Green Cleaning
• Exploring common misconceptions
• Exposing the reality of Green Cleaning
Defining Green
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“Green Cleaning: Cleaning to protect health without harming the
environment.”
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“…products and services that reduce the health and environmental
impacts compared to similar products and services used for the
same purpose.” Executive Order 13101
Defining Green Cleaning
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Selecting the right products
– Cleaning chemicals & dispensers
– Paper products
– Equipment, tools, and accessories
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Understanding proper use and impact of the products
Implementing “stewardship” programs
Providing training for workers
Communicating with all participants
Common Misconceptions
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Green products are expensive
Green products are not effective
Green cleaning is too complicated
Green Cleaning is a fad – it will pass
In Reality…
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Green products are competitively priced
Green products can be more effective and
have higher ROI
A good program is easier to monitor, train,
and maintain
Green Cleaning is real and here to stay
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Over 1000 registered LEED projects
1000 – 2000 unregistered projects
Government Agencies
School Districts
Private Building Owners
The Impacts of Cleaning
• On the environment
• In commercial settings
• In educational settings
• In health care settings
• On custodians
Cleaning’s Impact – The Environment
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6 billion pounds of cleaning chemicals
4.5 billion pounds of paper
500 million pounds of equipment
35 billion plastic liners
Cleaning’s Impact – Commercial Setting
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Building Owners & Managers
– Complaints
– Tenant retention
– Profitability
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Building Tenants & Occupants
– Productivity
– Litigation
– Marketing
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Cleaning’s Impact – Education Setting
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Children are not simply miniature adults
Indoor air 2 -5 times as polluted as outdoor
Asthma incidences riding dramatically
– 160% increase in children under 5 years old
– 4.8 million children affected
– 14 million missed school days
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Cancers
– #1 disease related cause of death in children
– 8,500 children diagnosed with cancer every year
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Impacts teachers and staff as well as children
Cleaning’s Impact – Education Setting
If children are sick in class or too
sick to attend class…
How will they learn?
If teachers and staff are sick during
the day or too sick to report…
How will they teach?
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Cleaning’s Impact – Education Setting
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Creating a better learning environment
– Improvements on standardized test scores
– Charles Young Elementary School
Battling the budget cuts
– Documented improvement program
– Documented results
Influencers
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CHPS
EPA – Tools for Schools
Unions – NEA, AFT
Healthy Schools Organizations
Cleaning’s Impact – Health Care
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Nursing Homes & Assisted Living
– 3,350,000 residents
– 2,000,000 full & part time staff
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Hospitals
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660,000 patients per day
4,535,000 FTE staff
100,000 hospital trainees
Countless visitors
Many of these people are exposed 24
hours per day
Cleaning’s Impact – Health Care
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Many patients suffer with compromised immune systems
Difficult to isolate patients & staff from cleaning functions
One key issue – nosocomial infections
– Approximately 2,000,000 patients acquire these infections annually
– Over 70,000 result in death every year
– Approximately one-third are preventable
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Cleaning’s Impact - Custodians
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Over 3,000,000 custodians employed
in the United States
Workman’s Compensation
Turnover
– Hiring
– Training
– Motivation
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Levels of service
The Impacts of Cleaning - Summary
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Cleaning’s impact felt in 2 ways
– The results of the cleaning activity
– The effects of the cleaning activity
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NOT an indictment of the cleaning industry
– Dedicated professionals
– Responding to market needs & pressures
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The new Green Cleaning market
Implementing a Green Cleaning Program
• Planning the project
• Choosing products & equipment
• Procedures & training
• Documentation & communication
More Than a New Product…
“The goal of Green Cleaning is to reduce
the total impact on both health and the environment.
This cannot be accomplished simply by switching
to an environmentally-preferable product.
It requires the willing participation of all those
involved in the process.”
Stephen P. Ashkin
President, The Ashkin Group, LLC.
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Planning Your Green Project
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Commitment & Team Development
– Sr. Management
– Stakeholders
– Goals & Measurements
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Establish the Baseline
– Identify needs goals, potential problems
– Identify unique situations, occupants
with special vulnerabilities
– Review complaints, IAQ, and other
records
– Evaluate current products, equipment
and procedures
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Planning Your Green Project
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Develop a written operations plan
– Products & equipment
– Procedures & training
– Controls & continual improvement
Develop a communications strategy
– Shared responsibility
– Include ALL stakeholders
Consider a “pilot program”
– Larger, multi-building campuses
– Regional, national organizations
– Large school districts
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Choosing Products & Equipment
• Cleaning chemicals & dispensers
• Janitorial paper & liners
• Powered equipment, tools, & accessories
• Entryway mats
• Landscaping & pest control
Choosing Cleaning Chemicals
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Work with dedicated suppliers
Concentrated products – closed dispensing systems
General purpose, restroom, carpet, & glass cleaners
– Green Seal GS-37 standard
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Other typical cleaning chemicals
– California Code of Regulations – maximum allowable VOC levels
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Floor finishes
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Metal free
Long lasting – minimize recoating & stripping
Minimize or eliminate burnishing
Green Seal GS-40 standard
Choosing Paper Products & Liners
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EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
Bleaching – process chlorine-free
Other “green” opportunities
– Using large roll dispensers
– Using “hands-free” dispensers
– Replacing c-fold towels with roll dispensers
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EPA Guidelines
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Post-Consumer Fiber %
Recycled Fiber %
Toilet Tissue
20 – 60
20 – 100
Paper Towels
40 – 60
40 – 100
Paper Napkins
30 – 60
30 – 100
Facial Tissue
10 – 15
10 – 100
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40 – 100
10 – 100
10 - 100
General Purpose Wipes
Plastic Liners
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Choosing Equipment
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Improve productivity
Enhance ergonomics
Durability, longevity, ROI
Use of post-consumer recycled content
– Carts
– Mop handles, buckets, wringers
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Replace “traditional” tools
– Micro fiber cloths vs. paper wipers
– Drain “snake” vs. concentrated, toxic
drain opening chemicals
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Choosing Equipment
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Vacuum cleaners
– Ability to capture “local” dirt, dust & contaminants
– Ability to retain small particles – filtration system
– Ability to maintain power as collector loads
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Carpet extractors
– Ability to recover water – carpets should dry
within 24 hours
– Ability to heat water where appropriate
– Ability to conserve water
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Buffers & burnishers
– Active vacuum attachments to capture dust
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Choosing Entryway Mats
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80 – 90% of all dirt comes in on people’s feet
Grills, grates & mats should be used
– At ALL entry points
– Inside & outside doors
– Be chosen for local conditions
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Appropriate length – typically at least 2 steps – 12 feet
Proper & adequate maintenance
Consider total life cycle when choosing matting materials
Landscaping Products
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Products are frequently toxic
– Look for safer alternatives
– Communicate to occupants when applying
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Minimize exposure to building & occupants
– Create “buffer zones” near buildings
– Use application methods that prevent overspray
– Choose application times to minimize exposure
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Integrated Pest Management
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Many typical products are extremely toxic
– Look for safer alternatives
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Prevention is more effective than treatment
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Use barriers to prevent entry
Eliminate clutter
Eliminate, clean-up spills, crumbs, etc.
Create “buffer zone” around the building
Communicate with occupants & stakeholders
Procedures & Training
• Follow your plan
• Maximize labor productivity
• Document & improve
Procedures & Training
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Work from the plan
– You know HOW to clean
– The plan details WHAT, WHEN & WHY to clean
– Each facility is unique
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Minimize impacts
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Use closed-system dispensing equipment
Keep janitorial closet clean & organized
Floor care systems that minimize scrubs, recoats, stripping
Communicate when using products that contain higher VOCs
Maximize Labor Productivity
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Select a cleaning system
– e.g. Team Cleaning©
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Use an effective training program
– Cross train employees
– Document training
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Choose equipment, tools, and products to
enhance productivity
Consider equipment ergonomics
Check & repair equipment & tools to
prevent down-time
Document & Improve
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Document all complaints & resolutions
Document compliments
Review all procedures on a regular basis
Measure progress against goals
Modify procedures to improve results
Develop & maintain a continual training program
Stewardship
• What Stewardship Means
• Elements of a Stewardship Plan
Stewardship - Concepts
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Everyone in the facility has an impact
on the indoor environment
Includes:
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Owner & Manager
Tenants & occupants
Cleaning staff
Other contractors
Visitors
Clients & customers
Delivery people, etc…
Elements of a Stewardship Plan
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Building Policy
Management Goals
Staffing Plan
Building the Stewardship Team
Product Criteria
Cleaning Guidelines
Safety & Health Guidelines
Hazardous Materials Management
Hazardous Waste Management
Waste Minimization & Recycling
Communications
Goals Measurements
Derived from ASTM National Cleaning Standard
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Review
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Green Cleaning can positively impact people’s
– Health
– Safety
– Performance & Productivity
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Green Cleaning can dramatically reduce our impact on the environment
Green Cleaning can re-establish our industry’s value to the public
Green Cleaning can improve your ROI and bottom line
The Green Continuum
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We’re Green Cleaning champions
We’re establishing a stewardship program
We’ve joined the USGBC and have a LEED project
We’re implementing Green Cleaning in our facility
We’ve begun a pilot project
We’re choosing “greener” products & equipment
We’ve begun investigating Green Cleaning
We clean for appearance
Why Do We Clean?
How will YOU answer that?
© 2005 ProTeam, Inc. All rights reserved. ProTeam The Vacuum
Company, Cleaning for Health, and Team Cleaning are
registered trademarks of ProTeam, Inc. All other trademarks
used are the property of their respective holders.
The American Lung Association does not endorse products.
This presentation was developed by
The Ashkin Group, LLC
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