Going green entails meeting everyday needs without negatively affecting the environment. With the drastic changes in the climate, businesses are now more proactively adopting sustainability goals in their daily operations. Their ultimate aim is to protect the environment and conserve natural resources for future generations.
If you’re a cleaning company, like Dallas janitorial services, there are many ways you can contribute to a sustainable world. Here’s a guide to assist you in doing this:
Find A Sustainable Water Source
Cleaning requires the use of a lot of water. To conserve water, you should find a sustainable source. One such source is uncontaminated wastewater. You can repurpose gray water to clean your clients’ residences and commercial spaces. Gray water is household wastewater with no fecal contaminants; it usually comes from the kitchen. Using gray water is an excellent way to conserve water, and it won’t have to end up in the sewer.
Before using gray water, however, ensure you disinfect or treat it to remove bacteria and viruses that can cause illnesses.
The other type of water you can use for cleaning is rainwater. You can harvest rainwater for future use. Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable practice all on its own. It reduces surface runoff that would otherwise cause soil erosion.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Most cleaning products contain strong chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Hence, you need to be certain that you’re using eco-friendly cleaning products, which often contain natural ingredients.
You can use natural ingredients to make your cleaning detergents. Some natural products you can use are vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
Alternatively, you can use cleaning products from a brand known for its green methods.
Adopt Sustainable Waste Disposal Techniques
After cleaning, one mistake that can happen is the improper disposal of these wastes. Some types of waste aren’t biodegradable, meaning they’ll sit in the environment for a long time, polluting it eventually. Therefore, as a cleaning company, you should use sustainable waste disposal techniques, particularly recycling and reusing.
Recycling is the process of using waste to manufacture new items. In contrast, reusing is the process of using or repurposing an item to the point of no more use.
An easy way of managing waste is by categorizing it. If you don’t have the resources to recycle plastic bottles and containers, consider taking these to a recycling plant; you might even make a few dollars.
You can repurpose waste, turning them into something that serves new needs in the client’s space. For instance, you can use containers as flower pots. You can make suggestions to the client and their workers on reusing waste. They’re better placed to reuse since you won’t always be there to guide or do it for them.
Use Energy-Efficient Appliances
As a cleaning company, you use many appliances—like vacuum cleaners, fans, and dehumidifiers—to clean a client’s establishment. Most of these appliances utilize electricity to run. One way to stay sustainable is to minimize energy consumption. In this case, you want to reduce the energy your chosen appliances consume to run.
To reduce energy dependence, you should switch to energy-efficient appliances. These appliances often have Energy Star ratings on them. The more the number of stars, the more energy efficient the appliance is.
Use Well-Maintained Vehicles
To stay staunch, you need a comprehensive approach. So you should implement your goals beyond the cleaning stage and extend to all your operations where possible, such as transport.
Transportation is another area through which you can remain sustainable. Vehicle emissions pose notorious environmental hazards, such as air pollutants.
Unmaintained vehicles, in particular, produce the largest amount of carbon emissions. Therefore, to minimize your carbon footprint, ensure your fleet of company vehicles is well-maintained.
Another way to achieve sustainability is using cars that rely on renewable energy sources. There are vehicles that are electric or use green fuel, like biodiesel.
Bring Your Workers on Board
Workers are one of the cornerstones of a business. They’re the ones who directly interact with customers. Therefore, it’s advisable to bring them on board for any sustainability project you have.
Bringing them on board entails training and informing them of the importance of sustainability, detailing how it positively impacts their lives.
A sustainability company policy is also essential. It’ll guide your workers on going green as they offer their services to clients. You won’t have to remind them repeatedly of the dos and don’ts.
Conclusion
Going green is achievable even for a business, specifically a cleaning company. The discussion details how to make your cleaning company sustainable. It’s best to adopt these tips in your sustainability journey. They’ll make the process more manageable.