Sustainable Facility - November 2008 - (Page 35)

■ The opportunity to select suppliers based on how they use more sustainable practices to provide wages and beneﬁts allows all workers to have a sustainable quality of life. >> Photo courtesy of Enviro-Solutions. ■ With green advances in the jansan industry, it is now easier and more important than ever to have a facility cleaned using sustainable techniques. >> Photo courtesy of Enviro-Solutions. pounds of chemicals. Most are made from valuable but limited and nonrenewable natural resources. Some can be harmful to human health and the environment during the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, use and disposal. Supplier selection can be based on how they use more sustainable practices in their chemical purchases, use and disposal. The industry consumes approximately 4.5 billion pounds of janitorial paper products, most of which are made from virgin tree ﬁber, resulting in a loss of approximately 30 million trees. Plus, the manufacturing, bleaching and disposal of these products have large environmental impacts and offer many important opportunities for improvement. However, a supplier’s use of sustainable practices in its selection of janitorial paper products and dispensers can be used in the selection process. Finally, and perhaps most important from an unmet or under emphasized part of today’s sustainability effort, is that the cleaning industry employs approximately 4.2 million cleaning personnel. These workers may have long-term exposure to cleaning and maintenance chemicals, again, some of which are known to cause health problems. Plus, they use equipment that can cause musculoskeletal problems such as back injuries. Compounding that, many work part-time for low wages and without beneﬁts — especially in the service sector — where the lowest bid is required for service companies to successfully compete for a facility manager’s business. Consequently the opportunity to select suppliers based on how they use more sustainable practices to provide wages and beneﬁts allows all workers in a building to have a sustainable quality of life. clean and “green” a building. The challenge to change by addressing the products, the environment and the people ultimately results in a facility manager’s commitment to a functional program. After all, facility managers are the customers of the cleaning industry, and as the old adage goes “the customer is always right.” If facility managers want their building to be green cleaned, today it is easier and more important than ever. SF Visit www.SustainableFacility.com/CDA/Webinars to register for the green cleaning webinar presented by Stephen P. Ashkin on Jan. 28, 2009. Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting ﬁrm specializing in greening the cleaning industry and is coauthor of both The Business of Green Cleaning and Green Cleaning for Dummies. Ashkin has worked in the cleaning industry since 1981 and has held senior management positions in leading consumer and commercial product companies. He began his work on green cleaning in 1990 and today is thought of as the “father of Green cleaning”. For more information, visit www.AshkinGroup.com. THE ROLE OF THE FACILITY MANAGER Accordingly, there is a sizable opportunity for facility managers to use green cleaning as an important part of their sustainability efforts. Today, green chemicals, paper, janitorial equipment, plastic liners and other items used in the cleaning process are widely available and cost competitive compared to their traditional counterparts. Product distributors and service providers offer outstanding training programs and can even assist with occupant education. But the real challenge is for facility managers themselves. Today, poor cleaning programs and unkempt buildings are typically due to a lack of resources, will and commitment. The cleaning industry possesses the products and skills necessary to W W W . S U S TA I N A B L E F A C I L I T Y. C O M 35 http://www.SustainableFacility.com/CDA/Webinars http://www.AshkinGroup.com http://WWW.SUSTAINABLEFACILITY.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Facility - November 2008

Sustainable Facility - November 2008 Contents Editorial Industry Watch Web TOC New and Notable The Case for Daytime Cleaning Commitment to Energy Effi ciency and Sustainability Finding the Green Solar for the Commercial and Industrial Sector: What’s Hot Now? Connecting Sustainability and Green Cleaning Recycling Rechargeable Batteries Sharing Best Practices The Consultant Conundrum Sharing the Facilities Management Burden The Building Owner’s and Operator’s Sustainability Solution: Energy Audits Greenbuild: Green Product Buzz Guide Product Focus Marketplace and Classifieds Advertiser’s Index Initiatives

Sustainable Facility - November 2008

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