Green Cleaning and Sustainable Practices Beyond the Surface

Green cleaning initiatives, mainstream considerations today, started to gain traction in the early 2000s as the industry grappled with the multitude of products required in a cleaning program, from disinfectants and carpet-care products to degreasers and hard-floor surface cleaners. That led to green certification organizations, which help purchasers confidently identify and purchase green products.

Tim Murch, 4M’s CEO, was on the initial stakeholder committee that developed standards for GreenSeal, a leader in establishing environmental and sustainability standards. 4M’s early adoption of green cleaning led to our program called GreenpathTM, which protects human health and reduces our combined environmental footprint.

The benefits of a robust “green” cleaning program include:

Your commercial cleaning vendor is an essential partner if you’re a company meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or WELL Building certifications.

When evaluating the efforts of your service provider, sustainability boils down to four key components: Chemicals, Water Conservation, Waste Removal, & Technology.

CHEMICALS

Green cleaning begins with certified products containing safer ingredients for human health and the environment. Our standard is GreenSealTM and GreenGuard-certified chemicals and equipment. As important is the application. Ready-To-Dispense (RTD) chemical systems reduce chemical usage by delivering accurate, pre-measured, portable dispensing in 100% recyclable containers.

WATER CONSERVATION

The inadequate water supplies presently threatening communities' health, safety, and welfare magnify the need for water conservation. Cleaning tactics include using microfiber flat mops and cloths and technology-advanced floor and carpet equipment which require less (or no) water. Fixture leaks are the most significant waste of water, and cleaning crews should be trained to report issues immediately.

WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REMOVAL

Are you purchasing products made from recycled fibers (RCF) or post-consumer waste material? The quality rivals virgin fibers. Your finished products met their purpose, were diverted from the waste stream, and recycled.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology has benefits well beyond reduced water and energy consumption. For example, GreenSealTM-certified equipment such as 4X HEPA Filtration in battery-operated backpacks and wide-area vacuums capture dust particulates invisible to the eye, reducing environmental dust and allergens and increasing the carpet’s lifespan.

4M Building Solutions is designated a Cleaning Industry Management Standard-Green Building with Honors (CIMS-GB), certified by the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA). Of 50,000 janitorial service companies across the U.S., less than one percent of those organizations achieve standard CIMS Certifications. A fraction of those earns CIMS-GB Certification with Honors.

If  “greening up” is among your upcoming building initials, please contact us; we’d love to be part of that discussion.