Why is it Important for Businesses to Switch to Green Cleaning? 

We all have to look after our planet and businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce their impact on the environment. One great way to do so is by choosing a commercial cleaning service with green ethics. Everyone knows how crucial it is to reduce paper waste and cut carbon emissions. A large portion of businesses have now gone fully paperless, while others have invested in cycling to work schemes and even made the switch to green energy providers to help do their bit.

But many business owners aren’t aware of the impact of their cleaning services on the environment, many don’t even give it a second thought. In reality, cleaning methods used within the workplace could be the biggest negative impact on the planet a business could be generating. Chemical cleaning products and the methods they are used can be incredibly detrimental to wildlife, the ozone and employees. We discuss why every business should consider going green with their cleaning provider. 

Employee Safety

The safety of employees, clients and any other visitors should always be a top priority in any organisation. While we all know the importance of preventing the spread of germs and viruses and keeping escape routes clear for emergencies, other factors need to be taken into consideration.

Monoethanolamine may be something business owners have never heard of, but it is highly likely they are present within the workplace if cleaning services are not going green. Ethanolamines are present in many common chemical cleaning products and can cause detrimental effects to those with asthma or other respiratory problems.

They cause inflammation and can lead to asthma attacks and without prior knowledge, it can be almost impossible to determine the cause of these attacks. Ammonia is another toxic cleaning product to those with asthma and high exposure can even be toxic to the brain to healthy individuals as well.

Wildlife

Cleaning chemicals can be toxic or cause ill-effect if they contaminate food or enter the bloodstream. That’s why commercial cleaning companies will always take every step to remove any trace of them after cleaning.

But these are commonly removed by rinsing surfaces and washing these chemicals down our drains, but what happens to them after this?

Water waste plants will always try to remove these chemicals from our water supplies. However, this is a very difficult task and not always 100% effective. This contaminated water is then released into our ecosystem and flows into streams, rivers and even the ocean.

Marine life such as fish, shellfish and even mammals such as otters or water voles then spend their lives in this contaminated water. This can lead to growth problems, breeding issues, birth defects and even death.

We can even be unknowingly ingesting contaminated meat when eating these creatures as there is no way of monitoring if they have ingested chemicals before they reach our plates.

Climate Change

Climate change is a huge focus for businesses at the moment and while changing the energy we use and improving other procedures, such as removing beef from canteens, by going green businesses can make a difference with ease.

Aerosoles contain hydrocarbons and compressed gasses that are directly linked to damage in the ozone layer and it is common knowledge that this is contributing to warming the planet. There are plenty of green alternatives aerosols that produce the same great results as their counterparts but don’t contain any of these harmful ingredients.

Plastic Waste

There is very little excuse to be using single-use plastics anymore, reusable water bottles and eco-friendly shopping bags are now the norm. However, as commercial cleaning companies source their own products, businesses can easily forget the packaging cleaning chemicals come in.

It may not be possible to buy every product in the world in a reusable container, but at least you can recycle these bottles and reduce what ends up in landfill right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with chemical cleaners, due to their corrosive nature, these chemicals need to be contained within certain forms of plastic that are thick and safe for transit. These bottles are rarely recyclable and very few boroughs have the facilities to reuse or recycle them.

As green cleaning products are not as harsh, if they aren’t provided in reusable bottles, they are always recyclable. 

Great PR

Even business owners who aren’t eco-conscious can benefit from green cleaning. Not only are eco-friendly cleaning methods good for the environment, but they are also great for PR. Actively showing on social media, on blogs or newsletters that the business is doing their bit for the planet they are swiftly seen in good light from the public and can even cause consumers to choose the brand over others because of this.

 

Rylie Holt