18
Green
| Hospitality Today | Christmas
Begins
2016 / January 2017 with Clean by Peter Gray, P & G Professional Products Research
Implementing sustainable practices can be confusing, as experts seem to have different opinions about what being green encompasses. At P & G we believe sustainability involves every aspect of your business and needs to be ingrained into your company culture, and is at the forefront of communicating with your customers.
Approach Sustainability Holistically
Sustainability is about everything you and your staff do. Whether volunteering in your community by doing beach cleanup, or using eco-friendly packaging or multipurpose cleaning products to do more with less, it can all make a valuable contribution to your company’ s sustainability efforts.
Sustainable cleaning should be a part of every eco-friendly strategy.“ Green cleaning” is the process of getting rid of certain pathogens with products that do the job as well as traditional products, but have reduced environmental impact. Cleaning reduces the possible transmission of bacteria and viruses that can cause infectious diseases. At the same time, it impacts the aesthetics of the facility. If a product does not do the basic job of getting rid of dirt, then no matter what green aspects the product claims to have, it’ s not driving overall sustainability.
Work with Suppliers & Manufacturers
A good first step for implementing green practices in any facility is to understand how manufacturers think about developing products. If your supplier is known for its sustainable practices and products, it will immediately add to your sustainability credentials.
Train Staff Properly
The importance of choosing the right product is paramount. When a product does not clean properly, you may end up using more of it. That adds up to more energy and water in production, more packaging for the waste stream, more gas for transportation, and often more labor as people compensate with elbow grease, to name a few. Utilize cleaning products that are compacted and / or concentrated, minimizing transportation costs and using less packaging and less product.
Furthermore, continued education of staff on how to clean sustainably is a must. Even the most sustainable cleaning products, if used incorrectly, will not have the required impact. Make sure your staff members are aware of all guidelines in the safe handling, use and recycling of products and packaging. Implementing these steps will aid your facility’ s sustainability efforts. But remember, sustainability should be interlinked into everything you do as a business, including your marketing efforts, so that your staff and customers are fully aware of your commitments.