Ten Green Initiative Examples For Environmental Services 1 2 3 4 5 6 Complete product analysis that leans towards green without compromising performance and state guidelines Time study analysis of housekeepers to make sure schedules are accurate Increase diluted products over non-commercial cleaners; implement green products Prevent over-cleaning by setting schedules that fit with the correct need of cleaning frequency Utilize more burnishing over waxing in low-traffic areas Extend the life of floor scrubber and burnisher pads; using more frequent rinsing procedures to postpone the discarding time will save on the budget by purchasing less pads over time Review waste management and recycling contracts to make sure garbage bins and removal is accurate in frequency of pickup and amount in bin Reduce air fresheners and cleaning wipes as much as possible If some caustic chemicals need to be used, limit the accessibility of this product to prevent overuse Analyze laundry chemical procedures and use. 7 8 9 Set goals, write down the details and then, follow through. 10 tion implementation. The ultimate goal is to create a sustain-ability plan that complements the facility and lays a foundation for the company. A green team can be utilized to retrieve a large amount of information to analyze ways of saving all types of energy, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb use and inventories of equip-ment. Instead of only environmental services, housekeeping and maintenance, all work-place performance aspects need to be evaluated. Information technology (IT) can analyze various ways to conserve server output, computer sleep modes and the use of printers, as examples. A Multi-step Process As an assistant administrator and environ-mental services director at my workplace, I approached my departmental budgeting in a two-step process. Step one was to layout a line item budg-et reduction plan on all supplies and equip-ment inventory. At the side of the spreadsheet, I included a green highlight for a green initiative. The plan came to fruition when most of the green initiatives easily fit with the cost reduction approach. The overwhelming factor with the use of analyzing chemicals is dilution ratio. All commercial-style products should be diluted and be the workhorse chemical used at the facility. When diluted products are present, it is significant to introduce a Green Seal®-cer-tified cleaning product. In breaking down a product inventory list, changing the way the housekeepers clean is a huge factor when expanding the num-bers over an entire year of cleaning. It is advantageous to hold meetings with the housekeepers to make sure they are performing the correct techniques of fre-quency and implementation without forget-ting quality performance. CM Marty Beil is an assistant administrator at the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) in Mankato, Minnesota. He founded the “green team” at SSND and is working as chairman of the SSND Green Team Committee. He can be reached at [email protected]. Are you in the dark when it comes to finding equipment and supplies? • Search by product category to get an overview of available options • Search by brand or company name to locate your favorite product or vendor Let us guide you to the resources you want. Click on SUPPLIER SEARCH at www.cmmonline.com Convenient and reliable information for the cleaning and maintenance industry www.cmmonline.com 39
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