Contract Cleaning – Making The Most Of Sustainable Cleaning

Sustainability can take many forms and this is not any different for contract cleaning operations. There are many opportunities for businesses to reduce their environmental impact, but in the current economic climate companies are looking for cost effective solutions, often resulting in some form of trade off that is dependent on available resources.

Everyone wants the workplace to be clean and tidy, but this can come at an environmental cost when you consider the use of cleaning products, energy consumption, water usage and waste disposal. There is an increasing demand from customers for greener contract cleaning solutions that adopt sustainable measures, but requirements differ greatly from company to company.

There are many considerations when developing a sustainable contract cleaning operation. Therefore, it is important to select options that not only offer environmental benefits but also fit within a company’s overall strategy.

There have been advances in recent years with contract cleaning products and tools with many boasting green credentials. Microfibre technology including cloths and mops remove the need for using chemicals and only require a minimal amount of water, whilst increasing the life of cleaning equipment. Furthermore, tests have shown that these products eliminate significantly more bacteria than traditional contract cleaning tools.

As man-made material microfibre products do have an environmental impact in terms of manufacturing that must be considered. There are truly sustainable products available such as bamboo clothes, but these tend not to be as durable, have an added cost premium and also do not improve productivity of contract cleaning in the same way as microfibre products.

Adapting working practices can also generate green benefits. By introducing daytime contract cleaning it is possible to reduce a building’s opening hours enabling it to be locked down for longer periods. This can reduce building requirements such as heating and air conditioning, which will not only lower energy usage but also achieve operational contract cleaning cost savings. Furthermore, daytime contract cleaning operations tend to require low noise, lead free battery operated equipment that offer greater energy efficiency over mains fed devices and can be recharged at night when electricity prices are cheaper.

By working closely with contract cleaning suppliers it is possible to introduce green procurement by selecting environmentally friendly cleaning products. It also drives innovation through wider initiatives. For example, the use of refills can greatly reduce packaging, whilst effective measuring systems can ensure that chemical products are used in the correct doses minimising unnecessary waste.

Recycling has now become an important consideration for all companies who are under legislative, corporate and social pressure to reduce the impact of their operation. Therefore, there is an opportunity to take an integrated approach with a contract cleaning operation to adopt effective waste management procedures to keep time and cost pressures to a minimum.

Over the past few years, the cost of dumping rubbish at landfill sites has been increasing 25 per cent annually, and this is unlikely to change moving forward. As a result, there are wider cost savings available for those businesses that can achieve high levels of recycling. Companies can also receive money back for waste paper, so this represents an added kick back. In fact, it is thought that within the next few years it will become more cost effective to recycle waste material than to dump at landfill sites.

By integrating waste management with an existing contract cleaning operation, companies can benefit from added value resulting from efficient waste segregation and better-managed processes to make significant time and cost savings. Furthermore, it is possible to tap into the expertise of cleaning contractors to increase levels of recycled office and operational waste including paper, confidential paper, ink cartridges and food waste.

Moving forward, sustainable contract cleaning is likely to form part of a wider initiative that incorporates facilities management requirements. Those companies at the forefront of sustainability are already introducing measures across their building infrastructure to consolidate activity across a network of sites. By working closely with contract cleaning and FM partners they can use management information to adapt their approach and make the most of available opportunities.

Initial Facilities Services, a division of business services company Rentokil Initial, provides Contract Cleaning Singapore, facilities management, hospital and catering services for organisations of all sizes and in all business sectors throughout the UK. Initial Facilities Services’ flexible approach is designed to meet the precise needs of its customers whether they need single or multiple services, an integrated solution or full facilities management.