
In a past blog, we explored how green cleaning supplies can help facility managers significantly reduce costs while ensuring a clean and healthy work environment. We recommended strategies for choosing products, including buying concentrated solutions of higher-quality products in bulk that can clean multiple surfaces.
As our society becomes more concerned with human environmental impact, green products continue to grow in importance. Nearly two-thirds of consumers in North America prefer eco-friendly, sustainable brands, according to a 2020 study by IBM and the National Retail Federation. Likewise, industries are now more inclined toward environmentally friendly products in following societal trends. Green trends in the cleaning industry include:
- Non-toxic chemicals
- Activated water
- Dry steam
- Durable microfiber cloths
- Using minimal cleaning product
Facilities such as healthcare or senior living facilities that employ cleaning on a routine basis are also more inclined to use green products provided they meet performance requirements and without having to pay a premium for non-toxic, sustainable brands. To help facilities assess eco-friendly products, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes guidelines for identifying greener cleaning products on its website. These include product searches of products with the Safer Choice label as well as those certified with the Design for the Environment (DfE) label that contain safer ingredients for human health and the environment. In addition, the EPA site includes recommendations in several cleaning product categories that identify credible and effective private sector ecolabels. For more information on how you can implement green products and reduce cleaning costs, please call us at 1-800-211-8848.