WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN TO GSF? For more than a decade, GSF has incorporated sustainability into its cleaning programs for customers. We clean 40 million square feet per month in schools and commercial office buildings. We believe in sustainability because it is the right thing to do for our employees and our customers. Cleaning in an environmentally friendly way not only benefits the planet but the people who live, visit and occupy indoor environments.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE IN YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GREEN SEAL? Partnering with a trusted leader like Green Seal helps GSF enhance its understanding of sustainable cleaning and improve its customer offerings. We care about clean and want to deliver it in the most responsible way. Green Seal has decades of experience building a greener, healthier world and we are proud to be a partner.
We will be heavily promoting that GSF’s carefully developed processes are now Green Seal certified to give our customers even greater confidence that we know how to effectively and sustainably clean and maintain their buildings.
DO YOUR CUSTOMERS SEE THE VALUE OF GREEN CLEANING? Customers are increasingly demanding that cleaning service providers help them limit waste and reduce the environmental impact of their cleaning operations. Indoor air quality is paramount, and cleaning can help uphold good IAQ, which in turn supports the health and wellbeing of facility occupants. We are proud to work with like-minded customers that truly believe in the power of sustainable cleaning.
We train our employees to have the skills and knowledge to effectively clean and to confidently communicate the importance of green cleaning with customers so they can educate them about best practices and new trends that are worth pursuing. Customers are increasingly demanding that cleaning service providers help them limit waste and reduce the environmental impact of their cleaning operations.
FROM AN OPERATIONS COST PERSPECTIVE, HOW DO YOU FIND THAT GREEN CLEANING COMPARES TO REGULAR CLEANING? There is a common misconception that green cleaning requires a greater investment than regular cleaning. Over the long term, green cleaning is the right choice because it provides savings for the bottom line, the environment and people, both people using facilities and those who clean them. Implementing the right green cleaning solutions, whether from a chemical, equipment or tool perspective, can offer water, chemical and energy savings, as well as enhanced efficiency.
WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM A SUSTAINABILITY STANDPOINT? What we are doing with the electrochemically activated solutions (ECAS) from PathoSans is without a doubt our biggest accomplishment. It goes beyond simply purchasing and installing an on-site generator in a custodial closest. We are changing the entire culture of clean in these facilities, which takes tremendous effort from top to bottom, including training, education and communication around this innovative technology.
ECAS is an industry disruptor because it completely upends the way facilities engage with chemical companies and distributors. Using cleaning and disinfecting solutions made from water, salt and electricity is a safer, more sustainable and better solution for facilities. It will transform the standard of cleanliness and we are proud to be part of this movement.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED YOUR OPERATIONS AND THE DEMAND FOR GREEN CLEANING? The pandemic has increased the public’s awareness about the cleanliness of facilities and their interest in how organizations are achieving cleanliness. We have always been clear about the way we approach cleaning and our customers appreciate this now more than ever.
With cleaning happening more frequently, this can increase the risk of poor indoor air quality, especially if caustic chemicals are used. Cleaning more regularly can also generate higher volumes of waste, such as from ready-to-use cleaning products in plastic bottles. Facilities can often achieve safer cleaning by transitioning to greener alternatives that benefit the health of building occupants without harming the environment.
We believe that the demand for green cleaning will continue to be a priority as more organizations look to improve transparency and demonstrate to their customers that they are taking the right steps in their cleaning program.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR GSF? We recently expanded our Illinois operation into the Rockford area, and are on pace to continue growing our business by bringing on additional customer accounts and talented cleaning technicians and staff members. We are excited to bring our Green Seal-certified Écologique cleaning program to new customers to show them the value that green cleaning can bring to their operations.
Original Article written by Green Seal
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