You can argue that COVID-19 has forced businesses, corporations, and facilities management professionals to pay more attention to environmentally friendly practices.
One can also argue that it made evident the criticality of sustainable cleaning strategies and green products for a Post-Covid World.
Cleaning on a global scale has shot through the roof throughout the pandemic and to this present day. More and more cleaning chemicals that contain potentially harmful compounds are released into our working environments on a day-to-day basis.
These chemicals can compromise the health and wellbeing of entire corporate ecosystems and can lead to ‘Sick Building Syndrome.’
A sustainable facility will, however, benefit guests, building staff, building managers, cleaning professionals, and stakeholders alike. It will lead to lower energy consumption, lower carbon footprint, increased productivity, and a much healthier workforce.
Facility managers, building managers, Landowners, property owners, and related decision-makers must start prioritising clean and green cleaning strategies in their respective facilities.
Consider the following sustainable cleaning strategies facility managers can implement into facilities management for a Post-Covid World.
Assess Current Cleaning System
Most commercial buildings have a cleaning system in place, which normally falls on the facilities manager to implement or a building management services team.
Whatever the case, before embarking on overhauling a current cleaning system, you should carry an assessment of the system–down to the chemical products used by the cleaning services provider to increase efficiency.
And to identify shortcomings of the systems that can be improved with a sustainable cleaning strategy.
Implement Sustainable Cleaning Checklists
A facility manager trying to implement a sustainable cleaning strategy should have a sustainable cleaning checklist in place for internal and external cleaning teams.
A commercial building management service team may have their checklist if they claim to be green. But their checklist may not cover all the necessary steps and procedures suitable for your facility and the needs of its staff.
Implementing your sustainable cleaning checklist will help you stay ahead of unforeseen problems. And provide the best outcome for the health and wellbeing of your building.
Switch To Green Products
Choose Green and sustainable products for better cleaning outcomes in your building management.
COVID-19 has no doubt increased the demand for greener cleaning products. The scale of production has increased and costs have decreased. Thus, it is, even more, cost-effective to switch to green products for sustainable cleaning post-COVID.
So, consider cleaning products that are environmentally friendly, Biodegradable, improve Indoor Air Quality. And products that have no Volatile Organic Compounds that are harmful to people.
As a facilities manager assess how sustainable and environmentally friendly your cleaning products are before using them. And make sure the commercial building management services in your employ do the same.
Switch To Green Equipment
In addition to green products and chemicals, Facility managers and Commercial Building Management services should consider switching to green equipment.
Green Equipment supports sustainable cleaning cost-effectively and provides substantial energy savings.
Technological advances with green equipment can help prevent emissions, increase the efficiency of cleaning facility services and decrease water consumption.
Green solutions like energy-efficient vacuum cleaners that reduce energy consumption, HEPA filters for improving indoor air quality quickly come to mind.
Wall-mounted dispensers that dilute cleaning solutions, and robotic cleaning machines increase sustainability by reducing human resource use are also excellent choices.
Invest In Smart Technology
Facility managers can take advantage of this strategy to improve sustainable cleaning in the long run.
Some Green cleaning equipment produced today has the inbuilt capability to communicate to each other through sensors and software–that allows data exchange over the internet (internet of things).
For example, your automated cleaners could receive data when the air quality is decreasing. Or when there is a sudden inflow of dust or volatile organic compounds and automatically swing into action with minimal supervision.
Smart buildings can cut down on cost in the long run with the least environmental impact.
Use Only Certified Sustainable Cleaning Services
All facilities Management Professionals should only use certified sustainable cleaning services to maintain their facilities post-COVID.
Many Building management services claim their cleaning services are sustainable and green but further research often proves otherwise.
In many cases, if it isn’t certified green from a trustworthy organisation, it mostly isn’t. A trustworthy green certification from a reputable organisation will ensure that the service provider uses standard and effective procedures, products, and equipment.
Train, Develop, And Raise Leaders Who Enable Sustainable Cleaning Practices
Implementing a Sustainable Cleaning Strategy will remain ineffective if the entire facility ecosystem is not aware of the building’s commitment to sustainability.
If there are no leaders who influence guests, staff, and stakeholders to follow sustainable practices in their best interest. And if there are no skilled team members to lead sustainable building operations. The strategy will remain ineffective.
Facility managers should raise awareness and interest in sustainability by turning various facility activities into green-oriented activities. Develop competence of sustainable initiatives through dedicated training and encourage staff to adopt environmentally friendly practices with a focus on their interests. Visit the CGSFM website today for information.
Sustainable Facilities Management
Sustainable cleaning practices are quickly becoming the norm in facilities management due to the increased chemical pollution from harmful cleaning substances. These chemicals cause irritation, increase headaches, and contribute to an alarming number of sick days in corporations.
Thus, Facility managers must begin to implement sustainable cleaning practices in their environments. It will save cost, increase productivity, and improve working conditions.
Perhaps more than any other factor–Implementing Sustainable cleaning practices in facilities will lead to a sustainable increase in the health and wellbeing of commercial ecosystems. This encompasses human life, the integrity of buildings and facilities, the longevity of assets and equipment, and energy consumption. We can expect a net positive return on investment in green and sustainable cleaning products and equipment in a post-COVID world.
