How would you assess the current popularity of green cleaning?
Is everyone adopting a green product model? Well, no. I see a growing green continuum that offers buyers greater product options. Keep in mind that whatever product strategy used, the in-house or vendor provider of cleaning services must deliver remarkable results. And, they must deliver those results using any product the will get the job done.
Service providers are still using toxic (certainly not green) products where they cannot get the results needed. Also, for some, being green is not well understood; there is a kind of bandwagon effect that is drawing many into this movement on a (valid) faith that it is the right thing to do. It’s no surprise that these results might be inconsistent and could create dissatisfaction with the green cleaning model.
Nonetheless, my own estimate is that green cleaning has reached its tipping point, with over 40 percent of the companies contacted using or intending to adopt a green cleaning product strategy. The logic is clear. Green cleaning is less harmful to the environment, less harmful to the workers who handle these products, and less harmful to building occupants who come in contact with these products. We’ve done over 340 outsourcing contracts for just about every type of property, and the requirement for green products is fundamental to any contract we manage. I don’t know of any industry advisor, vendor, or supplier who is not advocating for a green product strategy.
Answers from Vince Elliott, an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and industry innovator advocating on behalf of buyers of facility services for over 40 years. He has also delivered more than 100 conference presentations and written two industry-leading books and some 300 articles, white papers, and ebooks. Reach him at velliott@ealtd.com.
Choosing a Green Cleaning Vendor
The Current Popularity of Green Cleaning
