The Greening of Cleaning
With the Shanahan pedigree and our ShamrockClean brand, it’s no surprise that we bleed green. But we think it is important to emphasize that, beyond legacy and brand image, our commitment to human health, the environment, and sustainable cleaning practices is fundamental to our commercial cleaning service.
Matters of environmental impact, climate change, and sustainable practices across all industries are front and center in our daily reality. Our role as a professional cleaning service provider includes a process of continuous learning and growth as a company, offering support to our property owner, building and facility management clients in addressing the environmental mission of their brands, and the health, safety, and productivity of their people.
The “greening” of cleaning will continue to evolve as janitorial companies look for means of improving worker and customer/tenant safety while ensuring the effectiveness of our products and equipment in removing dust, allergens, biological and other contaminants from building interiors and surrounds.
Our processes include consideration of interior building materials, furnishings, and ventilation, and areas needing more or less intensive chemical cleaners. We look for opportunities to use products with environmentally preferable characteristics; biodegradability, low toxicity, low volatile organic compound content. Even packaging and use of recycled/recyclable materials make a difference in reducing waste and transportation and energy cost in disposal.
At-risk occupants including children, asthmatics, pregnant women, people with chemical sensitivities and weakened immune systems not only benefit physically from green practices, they also realize the improved morale associated with the demonstrable consideration of their needs. Benefits to water systems receiving inadequately treated wastes, aquatic species and wildlife exposed to less pollution; these things are important to all of us.
It is well-documented that clean work spaces, improved indoor air quality, and an inclusive policy of worker health and environmental stewardship foster greater productivity, less absenteeism/fewer sick days, employee/tenant retention, and enhanced brand value. So, from our point of view, it’s important to do our part for our people, and to support our clients in their business ecosystems.
