What is Sustainability?

January 25, 2013

Are you wondering what Sustainability means and how businesses can benefit from implementing sustainable practices?

Are sustainable practices beneficial for your business?

In this article you will learn what sustainability means, how your business can benefit from implementing a sustainable program and references to help build a sustainable program for your commercial building/property.

What is Sustainability?

¹ Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.

Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.

What is Sustainable Cleaning?

Sustainable cleaning is the process of using green products in a sustainable manner that does not disturb or harm the environment or people. The implementation of sustainable practices require the good judgment and knowledge to determine how to best provide top cleaning results with the proper products and frequency, while adhering to sustainable cleaning practices. Integrating green products and sustainable practices into the cleaning and operational maintenance plan of a facility provides long-term health, environmental, social, and economic benefits.

How Can You Benefit from Sustainable Practices in Your Business?

1. Health Benefits:
   1. Absenteeism has been shown to decrease as much as 15% as a result of a cleaner, healthier building. Indoor air quality has a direct impact on this, as HEPA filter vacuums together with microfiber mops and cloths make for a healthier work environment by removing dust, bacteria and allergens from the air.
   2. Reduces health problems by reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and harmful cleaning products.
2. Positive Brand Reputation
   1. Having a business that supports sustainable practices is a positive reflection of the business as a whole.
3. Reduce Waste & Operating Costs to Increase Profitability
   1. Changing certain business practices to eliminate or replace items that are harmful to the environment such as implementing a recycling program that reduces the garbage pick up fee and reduces recyclable items ending in a landfill. Benefit of implementing a recycling program: in certain areas companies will pay to pick up your recycle! Sites such as Earth911.com, is a great portal for all of your recycling needs.
4. Water/energy conservation:
   1. Utilizing cleaning agents in a concentrated form reduces the need for increased water during the manufacturing process, as well as the associated transportation costs. During the cleaning process, the use of flat mops with built-in tanks reduces the need for mop buckets and the water they use, thereby providing additional conservation practices. Moreover, the technology allows for a more efficient cleaning.
5. 5. Consumables usage:
   1. a. Paper goods are available from bio renewable sources or with recycle content that do not compromise on quality. Often overlooked is the need to use correctly sized liners to avoid waste, which occurs when using an over-sized liner in a small container.

References to Help Implement a Sustainable Program in Your Business

• ¹ http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm
• http://new.usgbc.org/
• http://new.usgbc.org/leed
• http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/
• If you’re in the South Florida area, SparkleTeam is happy to offer LEED Consulting and Support for any commercial property that is interested in implementing a sustainable program or gain any building certification such as a LEED Certification or Energy Star Rating.

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know if your business is currently integrating a Sustainable program? And, what are the noticeable differences?