I guess it is a little laughable to see the flurry of activity that is inevitable in the growing Green economy. There are a number of companies who finally realize that this is going to impact their business and so they make the shift to Green more out of necessity than commitment to the cause. Of course, after they have shifted to a few Green elements, they want the credit for being a responsible Green citizen of the world. I get it….
Business will always respond to demand, and the Green economy is demanding more and more of the Eco-friendly products and services. This brings us to the subject of “Green Washing” where people and companies will give only token service to the cause while claiming to be a true follower. In overt and subtle ways, we must now be aware of those who are pretenders and those who participate in the Green practices now in demand.
Let me explain what will happen as the janitorial world comes to terms with the rising Green demand. The first stage is the over-simplification of the concept which is typified by done a token effort to make the company or service Green. In the janitorial service, this happens when a firm starts to buy some Green products thinking that they can now represent to their customers that they are a “Green Janitorial” service. You might also wonder if buying a dress makes a man into a woman. It is the mindset that makes the difference, and it rarely works to take a challenge only the first mile.
What will happen next is the “Green Equalization” when every company has some Green products and promotes their company as Green on their website. When everyone has a few Green products, how can we tell the sincere companies from the pretenders?
To demonstrate proficiency in any area, there must be a standard. Green Clean Institute has been that standard for a number of years by training and certifying janitorial and cleaning services across America and several other countries. In an industry without organization and definition, Green Clean Institute is a tremendous resource for reputable janitorial services.
In the full blossom of the Green service industry, there will arise those services that are willing to go the extra mile of training and certification to prove that they have the commitment to the cause. Green janitorial services may happen on their own, but how do we know the Green service from the Greenwashed service? Though there is no 100% guarantee, training and certification will bring forth the best to shine like the moon against the stars by comparison.
We are in an age when janitorial services are not just the duty of sweeping floors and emptying the trash. The level of performance has raised, and your workers need to be part of the solution. There are over 1,00,000 janitorial workers in the United States, and this has huge implication at every level of our business world. If we treat them as mop and bucket people, you will never have a Green service. Train and certify your workers to provide the best of Green cleaning in a world asking for just that!