Janitorial Greenwash Fraud
The focus for “Going Green” is almost all about products, and the product providers has been more than anxious to celebrate the new opportunities to capture this new market. The feeding frenzy will continue for a while yet, but what happens when nearly every janitorial firm has added some Green products to their carts? The equalization factor kicks in, and nearly every janitorial firm will claim to be Green by self-acclamation, but has anything really changed?
Going Green is not found in a bottle of reformulated cleanser, but in the practices of the janitorial workforce that are frankly the last and lagging piece of this puzzle. Can you buy a great set of tools and immediately become a great mechanic? Can you buy a set of golf clubs and enter the Masters Tournament? Can a lady buy a size two dress and fit her size ten body into it? What this illustrates is that buying an item does not make you something that you are not.
The Green program means that the workforce needs a working knowledge of Green practices along with the new supply of Green products. The fact is that the workers in a janitorial service as far more important than the choice of products. There are dozens of new procedures that are required for a Green janitorial service that include “Dwell Time,” microfiber use, and how to handle dusting an office.
In fact, there are hundreds of changes in a Green janitorial firm that are just as important as buying the latest Green product. Going Green is not passed automatically to the staff or by clandestine training. This is why most Green janitorial services are unintentional frauds that pursue profits above full Green conversion. This means that the Green status of little more than a Green facade that is proclaimed for the benefit of others rather than a full integration of a Green practice.
The Green Clean Institute is the only program designed to train and certify a janitorial service in Green practices and the assist a janitorial service implement a Green program. This is a federal trademark that offers more than good intentions. The janitorial industry is in transition from a “task-oriented” service to a “service-oriented” program that requires a solid basis of working knowledge. This is the time to step up to a higher set of standards, new mandates, and duties that impact the safety, health, and future of all those working in our schools and offices.
The word custodian has renewed meaning as we realize that we are expecting these often-ignored group to handle the challenges of our day and render services at a higher level than ever before. There is a charge to keep, a duty to render, and a lot at stake for any janitorial service in this new and Green age. Green janitor fraudsters are going to eventually hit the wall as questions of reliable performance are asked and evaluations become more common.
I advise you not to simply stick you toe into the Green Clean program. It is he smart choice to realize that a Green program is a long term commitment to a new process. We are not talking about saving the whales, trading your car for a bicycle, or turning vegetarian. It is obvious that the Green movement is a permanent direction that places more emphasis on the health of the workers than the shine of the floor. Understand that a Green program has three important parts: Green Agenda by decision makers, Green Products, and Green Practices by the workforce. Isn’t it time to truly “Go Green” rather than fake it?
