Sustainability Is an Opportunity: Here’s Why

Opportunity

May I suggest that we view sustainability as an opportunity? 

It’s an opportunity to guide, educate, and influence end customers from a value standpoint. 

I also suggest that we be problem solvers when it comes to sustainability. 

Let’s look at sustainability problems in the professional cleaning industry as an opportunity to seize the moment and provide options and solutions for our customers.  

The bottom line is that we need to see sustainability not as a problem or obstacle but as an opportunity — one that can lead to more opportunities, including many we may never have expected. 

For instance, let’s examine some of the environmental components of sustainability, starting with increasing recycling and reducing, if not eliminating, waste. Not only is this good for the environment but it also can mean cost savings for businesses and organizations, which benefits their bottom line.  

The same is true when we use less energy and water in our facilities or select more fuel-efficient delivery vehicles — costs go down. Once again, sustainability opens the door to this opportunity.  

And let us not forget, when companies make sustainability a key part of their value proposition, it draws new customers to their products and services. Study after study reports that customers would prefer to do business with organizations that are sustainability focused. 

These studies point out that in recent years, consumers and end customers have begun to view sustainability as a factor in their purchasing decisions. This means it’s increasingly becoming a requirement for doing business.  

But let’s dig deeper. Let’s discuss health and safety, specifically in the professional cleaning industry.  

We’ve all seen those signs on construction and manufacturing sites indicating no accidents in “x” number of days. Why don’t we see that in the professional cleaning industry? Why don’t cleaning contractors include work safety figures such as these when bidding on facilities? Even more, why don’t facility managers ask for this information?  

All cleaning solutions, even green cleaning solutions, can be harmful if not used or handled correctly. It’s our job to reduce these risks and minimize the chances that someone might get harmed. A significant component of sustainability is focused on taking care of our staff, which applies not just to cleaning contractors but distributors and manufacturers - in other words, all segments of our industry.

Taking care of our cleaning contractors is especially necessary today because so many of our frontline workers are immigrants to this country; English is their second language at best, or they may not even speak it.

They depend on the contractor to ensure their health and safety on the job.

Realizing this, once again, opportunities can and often do arise.

• Turnover is reduced

• Dedicated workers help the contractor secure new workers

• Workers are more eager to learn new cleaning methods that can improve efficiency.

• Ensuring the health and safety of these frontline workers makes them more loyal to the company.

• Cleaning contractors have told me this, and I’ve seen it happen. All these steps help the contractor keep their customers, and greater efficiency helps cut cleaning costs. Once again, sustainability stands strong as an opportunity. 

Let’s all start 2023 looking at sustainability as an opportunity. When viewed from a business perspective, it’s an opportunity for growth, increased profits, and creating value for our end customers, and we should add, value for our communities.

Stephen P. Ashkin is president of the Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in Green Cleaning and sustainability. He is considered the "father of Green Cleaning" and the founder of the Green Cleaning Network.

ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association, just recognized him as one of the 100 most important contributors to the professional cleaning industry in its century-old history.