Green Janitorial Pretenders
It may be amusing to see the sudden interest in moving to a Green business as this trend continues. Many companies are now realizing that the Green economy is going to hurt or help the revenue of their business. Suddenly, these business endeavor to demonstrate their Green commitment though it has only commercial value. Frankly, it doesn’t take much to pretend to be Green because the public is still trying to figure it out.
Greenwashing is the overt or subtle pretense that a company or service is Green though it has made only a token effort to earn that reputation. The eagerness to promote and create business can view the Green market as just another opportunity. Therefore, we will find those who make a token effort to be Green that does not actually represent their real intentions.
As the Green economy grows, those in the janitorial business will also want to appeal to the Green business opportunities coming their way. We will find that the first stage is a simplication effort that provides enough justification for their claims to a Green service. This is done by purchasing a line of Green products that now adorn their janitorial carts. Oddly, this seems all that is required to be a Green janitorial service although their workers may be clueless about Green practices.
The “Green Equalization” happens when every janitorial service has a line of Green products passed to their workers, and they suddenly boast that they are a Green Clean firm. Regardless of the shallowness of this claim, it should be apparent that you cannot get a Green service from a bottle.
To separate yourself from the herd of pretenders, training and certification proves to the world that you have a level of commitment and competency for the work your company does. There are not absolute guarantees, but Green Clean Institute has stood for a number of years as the best credential in the janitorial business.
You can only imagine the impression of a potential customer evaluating bids and quotes noting that all claim to be Green, but only one is Green Clean Institute Certified. There is a lot of pressure these days to decide to go with a validated Green service even the they may not be the lowest bidder. In a recent survey, it was found that 84% of companies would choose a Green Clean certified firm over the competition. Yes, it is a marketing opportunity, but it is also a challenge of integrity to be truly Green.
Janitorial services are no longer about sweeping floors and taking out the trash. A great variety of duties and responsibilities have been added to the standard duties of the janitorial workforce. But, consider the magnitude of this transition to Green practices. There are over one million janitorial workers in the US, and though they are expected to raise the level of service, they are often the least trained and equipped to do the job. If we are going to pass regulations demanding Green services, there must be the training and certification of those who carry the responsibility.
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I agree that most of the industries in the country are going to have to develop a ‘green certifying body’, and many are already well down that path. I will add this group to the certifying bodies category in our Green B2B directory at http://www.greencollareconomy.com. Thanks for the thought.
Kevin Gulley
CEO & Publisher
Green Collar Media