One of the many ways businesses have responded to this pressure is by adopting a sustainable approach to their facility management. Many companies are redesigning their facilities and workplaces to be environmentally friendly. While this comes with far-reaching benefits, it’s not an easy thing to do.

For facility managers and building owners hoping to create a sustainable future in facility management, the following are effective tips to follow:

1. Conduct a Sustainability Audit

The first step toward building a sustainable future in facility management is to run a sustainability audit. This audit is a comprehensive evaluation of your current workplace practices that recognizes your environmental impact and suggests initiatives to promote and execute sustainable measures. It lets you know what hard and soft FM services are worth innovating, progressing, or eliminating to reach better sustainability levels. After doing this, you can create plans to make these initiatives a reality.

2. Replace Old Workplace Equipments 

The fact remains that old equipment consumes more energy than new ones, and while one of the goals of sustainability is to be energy-efficient, replacing that old equipment with newer ones will be an excellent way to further that goal. So invest in energy-saving appliances and implement ideas that’ll reduce energy consumption.

3. Collaborate with Green Partners 

Another tip for sustainability in facility management is to collaborate with green partners. Evaluate the people who supply products or services to your workplace to identify their commitment to environmental preservation. This would reflect their engagement with your organization and foster your sustainable vision.

4. Create a Culture for FM Sustainability  

Sustainable facility management shouldn’t be the sole duty of the facility manager. It should be a collective effort of all employees in an organization. This is why it has to be ingrained in the company’s culture. A way to foster this culture is to set guidelines and systems every member must follow. This may include managing resources, recycling large-scale e-wastes, and station maintenance during and after work.

Using Technology to Drive Sustainability in a Workplace

Facility managers are beginning to see the importance of technology to facility management. With technology, they can reduce maintenance costs to the barest minimum, initiate improvement in the lifespan of structures and equipment, enhance value submission for customers, and reduce downtime. So if you’re planning to build a sustainable future in your workplace, you may need to adopt technology in your facility management.

Additionally, technological tools — such as a CAFM solution – will help facility managers generate and simplify data on all facilities and assets such that these data are interpreted for actionable plans. With technology using artificial intelligence, all tedious and repetitive facility management tasks are simplified. The possibilities are endless when technology is leveraged toward achieving sustainability in facility management.

Achieving sustainable facility management in a workplace is a tedious task that requires intense preparation. However, once you define your sustainability goals as an organization, follow the tips suggested in this post, and leverage technological tools for the process, you’ll place your organization in the right spot to enjoy all its benefits. So make that strategic and highly beneficial decision your organization will enjoy for the foreseeable future.

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According to a recent report from Technavio, the contract cleaning services market size is projected to grow by $151.27 billion, progressing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.85 percent from 2021 to 2026. By region, the global contract cleaning services market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America is estimated to contribute 34 percent to the growth of the global market over the forecast period. The rise in construction activities, the surge in the number of dual-income households, and the proliferation of advanced cleaning services offered by vendors will facilitate the contract cleaning services market growth in North America over the forecast period.

Green Cleaning Products a Primary Growth Factor

The adoption of green cleaning products is one of the key contract cleaning services market trends that is expected to impact the industry positively in the forecast period. Conventional cleaning agents used in contract cleaning services create an adverse impact on users and the environment. This coupled with increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of using green and eco-friendly products is encouraging vendors to offer sustainable or green cleaning agents.

Green cleaning agents do not release harmful aerosols or wastes, which can be detrimental to users and the environment. These agents are also cost-effective as they save resources, such as energy, water, and chemicals, and do not lead to environmental pollution. The increasing adoption of green and sustainable practices by vendors will have a positive impact on the growth of the market during the forecast period.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides updating information with their “Weekly U.S. Influenza Report”, rates states on 6-tier scale: “Very High”, “High”, “Moderate”, “Low”, “Minimal”. Analyzing the latest results from Nov. 26, it comes as little surprise that flu cases have reached significant levels in nearly every jurisdiction in the continental United States. Compared to our last reporting from Nov. 5 — when 16 jurisdictions qualified as “High” or worse — and that number has jumped to a staggering 47 out 55 total jurisdictions.

At the beginning of November, one region that was a silver-lining of sorts was the West coast, as California was the only jurisdiction at the time classifying higher than “Low”. Fast forward three weeks, and each of those same states now classify as “High” or worse. The Midwest, East Coast and Southern states, which on-average were struggling more at the time have failed to improve. In total, the jurisdictions registering lower than the “High” case rate classification are as follows: Michigan, West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virgin Islands, and the North Mariana Islands.

The jump in case rates overall is no surprise, and is in-line with years without shutdowns and other pandemic-related factors. With Thanksgiving marking the beginning of an annual 40-day stretch with unusually high volumes of indoor gatherings, facility cleaning managers can expect the threat to loom — and for a tightening emphasis on touchpoint disinfection, handwashing, and continued encouragement for occupants to receive the flu vaccine. Click here for more best practices as it pertains to this pivotal time of the year.

Be sure to check back in to CleanLink.com for additional flu updates as the season progresses.

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One of the trickiest parts of janitorial staffing is finding the right balance between retaining the correct number of people on staff while not compromising your budget. On the surface, that seems simple enough, but in reality, it’s not simple at all. Turnover rates are high and it’s not out of the ordinary to have an employee call in sick or request time off at the same time that a new client signs on or an additional service is requested.

While there’s no way to make every staffing issue disappear, you can take on some of the biggest retention challenges and figure out how to limit their impact. Here are some ideas you can implement within your own team to help keep up morale.

5 Ways to Start Solving Your Staffing Challenges 

1. Focus on Safety

Janitorial work isn’t without hazards. From the use of cleaning solutions and chemicals to the back bending work of heavy lifting, it’s important to consider the safety of your employees.  Take steps to ensure both workers and the areas that are being cleaned are safe and secure. Commercial cleaners regularly work after hours or in largely isolated spaces, which can create an additional set of safety concerns to take into consideration. The more you can do to protect your staff and lay out a safety protocol to follow, the more confident your employees will feel out in the field.

2. Hire Part-Time/As-Needed Staff

If you have a few part-time employees or cleaners who can work on an as-needed basis, you can fill a lot of the scheduling holes when someone is sick or leaves unexpectedly. It’s important to point out that any arrangement like this should come with exceptional clarity on the expectations for both you and this part of your team. Individuals may not always be able to work when you need them to, and you may not be able to guarantee hours, but this can be a great arrangement for anyone in need of a little additional income.

3. Don’t Overwork Your Team

If your team is consistently overworked, they will leave, making the cycle worse. It’s understandable that if you’re experiencing staffing shortages that more work will fall to the remaining employees. Unfortunately, this leads to burnout and to feeling taken advantage of. Of course, you can’t leave jobs undone, so what can you do in these situations? To begin, try to hire qualified people to fill the gaps as soon as you can. Secondly, pay your current employees extra for taking on additional tasks and responsibilities.

4. Take Advantage of Technology

There’s a lot of technology in the commercial cleaning industry that can make cleaning much easier. In some cases, it’s “on-the-ground” tech, such as robotic vacuums. In others, it’s electrostatic spray technology. Still, one of the most helpful tools you can use that will allow you to take your business to the next level and better connect with your employees is through the use of janitorial software. Using a management tool to streamline your processes will give you the data and knowledge you need to take control over your day-to-day activities from bidding and scheduling, to inventory management, time-keeping, and inspections. Improving efficiency and increasing productivity will be yours for the taking.

5. Increase Wages and Benefits.

Of all the solutions to janitorial staffing challenges, this one might be the most helpful and also the one most likely to be ignored. Yes, profit margins can be thin and payroll and benefits add up quickly, but when you offer benefits and better pay to your workers, you’re showing your team that you value them and appreciate the work they do. Higher wages equate to better employee retention and lower turnover. With this being said, there is a good chance you’ll need to increase your rates, and you may lose some contracts because of it. However, many of those contracts are clients looking for the lowest price no matter what. When you have happier, better-paid employees, the results speak for themselves in the work they do.  Clients will be willing to pay your rates because they know the quality of the team and the excellence of service that will be provided.

Although staffing issues can be tough to deal with, you don’t have to let them get the better of you or your team. With a little extra effort and attention, you can build a reliable and hardworking team that lasts.

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“These 4 principles are to teach children and adults a life skill of good hand hygiene behavior,” explains Dr. Sawyer, who has spent over 35 years as a family medicine doctor. “Handwashing can help reduce the spread of infectious disease and improve people’s health if we can just spread the word of its importance and not germs.”

Endorsed by the American Medical Association and American Academy of Family Physicians, the 4 Principles of Hand Awareness from Henry the Hand Foundation include:

1 Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating.

2 DO NOT cough into your hands.

3 DO NOT sneeze into your hands.

4 DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose or mouth.

Dr. Sawyer’s science-based hand hygiene behavior modification program focuses on hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and infection prevention awareness.  The recommendations can help students, employees, travelers, shoppers and others stay healthy this flu season and throughout the year.

“It’s important to learn and practice good handwashing habits and ensure you have proper handwashing supplies at all times,” says Julia Messinger, marketing manager – Facility Services, Cintas. “Implementing a coordinated cleaning program can also help reduce the spread of germs throughout a facility.”

Henry the Hand Foundation originated following the 1999 flu vaccine shortage in Cincinnati and was formed with the goal of keeping the community safe. Dr. Sawyer established National Handwashing Awareness Week which has been celebrated and promoted within schools and beyond.

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This standard introduces the new concept of plastic efficiency, which prioritizes the result – curbing virgin plastic use – over the method used to achieve it. While traditionally trash bags are recognized as environmentally preferable for incorporating post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, this new model opens a second pathway to recognize products that use innovative technology to produce thinner liners that maintain tear and puncture resistance.

“All trash bags are on a one-way trip to the landfill – none of them should use more virgin plastic than they need to,” says Doug Gatlin, CEO of Green Seal. “Green Seal’s draft standard is designed to spur demand for trash bags that either give existing plastic waste a second life or that use innovative technology to produce thinner liners while providing assurance that they perform effectively.”

Green Seal developed the draft standard with participation and input from a variety of stakeholders, including from manufacturers, distributors, institutional purchasers, and market and technical experts. This includes the volunteer members of Green Seal’s Working Group for Trash Bags and Can Liners, consisting of representatives from the following organizations:

• BMS Building Management Services

• Chaz Miller, waste and recycling expert

• EFS Plastics

• Northeast Recycling Council

• Responsible Purchasing Network

• Revolution Bags

• State of Oregon, Department of Environmental Quality

• University of Virginia

• Waxie Sanitary Supply, an Envoy Solutions Company

As single-use plastic products, trash bags and can liners have significant environmental impacts. These products generally are made of virgin plastics that are produced using considerable amounts of energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Once produced and purchased, the one billion-plus trash bags American households use each year are sent on to landfills where they turn into microplastics that further pollute the environment.

Incorporating PCR content into a trash bag reduces plastic pollution by giving a second life to used plastic films that would otherwise end up in landfills or the ocean. It also reduces the carbon impact of trash bags by eliminating the greenhouse gas emissions associated with extracting and manufacturing new virgin material and avoids emissions from incinerating plastic waste.

However, PCR content alone may not be an effective way to identify products that reduce virgin plastic use and the associated carbon impacts. A Green Seal analysis of products in the marketplace found that bags that feature PCR sometimes still incorporate the same amount of virgin plastic as their PCR-free competitors. In addition, emissions reduction calculations indicate that very thin liners produce fewer carbon emissions than thicker liners, even in some cases those that incorporate significant amounts of PCR content. Therefore, Green Seal’s proposed standard focuses on the actual environmental savings achieved, regardless of which method is used to achieve it.

The draft standard does not recognize non-conventional plastics such as bio-based, biodegradable, or compostable plastics. While these are marketed as sustainable alternatives, they are not currently effective solutions due to lack of recycling and composting infrastructure, improper consumer use and, in the case of bio-based plastics, land use and emissions concerns associated with growing crops to produce the materials.

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