There are many benefits of adopting sustainable practises like green cleaning, green eating, recycling and waste reduction, but are you practising this equally in your home and at your workplace where you spend so much of your time?
What can you do to make it happen at your workplace? You can have the best of intentions but in many cases, you may have a pestered boss, manager or CEO, and it can be a tough task to explain exactly how these green measures would contribute towards the betterment of the company, employees and the environment.
If you want to take a green initiative to management, you need to identify the need first and then present the solution to build a strong case. You can bring their attention to this pressing issue by showing them that it’s affecting your office in many ways. Everybody likes to work in a neat, clean and hygienic office environment, but nobody thinks about the things that are indirectly affecting their health as well as the environment. You can spread awareness about synthetic cleaning products and toxins that they carry. Although the products are used for cleaning, they are not eco-friendly and long-term exposure does affect us.
You need to approach this conversation with your boss with a very positive and solutions-based attitude. You really have to be knowledgeable, confident, and logical about the business statistics and the benefits of green cleaning.
Your manager will certainly consider the proposal if you present your ideas in a way that is beneficial for the company. You can highlight how green cleaning can help in keeping the staff happy and healthy which in return increases productivity and motivation. An unhygienic environment can result in decreased work efficiency as employees can’t give 100% when they are not feeling well, not to mention increased sick days!
Thanks to awareness sessions and continuous development, there are manufacturers who sell eco-friendly cleaning products and boost the awareness of green cleaning throughout the world. Your office sustainability depends on the actions and initiative that you can take, and your efforts to use eco-friendly products and services so the environment is not affected.
Highlight the issues with aerosol sprays or air fragrances that are used in offices. Explain how the particles that they contain can affect those with asthma and cause respiratory issues, and introduce green cleaning as an opportunity to get rid of air and water pollutants out of your office and adopt eco-friendly ways of cleaning.
Not only will the staff gain personal fulfilment from protecting aquatic life from pollution via the toxins released by chemical cleaning agents, but companies that are committed to sustainable practices are also looked upon more favourably by customers.
Cleaning can actually get easier with eco-friendly products as they have a lower chance of causing stains and reacting to particular surfaces. Green cleaning products do not have any components that have side effects as the ingredients are natural and eco-friendly.
In summary, present a solution with the idea of green cleaning and convince your boss with information about how eco-friendly office environments can increase the productivity of the employees. Keeping the environment clean and fresh makes employees happy and the whole ambience can turn any workplace place into a more efficient and productive environment. Your boss won’t turn you down if you’re armed with the facts. Some calculations and graphs go a long way, so make sure to prepare well and make a great impression.
And remember, don’t jump straight to the big changes. Experiment with small things and show results. When you have gained their confidence, your green initiatives will be able to grow and make bigger impacts on your workplace!