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Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management
PMM COMPANIES
Untangle the Web of Green Cleaning Claims…
Everyone claims to have green cleaning programs... but is your facility really being green cleaned?
What Is Green Cleaning?
A. Green Cleaning is cleaning to protect health without harming
the environment. Green cleaning involves the use of alternative products, applying those products in different ways and evaluating and/or changing behaviors to reduce health and safety risks while meeting the cleaning, disinfection, maintenance, and sanitation needs of a facility.
Superior green cleaning services use cleaning products that are less harmful to the environment
and people than traditional commercial cleaning products. They also use different equipment and cleaning methods to further reduce allergens and dust from the air.
A comprehensive green cleaning program requires a change in habit from the top-down at companies, from introducing recycling programs to switching to plastic garbage bags and paper products that create less waste. Green cleaning also reduces our carbon footprint on the planet.
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Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management • www.pmmcompanies.com
1-800-254-4PMM
How Does Green Cleaning Work?
A. Environmentally preferable cleaning works in two ways.
First, it relies on cleaning chemicals that do not contain many of the highly toxic constituents that are common in cleaning products. Second, it employs advanced technology, such as
microfiber dust mops, that is more effective at gathering dirt, soil, and other particulate matter. By utilizing safer cleaning chemicals and modern equipment, “green” cleaning releases fewer harmful particulates and toxic substances into the environment.
Do Green Products Clean As Well?
A. .YES! As green cleaning becomes an important news
topic, more and more research and substantive evidence becomes available all the time to support the fact that green cleaning products sanitize and kill bacteria as well as traditional janitorial products. Unlike traditional products, they won’t harm the indoor air quality, leading to health problems among employees, customers and other visitors to your building.
What is the smell of a clean facility? A clean facility should smell like nothing at all. Just because you may not be able to smell cleaning products in your facility after a green cleaning, doesn’t mean your facility isn’t clean. Green cleaning products are just as effective as conventional cleaning products, research has proven. In fact, the fragrances and chemicals in the conventional cleaning products can actually be harmful to your health!
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Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management • www.pmmcompanies.com
1-800-254-4PMM
Why Is Green Cleaning Important?
A. Health and the Environment. A growing body of evidence links
certain chemicals in cleaning products to health problems ranging from asthma and allergies, to attention disorders and even cancer.
Some cleaning products contain cancer-causing carcinogens and other chemicals that have been linked to reproductive organ damage, birth defects, kidney damage and neurological problems. Many commercial products contain high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can lead to headaches, breathing problems, and other symptoms in building occupants.
Cleaning products are also a major contributor to the poor air quality inside buildings. The EPA has
estimated that as many as 30% of office workers experience health problems from unhealthy air in buildings, also known as Sick Building Syndrome. Switching to green cleaners can greatly reduce health problems and related costs.
Implementing green cleaning solutions also supports environmental activities that help reduce the large amounts of energy and water that buildings consume. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States. Corporations going green help decrease atmospheric emission from the use of energy, thereby reducing acid rain, ground-level ozone, smog and global climate change.
Why Are Green Cleaning Processes, Procedures And Equipment So Important?
A. Green cleaning isn’t just about switching out traditional
chemicals for “green” chemicals. It’s also about processes, procedures, equipment and training. The greenest chemical in the world isn’t very green if it’s over-used. Even better than using green chemicals alone is also finding ways to reduce overall chemical use, such as stopping dirt before it gets into the building (by putting proper mats at doorways).
High-performance equipment is an important component of environmentally preferable cleaning because these tools — such as HEPA filtration vacuum cleaners, microfiber mops and cloths, multilevel walk-off mats and two-chamber mop buckets — are designed to prevent dirt and
soil from contaminating surfaces, thus reducing the amount of chemicals required for cleaning.
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Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management • www.pmmcompanies.com
1-800-254-4PMM
What Green Cleaning Standards Already Exist?
A. Several reputable standard-setting organizations have already developed voluntary standards and guidance for agencies, companies and
other organizations that want to adopt green cleaning practices.
• Green Seal ™ is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the environment by promoting the manufacture and sale of environmentally responsible consumer products and services. Visit www.greenseal.org for a description of Green Seal and its certification process.
• The EPA has published guidelines and a database of resources for Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP). Visit http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/products/cleaning.htm for more information.
• The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has issued guidance on procedures for developing a green cleaning program.
• The “Standard Guide for Stewardship for the Cleaning of Commercial and Institutional Buildings” (ASTM E-1971) was issued in 1998 to help commercial and institutional buildings adopt green cleaning programs and practices.
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Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management • www.pmmcompanies.com
1-800-254-4PMM
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What Are The Federal Guidelines For Green Cleaning Product Labels?
A. When it comes to products and packaging, what do claims
like “environmentally safe,” “recyclable,” degradable” or “ozone friendly” really mean? “Green” is a non-regulated, generic term that is promoted to the general public as meaning “safer for the environment.” But because there is no officially sanctioned definition of “green”, many products use the term in their title
without actually being better for health or the environment. The FTC, in cooperation with the EPA, has developed guidelines for advertisers to ensure that their environmental marketing claims don’t mislead consumers. The EPA website (www.epa.gov) will help you evaluate and define specific green label information such as post-consumer, non-toxic and CFC-free.
Does Green Cleaning Cost More?
A. The Dollars and Sense of Green Cleaning Programs.
Implementing a green cleaning program costs the same, or in some cases, green cleaning services are even less expensive than traditional janitorial services. So to gain a competitive advantage, improve efficiency and provide a cleaner and healthier work environment, companies need to move quickly to adopt sustainability practices and green goals. In addition, costs are minimized through environmentally conscious operations. An environmentally responsible company will use fewer resources to complete the same amount of work, lessening costs and increasing profit. Tax benefits are available for LEED certified buildings.
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Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management • www.pmmcompanies.com
1-800-254-4PMM
PMM Green Care Program— Committed to Providing a Healthy, Sustainable Environment Today and For Future GenerationsPMM is committed to providing property and building management with the most environmen-tally responsible cleaning and facility maintenance solutions. PMM’s Green Care Program means combining certified chemicals, tools, equipment, training and processes to reduce the environmental footprint for future generations and create a healthy work environment for all your occupants.
Whether you’ve become an expert on cleaning green or are just wondering where to begin, PMM can help. We also understand implementing a successful green program is a process that involves a team approach between facility management and PMM. Successful implementation requires the participation and understanding of everyone who occupies, maintains and cleans a facility.
PMM stands ready to implement our proven Green Care Program at your facility. PMM is GS-42 Green Seal™ Certified and proud to state that 100% of our buildings are utilizing green cleaning policies and procedures. Whether you are working toward LEED certification or merely want to promote a healthy, green cleaning program, PMM can deliver the service that meets your needs and expectations.
PMM also takes a broader approach to sustainability and the environment and offers other “green” maintenance services that go beyond cleaning green. PMM can assist you in implementing an ef-fective recycling program, installing touchless water conservation equipment, reducing harmful sewage and guide you toward more energy-efficient HVAC systems. Just ask us!
PMM Green Care Program Partners Third Party Partners
Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management • www.pmmcompanies.com
1-800-254-4PMM
Use of Green Cleaning Chemicals and ProductsPMM is committed to purchasing and using cleaning products that are designed to minimize the negative impact on public health and the environment. All products and chemicals either meet or exceed the EPA’s published guidelines or have been certified as environmentally preferable by leading independent organizations such as Green Seal™.
Use of Effective Janitorial EquipmentAll of PMM’s staff has been trained in green standards, products and product implementation from the Building Wellness Institute.
Color-coded micro-fiber dusting cloths and flat mops are used to collect dust and dirt. A self-contained Bucketless Mopping System dispenses cleaning fluid directly from the reservoir, and is designed to use fewer chemicals and uses only 10% of water required by conventional mopping methods. HEPA Filter Backpack vacuums are used to remove 99.9% of the dirt and allergens from flooring and surfaces. Hands-free paper towel dispensers minimize waste and prevent cross-contamination.
Basic Procedures of Green Care ProgramPMM’s Green Care procedures are initially focused on preventative measures. An important goal is to trap and remove dirt and pollutants before they enter the building and prevent cross-contamination.
In addition, particles and chemicals in the air are minimized mechanically by capturing dust and dirt, using course spray for chemicals and applying the cleaner to the cloth rather than spraying the surface to be cleaned. A chemical management system accurately dilutes the product. Vacuum bags are emptied at the end of each shift plus we focus on touch-points such as doorknobs and fixtures. Restroom disinfectant is applied properly to ensure dwell time, so soil is thoroughly removed and fewer products used.
Quality Assurance and Other ConsiderationsThe PMM Green Care Program understands that keeping your green program cutting edge requires room for evaluation, change and growth. “Green” is in a constant state of improvement and a key part of any green program needs to be the evaluation and implementation of newer products, equipment, technology and procedures.
Janitorial Services • Facilities Maintenance & Management
PMM COMPANIES
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