Keen to be green
August 1st 2011 Green cleaning has become one of the fastest growing trends in the industry today,
and is becoming ever more central to business philosophies.Mike Sullivan,managing
director of GOJO Industries-Europe, examines why this may be so
Businesses are grappling with an ever-growing list of key issues
within the global sustainability agenda, while thinking of
creative ways to increase profit during a difficult economic
climate.
General awareness of this agenda is consistently rising, but
confusion still shrouds the issue.While environmental impact is the
most commonly thought of strand of sustainability, social and
economic factors are often overlooked.
Key players in the industry are being motivated to become more
eco-aware because our stakeholders expect us to understand and
address issues that are relevant to them. An increasing number of
buyers are questioning the sustainable agenda of their suppliers,
recognising that their own environmental image is affected by the
green credentials of their suppliers.Therefore contract choices are
significantly impacted by how green or environmentally damaging
a company's portfolio is.
The fact that suppliers are becoming increasingly aware of the
impact their policies can have on their corporate image means they
are starting to look inward to implement creative strategies to fulfil
environmental needs.This is achieved in a number of ways, such as
energy efficiency, limiting product waste and toxicity, and
innovative product design.Through setting and recognising
sustainable processes from the outset, suppliers sit at the top of the
sustainability chain, passing down green products, principles and
methods of working.
The Corporate Social Responsibility drive
Sustainability is now increasingly being seen in terms of Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR), where companies should be
accountable for the impact on society and the environment. On the
social side, this includes wider issues such as the working
conditions of staff, who could be seen as a company's most
important renewable resource and strongest asset.
Since 2007, GOJO Industries-Europe has diverted more than 50
per cent of its solid waste away from landfills.This includes more
than 176 tonnes of scrap plastic it has donated for conversion into
more than 320 playgrounds. It's an example of doing the right thing
for the environment while simultaneously improving the lives of
those around us in an even more direct way.
It's important to recognise that making small sustainable
changes at an individual level can hugely impact the planet. In
2010, warehouse manager Shane Noble was elected Energy
Champion at the GOJO's European head office in Milton Keynes.
Since being in his role, he has been looking at ways to implement
these changes.The warehouse area has been replaced with high
efficiency florescent tubes with motion detectors to save electricity
and the prospect of rolling this out on a wider level is being
examined. Every scrap of waste cardboard and plastic is recycled,
and in the last year 1820kg of paper, equivalent to 30 trees, has
been recycled.
In recognising how much of an impact high ethical standards can
have on the planet and company profit, the race is on for firms to
get one step ahead of their sustainable competitors. Consequently,
the green message is being passed on from suppliers to a product's
end user at a faster rate than ever before, meaning the values
become inherent within the communities in which we work, for
stakeholders, and for the next generation of business leaders.With a
multitude of environmental, social and economic benefits, it is plain
to see why an increasing number of companies are exceptionally
keen to keep their businesses
green. More articles from Gojo Industries Europe Ltd: | 
