A clean business. How to clean your office in an environmentally conscious way.

2021/01/22

Climate protection is the biggest challenge we are currently facing. According to a calculation by the Federal Office of Statistics, companies in Germany spent around €30,000 million on environmental protection in 2010. Six years later, this figure had increased to €41,118 million. This goes to show: environmental awareness of companies is on the rise. 

There's plenty of approaches to office cleaning that allow you to get the job done in an environmentally conscious manner. And most of them don't involve any additional effort or additional costs. Just as well, because in the end everyone benefits from sustainability in office cleaning:

  • the employees who then get to work in an environment conducive to good health
  • the company that does something for its image with a clear conscience
  • the environment that is spared additional damage.

This article gives you an overview of how you can benefit from environmentally conscious cleaning measures in your company. We also explain the requirements for sustainable cleaning, and give you a practical check list that will help implement the measures necessary right away.

Why should cleaning be sustainable?

Have you ever looked at the label of a conventional all-purpose cleaner? It's teeming with warnings and symbols that depict dead fish and draw attention to all the toxic or corrosive substances contained.

All these harmful chemicals do not simply disappear into thin air once you’ve finished cleaning. Instead, they end up in the environment together with the mop water that was poured down the drain. The use of environmentally harmful cleaning agents in particular can therefore harm people and nature. 

There's a lot you can do in the office by taking an ecologically thoughtful approach. Switching to environmentally friendly cleaning products may seem like a drop in the ocean to you.

In reality, however, even seemingly small measures can have a big effect. Last but not least, you’ll also benefit from a number of positive effects it will have on your company. Your advantages at a glance:

Important areas for environmentally friendly cleaning

Cleaning the surfaces

Floors, desks, cupboards, printers, sanitary facilities – these surfaces are where most cleaning is done.

Organisation and waste management

Anyone who has ever tried to wipe down a messy desk knows: good organisation helps keep things clean. You can also be environmentally friendly when dealing with waste.

Air purification

Some contaminants aren't immediately visible. Keep an eye on the quality and purity of the air you breathe.

Requirements for sustainable cleaning

When it comes to cleaning, use the following as a guiding principle: as clean as necessary, using as few resources as possible. What does this actually mean, though? 

Biodegradability: the gold standard for cleaning agents

Cleaning agents are often toxic to aquatic organisms. Surfactants, the active cleansing substances, remain in the environment for a long time. To clean sustainably, it is therefore important to pay attention to the biodegradability of the cleaning agents. There are a number of eco labels, such as the “Blue Angel”, which provide guidance when shopping.

Check list for environmentally conscious cleaning

You probably won't be the person who personally cleans the entire office. But as the person in charge of this area, you have a lot of influence. This starts with the selection of the cleaning company or staff. Observe environmental standards and talk to the staff about them. In many cases, they will be open to your suggestions.

Sustainability is also a key focus for us at kaiserkraft. Take a look at our sustainability pages and find out how we protect the environment at kaiserkraft!