Earth Day 2022 falls on April 22 and marks a significant turning point where businesses must fully commit to investing in sustainability initiatives by cutting the carbon from their cleaning processes or risk potentially devastating impacts to their organizations via supply chain disruptions, loss of consumer support, and the departure of skilled labor to organizations that align with their values.
Earth Day 2022
On April 22, 2022, EarthDay.org encourages the citizens of the world to Invest in Our Planet through a conscientious reduction in the consumption of products and the use of processes that pose a hazard to our planet and its occupants.
It’s as if many of us have lost hope but now is the time to truly see our potential to change history.
Change has never been easy but it takes just a committed effort from a few to create the tipping point necessary.
The solutions are out there and we know what must be done whether it’s transitioning to renewable energy, conserving our forests and lands, or ridding ourselves of the scourge of plastic pollution.
Reasons to Adopt Sustainability
Politics and jargon aside, there are very sound reasons to invest in sustainability within your organization, especially the cleaning processes that directly impact occupant health, wellness, and performance.
First and foremost among the major driving factors--consumers and skilled office workers have demonstrated a strong preference for organizations that align with their personal values, accept the mantle of responsibility, and lead our culture into a greener future.
According to Deloitte;
To win the hearts of Gen Z, companies and employers will need to highlight their efforts to be good global citizens.
While focusing on the quality of the goods/services you provide is still important, a company’s ethics are more important than ever.
Moreover, actions speak more loudly than words: Companies must demonstrate their commitment to a broader set of societal challenges, such as sustainability, climate change and hunger.
Not only must companies have strong ethics, they have to demonstrate they take action consistent with their ethics and values, and this action must be front and center of their brand for prospective Gen Z buyers and employees to see.
Second is a marked and demonstrable improvement in occupant wellness and performance.
Businesses have found there is significant risk mitigation and reduction in absenteeism when employees are more engaged and motivated by a healthy work environment.
Recent studies have shown that green buildings provide environments that are beneficial for human health, with features such as natural lighting and better air quality.
A 2017 study from Harvard University, Syracuse University, and SUNY Upstate Medical University on the impact of green buildings on cognitive function found that participants in green office environments were more productive than those in conventional buildings.
Those working in well-ventilated environments were also the ones with the highest levels of cognitive function, the studies found.
Green workspaces also promote collaboration, so workplaces are being designed with open spaces that promote movement, collaboration, and networking.
And, finally, short and long-term profitability.
Unless businesses act now, climate change will ever more deeply damage economies, increase scarcity, drain profits and job prospects, and impact us all.
Yet we already know that private sector innovation (with public support) accelerates the kind of rapid change we need, like nothing else.
And it pays.
Studies show a direct correlation between sustainable business practices, share prices, and business performance.
Companies who develop strong Environment Social Governance (ESG) standards have better profitability, stronger financials, happier employees, and more resilient stock performance.
Smart companies are discovering that it is no longer a choice between going green and growing long-term profits — sustainability is the path to prosperity.
Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks' Sustainability Plan
When it comes to sustainability, Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks leads from the front through a combination of optional service provider training, state-of-the-art tools and technologies, and strategic partnerships.
Our focus emphasizes:
- Green cleaning with environmentally-preferable products designed to reduce volatile organic compounds in the air and the creation of pollution during the disposal process.
- Water conservation through the use of microfiber products and chemical management systems, resulting in improved cleaning outcomes and a reduction of more than one million gallons of water annually, and;
- Carbon reduction planning via strategic partnerships with Carbon Footprint and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
Takeaway
This Earth Day 2022, we at Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks encourage you to Invest in Our Planet and commit to reducing your carbon footprint by adopting environmentally-positive actions, such as cleaning healthier with safer products.
Need environmentally conscious vendor partners?--Let's talk.
In Oklahoma, dial 918-960-4450
In Arkansas, dial 479-717-2410
In Missouri, dial 417-812-9777
