Green outsourced janitorial services streamline the shared processes necessary for implementing a successful sustainability program at your school or business.
Outsourced Janitorial Services Streamlines the Shared Responsibilities of Sustainability
Sustainability is a responsibility that goes far beyond the duties assigned to the custodial staff and extends to all building occupants--be they students, employees, guests, or customers.
- Teachers and office or department managers can ensure their assigned spaces are clear of clutter and perform simple cleaning and sanitizing functions between cleaning cycles.
- Students and business customers can take personal responsibility for environmental stewardship by policing their use and disposal of products and waste.
- Parents and guests can leverage the power of their position to ensure schools and businesses are using safe, environmentally friendly products and practices, and;
- School administrators, facilities managers, and small business owners can leverage their success stories to engage the public.
Unfortunately, the failure of most programs stems from an issue known as 'failure to adopt,' whereby the goals of the project are never achieved, and many aspects are never fully implemented due to a lack of engagement on the part of those involved which, regarding environmental stewardship, is necessarily everyone.
Additionally, many sustainable initiatives never make it past the initial proposal phase due to a perception of high cost with little to no return, making it impossible to justify, regardless of the documented benefits.
Fortunately, outsourcing your organization's sustainable planning and implementation to an experienced provider can streamline the process, making adoption simpler for everyone, and improving the odds of success in a shorter time frame than going it alone.
Benefits of Sustainability
Studies have shown that organizations who implement sustainable practices routinely outperform the market.
McKinsey & Company reported that;
According to research by Deutsche Bank, which evaluated 56 academic studies, companies with high ratings for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors have a lower cost of debt and equity; 89 percent of the studies they reviewed show that companies with high ESG ratings outperform the market in the medium (three to five years) and long (five to ten years) term.
Profits with purpose: How organizing for sustainability can benefit the bottom line
Implementing sustainable practices can also attract new business.
According to Environmental Leader;
Surveying more than 53,000 U.S. consumers, the Natural Marketing Institute discovered that 58 percent of consumers consider a company’s impact on the environment in considering where to purchase goods and services, and are more likely to purchase from companies that practice sustainable habits.
That translates into a client base of 68 million Americans who are favorably predisposed to companies showing positive track records in personal, social, and environmental values.
Finally, implementing sustainable practices has become necessary for managing unpredictable social and environmental risk.
According to the Harvard Business Review;
In the largest study on climate change data and corporations, 8,000 supplier companies (that sell to 75 multinationals) reported on their level of climate risk.
Of the respondents, 72% said that climate change presents risks that could significantly impact their operations, revenue, or expenditures.
Unlike traditional forms of business risk, social and environmental risks manifest themselves over a longer term, often affect the business on many dimensions, and are largely outside the organization’s control.
Managing risks therefore requires making investment decisions today for longer-term capacity building and developing adaptive strategies.
Outsourcing Reduces Cost
Outsourcing your organization's janitorial services can significantly reduce associated labor costs, which can ease the pains of adopting a new program.
According to a 2016 paper published in the Journal of Hospital Administration;
After adjusting per quality of the service, outsourcing provides greater value for money in terms of “cleanliness per pula spent” than insourcing.
Incremental costs of outsourcing are Botswana Pula (BWP) 5 million (US $524,135) over five years, but outsourcing is cost-beneficial after considering quality.
The benefit-cost ratio of 1.06 means that outsourcing would return six cents in value for every dollar invested, resulting in net gains for Mahalapye Hospital of BWP 1.7 million (US $182,365) over five years.
Cost-benefit analysis of outsourcing cleaning services at Mahalapye hospital, Botswana
References & Resources
- Sustainable Cleaning Is A Shared Responsibility
- Four Steps to Improving Profits through Sustainability
Takeaway
Sustainability and environmental stewardship is a responsibility shared by everyone.
However, adoption can be tricky, and often fails due to unnecessarily complicated or expensive solutions that do not demonstrate a positive return on investment.
Outsourcing your organization's sustainability and environmental stewardship programs to an experienced provider can reduce labor costs while increasing occupant health and performance and improving public sentiment, as well as mitigating social and environmental risk.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of outsourced janitorial services and how it can help your organization streamline its shared sustainable responsibilities, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
