SUSTAINABILITY SHARED IS SUSTAINABILITY SOLVED
Stephen P. Ashkin, President of The Ashkin Group, discusses how vital sustainability is going to be for the contract cleaning industry.
The word ‘sustainability’ has been evolving for more than 300 years, but in many respects the concept itself has been our goal since the dawn of civilization. Even the prehistoric settlers of the British Isles worked in ways that would sustain life for generations to come.
But in recent years, the understanding of how sustainability can be put into practice has expanded. Today, sustainability has evolved and typically includes a ‘three pillars’ approach: people, planet, and profits. In other words, a cleaning contractor with a sustainability program solidly in place would be one that is:
• Taking steps to make sure workers are fairly treated, paid fair wages, receive proper benefits, not discriminated against, well-trained, etc. Without taking care of our people, the business cannot succeed in the future.
46 | SUSTAINABLE CLEANING
• Ensuring that the products and procedures used to clean their customer’s facilities – as well as operate their own businesses – has a reduced impact on health and the environment. Without addressing our use of resources, again, the business cannot succeed in the future.
• Meeting all financial and profit requirements. Let’s face it – a business cannot be successful, regardless of how well it takes care of its people or is responsible about its use of resources, if the business itself runs out of money.
What is important to point out about these three pillars is that success is dependent on meeting the needs of all three of them at the same time. Focusing on just one or even two pillars may work in the short-term, but for long-term ‘sustainable’ success, all three pillars must be simultaneously addressed.
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