With Spring in full swing and Earth month wrapping up, now is the time for you and your facility to continue showing your support for the environment! Earth Day is celebrated by over 1 billion people worldwide, so let’s make sure your staff and non-human companions aren’t missing out! Here are 3 key (disinfection focused) ways to help ensure you’re creating a better world for animals and people everywhere:
- Buy Biodegradable
Many professional cleaning and disinfection products can have negative effects on the planet when being used and disposed. Make sure you identify products which have more environmentally friendly ingredients, which are biodegradable and safe for simple disposal.
The best way to assess how eco-friendly your disinfectant is, is to check the active ingredient on the label! Commonly used quats (quaternary ammonium compounds) are known to accumulate in the environment and raise aquatic toxicity concerns. Additionally, chlorine compounds such as those found in bleach tend to be highly reactive leading to potential cross-reactions with other chemicals that may be present in wastewater.
On the other hand, active ingredients such as the hydrogen peroxide used in Rescue™ disinfectants are biodegradable and break down into water and oxygen, reducing your environmental impact and making your workplace safer for you, your staff and animals.
2. Check Certifications
Certifications aren’t just important for you and your team! Get to learn more about where your products come from and what mission or awards your manufacturers have when it comes to sustainability. A key recognition for facilities is LEED® Certification, which includes assessing a companies energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions and more. Rescue Disinfectants are manufactured in a LEED® Gold Certified facility . This means that Rescue is produced in a facility that is designed and operated to consume less water, energy and less natural resources.
3. Reduce, Reuse, Refill
Pair green practices with your cleaning and disinfection protocols with the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Refill!
- Reduce packaging waste by purchasing larger formats which can be used to refill existing spray bottles , to reduce your plastic usage.
- Reduce product waste by using products with longer shelf lives. Some disinfectants need to be dumped at the end of every day once diluted, while some disinfectants such as Rescue Concentrate have a longer shelf life of 90 days once diluted.
- Reuse your canister wipe containers by using products that offer refills. For example, Rescue’s Canister and Bucket refill pouches are designed to be inserted simply into your existing canisters and buckets. These pouches are made with over 85% less plastic packaging, compared to regular containers, reducing your environmental impact.
Learn more about Rescue Refill Wipes here