Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Recycling as much waste as possible has its obvious environmental benefits, but recycling is still the third R in the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and is in fact the last resort regarding sustainability and trash reduction. Hopefully we can refresh your memory of the advantages of implementing the three R’s into your daily routines as well as your business as a whole.

Altering your shopping habits to purchase items with less packaging, or buy products in bulk so the items are not individually wrapped you are effectively reducing your waste. The products we purchase for our clients are purchased in bulk, resulting in less waste than smaller packages that need to be stocked more frequently. The toilet paper and paper towel we supply are all wrapped in paper instead of plastic which is easier to recycle. This not only goes for shopping, but maybe you use an excessive amount of paper towel to dry your hands at work. Minimizing the amount you use can lower your garbage output as well as cut long term costs. To reduce costs and waste even further, an alternative to paper towels is hand dryers. They result in no physical waste and are more cost effective over the long term. Try to think of some other examples within your workplace where you or others might be able to reduce your consumption of product.

Another place to review your consumption is your sinks and toilets. Check for any leaks and drips that can cause excess water consumption and have them fixed accordingly. Not only is water being wasted but mold could be forming or metals can begin to rust from constantly dripping water. Your business could also be wasting energy in the form of heating and cooling your building if you are leaving windows or doors open letting the air escape. Sharing these concerns and getting your staff onboard can help support your reduction goals.

Go digital. Do you need physical copies of every document you have? Can you send email invoices instead of paper? Storing business records to your computer reduces your storage needs by freeing up space and saves you money from purchasing paper and printer ink less often. It may be a time consuming process, but transferring your physical records digitally and implementing a system for the future can save you stress and money in the long run.

One of the most straightforward representations of reusing is the classic example of water bottles vs disposable cups. It is a very similar example as the paper towels vs hand dryers. Paper cups can quickly fill up trash bins around the office, whereas reusable water bottles and coffee mugs have a long life and create virtually no waste. Depending on the industry you work in there are guaranteed to be items that can be repurposed to avoid waste or continuous purchases for the same function.

Also consider the cleaning supplies used in your business. Is it being cleaned with disposable wipes or microfiber cloths that can be washed hundreds of times before they wear out? Asking these questions can bring to light some of the areas in your business that produce the most waste and you may be able to find not only environmental, but cost saving solutions for it.

Lastly, after you have reduced your consumption and reused whatever you can, recycling is the final action. If you don’t already have a recycling program established in your business you might want to consider starting one as it takes very little effort. If everything is currently being thrown into the garbage, simply purchase some recycling bins to place around your office, break room, warehouse etc., and inform your employees what products go into which bins. Feel free to place some recycling information signage above trash bins so your staff are aware about what exactly can be recycled. Encouraging the habit can be an excellent method of motivation to waste less both at work and in personal lives.

Reduce, reuse recycle. Recycling is the last resort in the 3 R’s. Reduction is the first preference, meaning it is the most effective course to sustainability. There is no need to recycle or throw away as much if you aren’t using the products in the first place. Secondly, using products that can be utilized more than once can equal a huge reduction in waste instead of single use items. And lastly, recycling which is as easy as setting out a few bins and sorting your waste appropriately. If you embrace reduction and reusing you won’t need to worry about recycling as much and that can be both time saving for yourself and beneficial to the environment as a whole. At Kicking Horse Janitorial, we actively seek to minimize the environmental impact of our products and procedures. We encourage our clients to do the same by leading with examples and promoting sustainable practices. Everyone shares this earth and simple changes in your lifestyle can reduce negative impacts on it!

Our Sustainable Mission

Being located in Golden, we are fortunate to operate our business on the traditional homelands of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc people and the current home of the Metis Nation Columbia River Society. They have been stewards of this land long before we arrived and we see it as our responsibility to continue to care for it. As such, we strive to be environmentally friendly with both our practices and our products. 

Our Products

Being socially responsible while maintaining high quality cleaning standards is part of our goal to keep you, your customers and our environment clean and healthy. We have an ongoing mission to continue our current levels of environmental sustainability while actively searching for new approaches to generate an even more positive impact. By doing this we maintain high levels of cleanliness while limiting the effects on the local environment, which is why all of our products are EcoLogo certified or better. These products contain organic ingredients that are readily biodegradable and are “products and services that have been independently certified to meet strict environmental standards that reflect their entire life cycle — from manufacturing to disposal” as reported by the Government of Canada. Not only do we presently use this high standard of products, but we are constantly testing new products to see what we can still improve, all while meeting our rigorous cleaning needs. Our cleaning supplies don’t leave any odours behind or negatively impact air quality inside of your business and are safe around both humans and animals in case you occasionally bring your furry friend into your workplace.

As a commercial cleaning company the safety of our staff is a top priority. For this reason we highly recommend that our staff wears gloves while working inside of commercial buildings to protect them from spills or harmful liquids left behind as well as reducing the possible transmission of viruses or bacteria. Because of this we use large quantities of disposable gloves on a daily basis. To combat this usage we use biodegradable gloves as often as possible. Compared to standard nitrile gloves which can take more than 200 years to decompose, biodegradable gloves will fully degrade within 10 years.

We also utilize reusable, microfiber cloths instead of disposable ones that would end up in a landfill. Microfiber cloths can withstand hundreds of washes, which is substantially more environmentally friendly than using single use wipes or paper towels.

When ordering or picking up products from suppliers we do so in bulk to minimize the costs and impact of fuel and packaging material. Additionally the materials used in the packaging is largely paper and cardboard which we recycle, further reducing the impact we have on landfill waste and the environment as a whole.

Our goal is to keep you, your employees and your customers safe by using extremely safe products while also keeping our own staff safe with eco-friendly materials. All of this contributes to our mission of remaining a green company and striving to continually improve these efforts.

Your Reputation

Not only are sustainable practices important to Kicking Horse Janitorial, but to many members of our community. As people understand the importance of sustainability, they often look to support businesses that share similar values and practices. Using green cleaning methods can help maintain or improve your businesses’ sustainability reputation with the local residents.

As our earth becomes increasingly polluted we know we need to do our part to reduce waste and harmful products from contaminating the environment. We are proud of the steps we take to accomplish this and we continually search for new ways to carry on minimizing our impact on the environment as well as your staff and customers.