How to Make Your Business More Green

If you consider yourself to be leading a modern type of business, it’s also important to have an eco-friendly business.

Going green is not just about recycling anymore; it’s about promoting business methods that are proven to be efficient in terms of the preservation of the environment.

Making your business eco-friendly is not something you can do overnight, but still, it’s an effort well invested. Keep reading to learn how to “Go Green” at work.

The eco-friendly business model is not perfect of course, but it still does its purpose of adopting sustainable methods that will help you save both energy and money.

They are good not only for your business but the environment as well, and by introducing a couple of changes to your way of work, you can do your part in its preservation.

Our Sustainability Stories offer the kind of ideas that can help you turn your business green, so we’ve come up with a list of 6 things that are guaranteed to help your business, your reputation, and your environment.

Why is Going Green Important?

Checking out the statistics should tell you enough. Research has shown that more and more people are aware of climate change and are becoming interested in the preservation of the environment. Thus, any business that promotes a healthier work environment is more appreciated by the public.

In developed countries, research shows that people are generally anywhere from extremely concerned to moderately concerned when it comes to climate change. Only about 5% of people tend to put themselves in the “not concerned” category.

People are also of the opinion that businesses should be doing more to make their businesses eco-friendly. A large majority of the population agrees that it is unacceptable for a business to focus more on their profit than on the pollution and harm they might be causing the environment, and some even think that businesses that do cause pollution should be punished for it and severely charged if they choose to continue in the same way.

Some may think that small and medium-sized businesses can’t do much, but ignoring the needs and desires of their customers can only lead to commercial disaster, which can harm their reputations and chances of success. Also, every little thing matters, so even the small things done by small businesses can help when it comes to overall accomplishments.

How to Turn Your Business Eco-Friendly in 6 Simple Steps

So how do you go green? Does it have to imply introducing life-changing rules and strict regulations that will make working at the office just more difficult? Not really. The steps are simple and while they do require effort, the results will make everything worth the effort. Here are six steps.

1. Make Some Cutbacks

Not exactly the first thing that would come to mind, but saving money on resources is one of the best places to start.

This implies using less paper, printing less, turning off lights after leaving the rooms (if nobody else is inside, of course) and not turning them on during sunny days when there’s enough natural light.

This step depends greatly on the decisions that workers make every day, so it’s important that everybody knows how much they can contribute. For example, they may ask themselves:

• Do I need to turn the lights on, or is there enough natural light?
• Do I really need this document printed? If I do, can I use both pages?
• Is this paper recycled?
• Does my workplace provide recycling bins for plastic, paper, glass, etc.? If not, why not?
• Are there places designated for waste?
• Can I pack my lunch instead of buying one and increasing waste?
• Am I the last one leaving this room, and if yes, why not turn the lights off?

2. Use Energy-Saving Appliances

Replacing your old appliances with new, energy-saving ones is one of the best ways to upgrade your office. This is a much bigger change than simply turning the computer off or using energy-efficient light bulbs. Your workplace appliances usually waste a lot of energy, more than they need for sure, which only makes them produce a greater carbon footprint.

As already said, the best way to deal with this problem is to upgrade your appliances to newer, more energy-efficient models. The difference in energy consumption can range between 50% and 90%, so think about upgrading from laser printers to ink-jet ones, and from old computers to modern laptops (which are also more convenient since they can be used on the go).

Also, think about replacing your hand dryers in the restrooms with paper towels. While there, consider reducing the waste of water by installing automatic-stopping taps, and think about installing dual-flush toilets, which use about 25% of the water the older single-flush toilets do. Urinals can also save water, as much as 30% per flush.

One survey asked 2,000 retail and manufacturing professionals how they managed to save on energy costs – around 31% said that they saved money by switching to energy-efficient appliances, while 22% said that automatic lighting and automated energy control systems have really helped them reduce their energy bills.

When looking for energy-efficient appliances for your workplace, check out New Zealand’s own Energy Rating Label for information on the best options. It would also be worthwhile to read the advice EECA is offering.

3. Control The Temperature

Heating and cooling systems can also contribute to the waste of energy if not used properly. But you can reduce the amount of energy they consume by regulating their use or by installing energy-efficient ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning systems. Around 40% of a business’s energy consumption is due to these systems, but if you use them correctly, you could save up to 50%. If you’re interested in learning more, check out this article about saving energy in the office. For starters, there are a couple of small things you could do.

• Instead of using AC, open the windows and let some fresh air inside. You can also install a couple of
  fans that require less energy than ACs.
• Prevent the heat from escaping during the cold days by using weather strips on the base of your doors.
• To keep your HVAC equipment working properly, make sure it’s regularly serviced and cleaned.
• Install a heating system timer so you don’t have to think about it (and so you don’t forget about it), you can just set it to go off after work and come on an hour before.

4. Promote Green Commuting

Another great way to lower your carbon footprint is by encouraging your employees to use greener methods of transport. Considering that every aspect of your business contributes to your carbon footprint, motivating your workers to travel using more eco-friendly modes of transport could lower the carbon footprint of your business.

Inspiring your employees to opt for greener transport options can influence both society and the nation. People’s awareness about the benefits of using public transport, carpooling, and generally choosing eco-friendly ways of travelling to work is still at a fairly low level.

For example, Australians are among the least frequent users of local public transport, and the least likely to go to work on foot or ride a bike to work. In fact, only 9% of Australians ride a bicycle to work at least once per week.

When it comes to eco-friendly commuting choices, some of the most popular ones are:

• Carpooling – sharing a car when travelling to work, which automatically reduces the number of cars on the road (and thus, the fuel consumption and pollution by the greenhouse gases).
• Public transport – these types of vehicles have to be on the road anyway, so might as well opt for them when commuting.
• Walking – healthy, calming and perfect for employees living close to their work.
• Cycling – if you live between 5km and 15km away from work, this might just be the perfect option for you.

Studies on Financial Incentives To Ride To Work have shown that more than 80% of workers aged between 25 and 54 support the idea of cycling to work rather than driving – with adequate financial incentives. This might imply a tax deduction for the bicycles purchased by employees or direct/indirect subsidies paid to workers.

There are many ways in which you can inspire your employees to choose greener and healthier commuting methods. They don’t necessarily have to include financial compensation, but it is one of the options you could check with your local authority.

5. Try to Be More Proactive

Most people have certain habits that they can’t change that easily regardless of what you tell them. Showing them clear benefits of the changes you want to apply and getting them involved from the very start might be a great way to introduce a sustainable Go Green programme.

Involve Your Staff – organise a team of people who will be in charge of your business’s eco-friendly programme and in-house recycling. Reducing energy consumption and recycling can be more easily initiated by working together.

Your job is to make all the necessary resources easily available, and you should have no problems adopting the best principles and practices. Also, try to make it more fun – encourage your employees to think of different events and activities that could help promote a greener lifestyle.

Educate Your Staff on the Benefits – your employees are more likely to get on board with your ideas if they know why those ideas are good for them and the environment. You can promote the benefits of going green by, for example, putting up posters or offering a monthly Go Green newsletter where your workers can find all the information they might need.

6. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

This step, even though often overlooked, is essential when it comes to building a greener workplace. Just like homes, every workplace needs to be cleaned, which includes using all kinds of chemical cleaning products.

Considering the amount of work that implies, choosing eco-friendly detergents is surely going to influence the green aspect of your workplace. Of course, you can outsource this process if your workplace is a bit larger, but make sure your cleaning company is aware of your eco-friendly goals.

If they are unwilling to change, you might want to consider other options, but most already offer environmentally friendly cleaning services. Environmental Choice New Zealand (ECNZ) casts an eye over the status of a wide variety of products, including cleaning products. Look for their Environmental Choice New Zealand licensed product. Also, check out what the national environmental research and education body, New Zealand Association for Environmental Education, is saying for more on eco-labelling and what you should be looking out for.

Alsco’s own Fresh & Clean range offers cleaner restroom hygiene options, while for workshops and garages, Alsco’s EcoSafe Washer provides effective, eco-friendly machine parts washing.

Most modern businesses already have everything they need to go green, so adopting a programme such as Go Green should hardly be a problem. And besides, you can find plenty of suggestions and ideas about making your business more eco-friendly.

We have included a lot of links here already, but if you’re interested, you could also check these out:

• About New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets from the Ministry for the Environment
• New Zealand’s Government Business website for a host of details on the individual state environmental legislation and codes of practice, as well as federal energy, grants and awards advice and environmental management efficiency opportunities and code of practice.

Happy Going Green!

How To Easily Minimize Fatigue At Your Workplace

The area of work itself does not matter, fatigue is visible in every office building, in IT, logistics or management sectors. As long as there are employees and workers around, there will be fatigue.

Whatever the job description, the employees are bound to feel the effects. This will, in turn, reduce their productivity.

Understanding fatigue is the first step towards minimizing its negative impact.

It cannot be said that fatigue is the same as just “being tired”. This particular state is reached when a person becomes exhausted and weary at all levels.

This includes both physical and mental exhaustion, oftentimes feeling emotionally drained as well.

When employees start experiencing fatigue, minimized efficiency is not the only cause for concern. It is also the question of its long term consequences on productivity and contribution. This condition cannot be dealt with simply by relaxation and resting.

It’s Simple to Overcome Workplace Fatigue

One of the simplest ways to stop workplace fatigue might not be to everyone’s satisfaction. If employees are not in their work environment and contributing, employers cannot have the expected results. Therefore, something else must be the solution.

There are actually several ways to minimize fatigue at your workplace. The best part is that it doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part.

Our suggestions here fall under one phrase: “Easy ways to minimize workplace fatigue”. This means that you can take the edge off and still get some results.

These are only some of the ideas that you can try out:

1. Exercising While At Work?

This idea may sound ambiguous to most people. On the one hand, we’re talking about fighting fatigue and on the other we’re proposing exercising while at work.

Isn’t it logical that employees would only become more tired? Both assumptions are correct. However, research has shown that moderate exercising indeed helps in fighting fatigue.

Of course, employees should not be forced to walk or run around the office whenever they feel tired. This would be counterproductive. The whole idea is about getting them to appreciate regular and short exercise. A 15-minute exercise can go a long way.

Making a decision about exercising is strictly personal. The employer should configure a workplace in such a way that employees are encouraged to work out. Of course, there are a lot of creative ways to make an exercise area within the workplace.

In San Francisco, people at Autodesk’s Pier 9 facility, came up with one of the craziest ideas out there. They created a kind of hamster-wheel-work-and-work-out-area. There is a special desk which allows an employee to work while walking or even running! Who would have thought – it does the job. A worker can exercise while working.

If you don’t think that people in your workplace would be fighting over who gets to use a giant hamster wheel, there are other equally creative ideas that you can employ to make them burn some calories to fight fatigue, like moving the washroom to a different building or disabling the elevator. Just kidding!

2. No Dehydration Or Starvation Allowed

Taking a decent break has always been the top solution for tired employees. It is also important that a workplace is designed so that workers can easily relax. There should be a cafeteria for employees to eat and drink so they can get a rest during their breaks.

If employees work a night shift, there should be areas for them to take a nap if they are feeling too sleepy to work. The workplace shouldn’t be based on the model of some labour camp.

Try providing hardworking employees with a place to take regular and proper breaks. This can help minimise workplace fatigue and maximise efficiency.

3. A Posture To Be Proud Of

An improper posture for those employees who are required to sit all day long can lead to fatigue. It can also lead to back pains and other more serious health problems. However, bad posture can be prevented. All you need is a workplace set up in the correct way.

For example, ergonomically designed seats maintain proper posture. Also, employees should be taught how to perform exercises to promote and keep a good posture.

4. Standing Up for Yourself

Preventing employees from getting too tired to be efficient at their work doesn’t demand that much effort. The employer can make provisions for workers to perform their work while standing. For example by giving them standing desks to use at their workplace.

Workers maintain proper posture while standing. They should also keep on moving so they don’t start suffering from the effects of fatigue. One of the leading ways to ensure this is to use a range of products, such as anti-fatigue floor mats that can be rented.

Also, here is an infographic from SnackNation.com on how to stay healthy at work.

Total prevention of fatigue is most definitely impossible. Still, at least some of the ideas mentioned in this article can help fight it. More employers need to realize that their employees are humans and not robots. Fewer people would suffer from the downsides of workplace fatigue. Most of the ideas listed here should be able to help out employees stay productive in the workplace. In the end, employers can look into the products offered by Alsco. They serve the above-mentioned purpose in a work-friendly way.

Photo courtesy from Freepik Images by freepik
Photo courtesy of Flickr Images by A Healthier Michigan

Keep Your Heart Beating – Tips For A Healthy Life

Having a healthy heart is a basic prerequisite for a good life. And having a healthy lifestyle is the most important factor in the mission to keep your heart healthy.

We live fast and very often it is extremely hard to take care of our health properly. When we are hungry and there is no time to prepare anything, we will go and buy junk food, often fully aware of the possible long term consequences.

We drive to work because it is more practical and less time consuming than riding a bike.

At work, we deal with stress every day, usually unaware of how much damage our heart takes each time we suffer a drawback or work long hours.

Living a life which does not harm our heart is impossible in this day and age. However, there are certain things which can help us get a healthy lifestyle and ease the burden on this crucial muscle.

The tips in this article are meant to inspire you to get healthy lifestyle and start taking better care of yourself and your heart. If you manage to change only one of the things listed below, your body will be grateful.

Exercise

Becoming and staying active can greatly reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

Doctors advise a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week or lesser if the physical activity being undertaken is of greater intensity.

Activities of moderate-intensity are brisk walking, playing golf, recreational swimming or household activities such as cleaning windows etc.

Activities of vigorous intensity include jogging, aerobics or most sports.

Apart from the short bursts of moderate to intense activity, it is also important to stay active during the rest of the day. If you have a sedentary desk job, make sure you get up from time to time. Walk up to your colleague instead of calling her, take a coffee break or refill your water bottle periodically.

Standing desks or Hamster-wheels at workstations are some more ideas that can help keep you active throughout your day.

If you have the opportunity, consider taking on a more physically active role. Take Domenik, for example, whose job as a Service Delivery Person for Alsco in Auckland changed his life in less than 3 months.

https://www.facebook.com/AlscoNewZealand/videos/358413175057693/

Relax

Stress happens. Things do not always go as per plan. The important thing is to stay calm in these situations.

If we let these situations get the better of us, then it affects our heart adversely. In order to cope with stress, the body releases adrenaline. Adrenaline causes the heart to overwork and beat very hard.

Regular exercise helps us to cope with stress. Other ways to beat stress are talking to a friend, a trusted colleague.

Image from: freepik

Switch Off

In today’s world of 24/7 connectivity, where smartphones that are becoming smarter by the minute second, the office is no longer restricted by its geographic presence or by time. Work happens anytime and anywhere.

This is a major cause of the rise in stress in modern times, which leads to heart problems. Therefore, it is important to be able to disconnect from our phones, tablets and other electronic devices.

If your device offers home or an evening mode, switch to that. Use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode at night to catch your zzz’s.

Sleep

The healing power of sleep is very well known and documented. Your heart naturally benefits from it as well. During sleep, our body has time to rest and replenish the energy necessary for normal functioning during the day. Our heart, which keeps beating incessantly, has time to slow down and recuperate.

If you want to get the best out of your regular night’s sleep, you need to make sure you sleep enough and at the right time. The time around midnight is crucial, so try to spend it sleeping whenever possible.

Establishing a regular sleeping pattern is also very important because your body generally likes predictability.

Stop Smoking

If you are a smoker, you need to quit. NOW! This is the single most important thing you can do for your heart.

Smoking is the leading cause of heart attacks. Here are some practical and easy steps you can take to stop smoking.

There are many websites which can also help you to cope while you are trying to quit. Some of them will have a helpline, can assist you in finding a ‘quiet coach’, and provide useful information and resources.

Fruits, Vegetables And Nuts

Make friends with these food types for a healthy heart. Easy food ideas for a healthy lifestyle and top heart-friendly snack tip ideas can be found everywhere on the internet.

Image from: Pexels by Stokpic

The foods and snacks basically comprise of

• Whole grains – which are rich in fibre.
• Lean meats and fish (which is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids).
• Fruits and vegetables -particularly berries.
• Nuts, seeds and legumes.

Foods to be avoided are refined carbs, fried foods and red meats. Consumption of alcohol too should be restricted.

Be Prepared

The final tip is – always be ready to react if something unpredictable happens because your body can surprise you even if you did everything to prevent such occurrences. It is wise to always know where to obtain the necessary aid.

Photo: pressfoto

How to Keep Your Restaurant Food Safe with 3 Easy Steps

Running a restaurant business is everything but simple and easy. It does not include just actions such as choosing the most appropriate and trendy location, decorating the space and trying to find the most attractive furniture.

No! There are other numerous things to think about.

Less fun but more important activities include those related to choosing the best staff for your restaurant, providing best quality uniforms for them, taking care of the hygiene level of all the restaurant areas, including washrooms, etc.

You may wonder why those latter mentioned activities are more important than others. Well simply because those activities directly affect possible food contamination.

So, basically, if you serve at least one, the smallest piece of food affected by food contamination, there are legal consequences!

Therefore, in order not to have those types of problems in your restaurant business life, follow these three simple steps!

1. Avoid Food Contamination

The storage system has to protect food from contamination. All the food which is used in the kitchen must be properly stored at the proper temperature and in an appropriate place. This step is highly important!

When you store food and groceries at the necessary temperature level you are eliminating biological hazards, such as parasitic and bacterial microorganisms.

In order to make sure the kitchen staff never forgets to check the temperature, you can make some posters and use them as a reminder.

When it comes to the best possible space for storing the food and groceries, firstly have in mind that you should always store the food at the least six inches off the ground.

So, there are no potato bags on the floor! Next step to do is to separate all the varieties of food and groceries into containers which suit them. You will definitely not keep meat and other raw materials on the kitchen counter but in the fridge, right?

With the above actions, you completed the # step in keeping your restaurant safe for your customers!

2. Think About Hygiene, Always!

In this case, you are not in charge just for the clean, sanitised and perfectly tidy restaurant space, but also for the hygiene level of your staff.

There is really a big reason for being extremely cautious when it comes to keeping your restaurant sanitised and spotless – the law! Yes, the law!

All existing regulations regardless cleanliness of the kitchen and other areas of a restaurant, as well as the hygiene level of your employees, actually do exist because they are involved in the food preparation process. Therefore, those could be potential food contaminants if not done in an appropriate way.

So, make sure your staff always wear clean and tidy uniforms of the right size to prevent injuries and contamination. Next action is to sanitise all the areas on a regular basis, with proper products.

Also, you should really invest in good quality washroom pieces. Finally, a cleaning schedule would be a necessity. Write on board what cleaning actions have to be done on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Image from: Pexels by Kaboompics.com

In this way you are doing two crucial things:

• Preventing any chance of food contamination regarding the hygiene level
• Being perfectly safe when the restaurant inspection comes unannounced

3. Educate Your Kitchen Staff

None of the above-mentioned actions would make sense if there are no people who can take them in a proper way. This is why you have to keep your kitchen staff well-informed and invest in their additional training and education if necessary!

Kitchen staff should be acting as one great team, working smoothly and efficiently. So, do everything in your power to update them with all the necessary info when it comes to food safety tips! They really must know everything about storing, processing and preparing each of the groceries in the appropriate way.

Furthermore, make sure they take care of their hygiene level. Hire a professional who will explain to them why it is so important to wash hands every time after using different types of food, for example. Put a lot of hygiene posters all around so that those serve as reminders for them. There are many possibilities, you just have to pick the one that is best for your needs.

Now, these are really simple steps to do, however, the restaurant business is very demanding. Sometimes restaurant owners do not have enough time or energy to deal with all the details, especially with those related to uniforms and regular cleaning.

Luckily, you do not have to worry! Alsco can solve all these problems easily! We do not offer just a wide range of products, but also managed rental service for uniforms and hassle-free hygiene service for your washrooms!

Call Alsco now and our friendly representatives will happily help you to find the best offer!

Photo: Freepik

8 Tips For Environmentally Friendly Workplaces

What makes an eco-friendly workplace? Employees who are aware of their responsibility in caring for our environment.

Everyone has a role in helping the planet.

What follows are a few ideas that can increase your employees’ awareness and also help make your workplace green.

1. Cleaning Can Be Green Too

If you want clean surroundings, try not to use standard cleaning products. It isn’t an overstatement to say that many cleaning products contain toxins.

If they’re extremely unhealthy to humans, what do you think they are doing to the environment?

Since you still have to clean your workplace, it’s best to go green when cleaning as well.

There are many green cleaning products that are now available in the market. If you have hired a cleaning service for your office, you can ask them to only use green cleaning products or those that do not contain any harsh chemicals.

There are some who are hesitant to use environmentally cleaning products because they are afraid that it’s costlier than regular products.

However, remember that these chemicals pay for themselves by not harming our environment and are, therefore, more cost-effective in the long run.

2. Uniforms To Rent

Some employers demand their workers wear corporate clothes. Why buy new ones? Consider getting a workwear service that provides uniforms to businesses and companies. Professionally washed and repaired rented uniforms last longer. Having uniforms that last longer is one way of conserving resources and taking care of the environment.

Consider getting Alsco’s workwear service that provides uniforms to businesses and companies.

3. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Waste management is one of the greatest environmental problems that we face today. Too much is garbage produced and it doesn’t just disappear on its own. It doesn’t matter how you get rid of it. Take it to a landfill, burn it or process in some other way, it is still an environmental problem.

It’s not like garbage would disintegrate when it hits the bottom of the trash container. Properly dispose of the garbage still has to take to a landfill, an incinerator, or to some other place where it can be processed. In other words, trash is still an environmental problem no matter how you get rid of it.

Image from: Flickr by Intel Free Press

So what can you do about the waste in your workplace? It’s not really possible for you to stop making waste, but there are ways that you can control it. This is where the three R’s come in and those are to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The first step is to reduce the amount of waste being produced in your workplace. There are many ways of doing this. After you have done this, check the waste and pick the ones that can be reused or recycled. By keeping the three R’s in mind, the volume of trash coming out of your workplace should go down significantly.

4. An Office Can Become Almost Paperless

Are tons of stacked paper the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an office? Of course, some can be recycled, but that doesn’t solve the biggest problem. A significant component of total garbage an ordinary office produces is still – paper.

The aim is to have a paperless workplace. This is still hard to achieve because there are certain documents that must be on paper.

But people should try and cut down the amount of paper waste. Preserve only those files and documents that can be stored in a digital form.

5. Use Refillable Office Equipment

There are so many pens, markers or printers of various kinds in every office. All are easily refillable. Preserve their outer casings. Buy refills or cartridges instead of getting new ones.

6. Bring Your Own Mug

Reduce the use of disposable cups to a minimum in your workplace. Minor as this may seem, it adds to the workplace waste. Instead, employees should bring their own mugs to work.

That way, their morning coffee and other daily drinks can have a more personal note. Some employers might decide to give their workers an “official” work mug that they can use.

Image from: Max Pixel

7. Smart Use of Electric Energy

Constantly, every workplace thrives on electricity, sometimes without a single worker present in the offices.

After all the work is done, there are a few simple steps to follow before you go home. Turning off all the lights. Checking monitors for the most efficient power setting. Using only energy-efficient lighting around the offices.

8. Office Supplies Can Be Environmentally Friendly

Not every employer has already switched to eco-friendly office supplies. The reason is simple. They do cost more. How much more? Your workplace can become eco-oriented for only 5% more expensive supplies. That’s not too much to pay for the environment, is it?

If your workplace still uses worn-out uniforms, check out the uniform service options offered by Alsco. We are all about forwarding your business towards a more environmentally friendly future.

Photo: Marc Mueller

Hand Drying: Paper VS. Technology

These days, people prefer technological solutions. Anything that belongs to the so-called ‘old world’ is out the window. This is often the reasonable side of the argument.

However, forgetting that gadgets don’t always outperform non-technological solutions is a mistake.

One of the areas in which this is really relevant is hand drying. Old school hand drying techniques such as paper towels are still very much relevant in the world of automatic hand dryers.

There is a very good reason for that – they simply do their job. And not just that, they are also more hygienic!

In a 2008 research conducted by the University of Westminster in London, it was concluded that the advancements in the field of hand drying didn’t go far enough to completely eliminate the need for paper.

Here are some aspects in which automatic hand dryers and paper towels can be compared:

Contamination Risk

The chasm in drying efficiency and bacteria removal comes down to hard graft. The rubbing motion on the skin physically removes more bacteria.

The paper hand towel absorbs moisture from the skin, thereby lifting the water-bound bacteria off. But hand dryers rely on powerful streams of air blowing the moisture and bacteria off the skin, a method of hand drying that could never be fully effective.

What is more, ‘blowing’ moisture off the skin is not a hygienic option either. As any microbiologist will testify, air movement only disperses micro-organisms, so contamination is increased dramatically.

And since drying with paper hand towels involves no air movement at all, there is no contamination, making it the most hygienic method of hand drying.

The air streams produced by jet air hand dryers, for example, travel at 400 mph. This blows bacteria outward to a distance of 2 metres. They end up landing on the body and clothing of other washroom users. This is the worst-case scenario when it comes to preservation of hygiene in public toilets.

Warm air hand dryers are not so guilty of spreading contamination since they are far less powerful (thus the poor drying ability) and blow downward, so neighbouring users are not in the ‘line of fire’ so to speak.

Efficiency

When it comes to the effectiveness of drying, paper towels are definitely the better solution. One research showed that the number of bacteria on hands after drying them with paper fell by up to 85.2% on palms and by amazing 91.5% on fingers.

On the other hand, air dryers did the exact opposite – they actually helped bacteria thrive rather than eliminating them, with 414% increase in bacteria found on fingers and stunning 478% on palms.

Efficiency-wise, hand towels and jet dryers turned out to be pretty much equal. They both produce 90% dryness after the usual 10 seconds of drying. Warm air dryers weren’t nearly as efficient, though. It took them 40 seconds to achieve the same result.

Environmental Aspect

And what about the impact that the hand drying techniques make on the environment? This is one area in which the warm air hand dryer wins out, at least compared to paper.

There was a study carried out by the US-based Environmental Resources Management consultancy firm. They found that paper towels spent about 64% more electricity over a period of 5 years than warm air hand dryers.

Meanwhile, a World Dryer study of 102 hand dryers installed in public schools in Kansas, US, concluded that annual savings of 34.5 tons of solid waste, 690,000 gallons of water, and 587 trees were made, compared to using paper hand towels.

Also, from a management point of view, the warm air hand dryer option is superior. They are long-term hand drying investment, with machines typically used for 5 or 6 years, while paper hand towels must be restocked continuously, and disposed of regularly.

Bins are an essential item in the workplace washroom to maintain hygiene levels. Regular waste removal is needed to prevent overflowing and ensure a cleaner working environment. It even helps to cut the instances of illness amongst staff, especially when it comes to restaurants or school washrooms.

Choosing the best hand drying technique for a public or staff washroom is important. You should make cost-efficiency a key component in the decision-making process.

In terms of hygiene effectiveness, paper hand towels remain the best choice. In environmental and maintenance terms, the warm air hand dryer wins out.

So what would be the final verdict? It’s hard to tell, but one thing is for sure – various hand hygiene solutions are good for the industry. It never hurts to have options and be able to choose the solution which best fits your current needs. If you are not sure what the best thing for you is, contact Alsco and receive a free audit for your business.

Photo Courtesy of Mega Pixel Images by Nikon D3s
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Images by Stilfehler
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Images by Mark Turnauckas

Uniforms: Logo or DIY Work Clothes? Hard Evidence to Support Corporate Outfits

Why do the majority of business owners prefer the idea of corporate uniforms?

An employee can be located on the factory floor, work as a service provider or be a part of a huge financial corporation.

What remains important is the choice of workwear they use.

Especially the choice between the logo work clothes or the adoption of a DIY policy.

It’s All in the Appearance

The client is always right, the saying goes. High standards are expected from professional services and a consumer’s trust is affected by the choice of employees’ work clothes.

Imagine a worker dressed in casual work attire offering you his help. Then imagine another one wearing a neat uniform. The first one is the actual certified electronics expert and the other one is a novice. Yet, people usually conclude otherwise.

Consumers are more likely to place their trust in the person with a company logo on the shirt front. It is true that first impressions generally last. Why not dress professionally to make sure that impression stays positive?

Research confirms the idea of uniforms helping by providing visual clues to the company’s degree of professionalism. The consequence of this is that a consumer will have a higher degree of confidence in that company.

Uniformed, logoed work clothes build a ‘front-of-mind consciousness’ in the consumer, and consequently a higher degree of confidence in the company.

Image Wear as an Effective Branding Tool

Admittedly, uniforms are associated with specific types of industry, like the food and health sectors (restaurants, food processing, hospitals), and public services (police, military). But research has confirmed the overwhelming advantages of adopting a corporate uniform in almost every sector.

The idea that image wear is an effective branding tool is a widely held belief in developed economies.

The Western Workwear Report, published by Frost & Sullivan in 2010, revealed that UK companies spend an estimated €640.9 million on uniforming their workers. It’s a major investment that places the UK high on the corporate uniform and logoed workwear table. In Western Europe, the industry is worth an estimated €3.2 billion, and projections suggest it will grow by 3.3% annually until 2016.

Benefits of Corporate Uniforms Among Workers

There are many other benefits to using a corporate uniform. Consumers are not the only target. It has been proven that wearing corporate uniforms increases attention spans amongst workers. Positive outcomes are numerous:

• Better quality work and increased productivity
• Higher creativity levels
• More resourceful approaches to managing in-house issues.

According to research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, work clothes influence worker performance. It is said that even their behaviour and attitude can change.

According to the research, wearing a lab coat can increase attention to detail, which is what laboratory scientists are required to have.

The research has also shown that it is important for the workwear to be appropriate to the job role. A painter given a lab coat showed no improvement in performance nor quality of work.

It is as important that a worker feels comfortable in their work clothes as it is to include a company logo in the design.

What Are the Practical Advantages?

There are also practical advantages to having uniformed work clothes. This is especially true for large companies with multiple divisions and departments.

First of all, it is important for workers to feel part of the company. Uniforms achieve this. In turn, this feeling improves workers’ creativity, concentration and overall performance.

For example, a major garden centre might have their nursery staff wear green polo shirts, their furniture staff wear yellow polo shirts, and their warehouse and delivery staff wear blue polo shirts. The clothing design is the same, and all staff wear the same company logo, but the image wear distinguishes in each department.

What About Using DIY work clothes?

No one can claim that a DIY work clothes policy is all that bad! In most cases, it depends on the employer. A particular work branch might be more reliant on individuals. Thus, using DIY work clothes is completely reasonable (though often there is a dress code).

Companies could be dependent on both teamwork and interaction with the public. For them, corporate uniforms are extremely important.

However, it is unlikely for a law firm to demand that all lawyers wear the same “corporate” suit with the firm’s logo on it. No magazine publisher would expect their investigative journalists to wear the company logo while interviewing people or researching news pieces.

Only the right kind of corporate uniform can accomplish a wide range of demands. Competitive sectors need to project a professional image to a consumer public. Why? Because the public expects a high level of professionalism from them. It is also important to build confidence in standards or work, hygiene and honesty.

In the end, a company can be judged by the image wear they adopt. Just as it is possible to reveal an employee’s character by the quality of their handshake.

Alsco Uniforms Improve Both Performance and Customer Service

It is widely known that well-maintained and designed uniforms go a long way. They can boost employees’ self-image, morale and performance at work.

Here at Alsco, we offer a range of industrial workwear and work uniforms that combine style and comfort with durability and safety. We want to ensure your staff look and feel their best in their perfectly fitting workwear.

If you would like to know more, give us a call to find out all the details. Grab yours now!

The Most Overlooked Facts About Hand Washing

The development of transportation and technology has enabled people to move more than ever before.

Also, these two factors have increased the number of contacts an average person has with other people on a daily basis.

Since every interaction between people includes an exchange of microorganisms, the question of our hygiene is becoming more and more important.

Shaking hands with acquaintances, spending time on the means of public transportation or using your gadgets are all situations in which various germs can get into your body.

You don’t know if these people wash their hands regularly or not. What you can do is keep the hygiene of your hands at a high level. This guide will show you why hand washing is extremely important and when it is imperative to do so.

The Risk of Unhygienic Toilets

A recent study has shown that about 30% of men and about 10% of women in Australia don’t wash their hands after using the toilet.

Given that toilets (and bathrooms) are usually rife with germs, such irresponsible behaviour puts other people’s health at risk. Therefore, hand washing is obligatory every single time after you use the toilet, especially in public places.

Apart from that, it’s recommended to sanitise your hands even before you use the toilet.

Also, when talking about going to restrooms in cafes, at bus stations and in other similar settings, you should wash your hands even if you haven’t used the toilet. Touching knobs, towels or taps can also result in acquiring some unwanted germs.

Another smart tip for such places is to wipe your hands with paper towels or dry them with an electric hand dryer. That way you’ll give your hands a proper treatment after washing them, which is also an important part.

The Hygiene of Office Equipment

Let’s start with a disclaimer: we are not selling any cleaning wipes or liquids. So, when we say that your computer keyboard is about 20,000 times dirtier than your toilet, we do it only because we want to illustrate how important washing hands really is.

Similarly, your smartphone contains about 9,000 times more microorganisms than your toilet. These data are even more shocking in the offices in which workers don’t work at the same computer.

Knowing all this, you need to clean your keyboard and your monitor with a wet wipe. Also, apply some special liquid made specifically for cleaning computer equipment.

What you can also do is install a hand sanitiser dispenser in your office. It will help you keep your hands clean during busy work hours without having to leave the office.

However, all these actions can only be an addition to your supreme hygienic habit – washing your hands before and after you use your computer and your keyboard. The same principle should be practised by every worker who uses any technical equipment in a public environment.

Washing Hands Before Every Meal

Even if you’re the most pedantic person in the world when it comes to hand hygiene, you can still get infected by other, not so pedantic people. What’s even worse, you don’t have to be in direct physical contact with them at all. It’s enough only to touch “dirty money”. By this, we literally mean money that’s contaminated with bacteria and viruses.

These harmful microbes originate from people who don’t wash hands and places they go to, from their homes to various public venues. When Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli or any other similar microorganism gets into your body, you can have a lot of trouble recovering your own (macro)organism.

This is why your hands need to be washed before every meal. Even if you’re just going to grab a slice of pizza on the street, make sure that your hands are clean before you start your snack.

However, it’s not always possible to wash your hands, especially if you’re eating outdoors. In order to keep your hands in a hygienic condition, have handy wet wipes and sanitise your hands. This routine is even more important in hot summer months, as well as in the high flu season.

These two periods are extremely dangerous for your intestines and your respiratory system, respectively. If you stick with a strict hand-washing policy, you’ll reduce the risk of coming down with annoying diseases.

Hand Hygiene in Nature

Going for a trip or a vacation in nature shouldn’t make any difference regarding your hand hygiene. On the contrary, you’ll expose your limbs to an even greater number of various bacteria, but this time in uncontrolled, natural surroundings. And if you’re planning to prepare food outdoors, it’s imperative for your health to keep your hands clean.

Also, keep your hands clean on your trip to the country. Let’s say you’ve been driving your car for a few hours and you’d like to stop by to grab a sandwich. Exhausted and hungry, most drivers will forget to wash their hands in such situations.

However, you need to know that cars are often largely populated by bacteria. There’s a two-tier solution to this problem. On the one hand, fight against car germs before you hit the road.

On the other hand, bring a hand sanitiser or a bar of soap and some water with you. That way, you’ll be able to clean and wash your hands whenever you pull over to take a break.

When you finally get to nature, it’s crucial that you wash your hands before you touch your clothes and after you get in physical touch with money. Likewise, touching plants in nature requires the same set of actions.

Beware of Wet Bathroom Towels

It’s much easier to hold on to your hand-washing rules in your domestic environment. However, even if you do everything by the book and wash your hands in every potentially contagious situation, you can still expose yourself to health-threatening germs.

One of the most common sources of such contamination is damp bathroom towels. If your bathroom doesn’t have a window or the bath fan is dead, it will contain a high concentration of damp. Bacteria thrive in wet and damp surroundings.

So, what happens is that you wash your hands and you still end up with some germ-provoked infections.

This is why you should frequently change your bathroom towels and dry them outside the bathroom. Otherwise, the entire effort of regular hand washing will be in vain.

Furthermore, in some offices, people still prefer traditional towels to paper towels for wiping hands. If you work in such an office, make sure that you always have paper tissues stored in your desk. That way, you’ll be able to wipe and dry your hands in a hygienically friendly way every time you wash them.

People who don’t wash their hands regularly behave in a socially irresponsible way. Since it’s difficult to change others, you need to start from yourself. After all, your hands and your arms are among the most active parts of your body. They deserve a great treatment.

If you try and keep them clean throughout the day, they won’t infect you with various transmitted diseases. As a result, you’ll be a healthy and socially responsible person.

Need a hand soap dispenser or hand sanitisers in your workplace? Alsco provides fully-managed hand care systems and supplies for a convenient and cost-effective hygiene solution for your workplace. Get in contact with us today to learn more! 

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Images by Arlington County

3 Incredibly Simple Ways to Get Rid of Restroom Odour

Taking care of your office or restaurant restroom doesn’t mean just cleaning it but also making it smell fresh and sanitised.

So, when running a business, you have to ask yourself a question – will your restroom make your customers want to come back or never return?

Restroom odour can spread all over the workplace and easily affect your work routine and productivity.

If you run any type of business where having a restroom area for your employees is a must, such as a school for instance, then you ought to know every single detail about the effects a restroom can have on your business.

Some people even say that a restroom can be a deal maker or a deal breaker, that’s how important it is. However, taking care of your restroom in a way that it is always perfectly clean, fresh and sanitised is not an easy job to do. Some hire professionals to take appropriate care of the restrooms which is a great idea since it saves you plenty of time.

However, if you want to deal with this area on your own, here is a list of three easy tips to get rid of the restroom odour.

1. Clean the Restroom Thoroughly

Cleaning and maintaining restroom can be a very tricky job. It has to be done several times a day using appropriate cleaners, not the general purpose ones since they can not clean all the surfaces thoroughly.

Also, you have to be careful not to clean just the easily accessed surfaces, but all the corners of the restroom. Different surfaces require different tools and equipment, as well as cleaning agents. The areas which tend to be overlooked are those hard to reach. Be especially detailed here, since these areas tend to be full of bacteria if not cleaned properly and regularly.

When talking about areas which can be overlooked, there are two more that should be included in the list. Walls and ceilings. Some people say that the number of bacteria found on the walls is approximately the same as the one found on the toilet! So, find a way to properly and thoroughly clean all the walls and ceilings with an appropriate disinfectant cleaner.

When it comes to using the best disinfectant cleaner, firstly it is important to use it more than once a day. Secondly, they have to be powerful enough to kill all the types of bacteria found in the restroom.

2. Unblock Airflow

One of the most common causes of restroom odour is definitely improper or inadequate ventilation. So, the next thing you should do in order to get rid of the restroom odour is to improve the ventilation system.

If you have a poor ventilation system, moisture in the air causes the growth of bacteria and germs which just give off the odours.

In addition, proper ventilation in your restroom is a must. It will help fresh air circulate and remove most of the air from closed areas. Also, you can always keep the restroom windows open as long as possible.

In order to keep a good ventilation system, make sure you take care of it properly. While doing the restroom cleaning, do not forget to clean all the vents so they do not become clogged.

3.Prevent Spreading Bacteria

In order to keep your washroom spotless, sometimes you have to pay attention to prevention. In this case, one more of the odour causes is definitely flushing.

Yes, you heard it right! When flushing the invisible mist rises. This mist contains bacteria which are surrounding surfaces like toilet seats, toilet covers, walls, etc.

In case these areas are not maintained regularly with appropriate sanitisers, these bacteria can be the source of the odour problems.

So, make sure you spray and wipe all the areas surrounding toilets with a disinfectant cleaner. This step will be extremely helpful in keeping your washroom fresh and clean.

Maintaining the washroom is a serious and responsible job. There are many details that need to be covered. It is way more than just wiping the floors and easily accessible surfaces. You have to choose very carefully all the essentials for your washroom since a well-designed piece is very desirable but also it has to be practical.

Also, you have to choose only the best people to hire and the best tools to use in order to achieve your goal. Remember, your restroom says a lot more about your business than you think! You want to do everything in your power to get the best possible results.

If you still think you cannot do this alone, we have some good news. Alsco is here for anything you need concerning the washroom. Call Alsco now, and their friendly representatives will be happy to help you find everything you need!

Photo courtesy from Freepik Image by Tirachard

What Everybody Ought to Know About Going Paper-Free in Your Office

You started your own business, hired people, decorated your working space, offices and washrooms.

Also, now you’ve decided to be more eco-aware in your business, so you want to make your office more Green.

Firsts steps usually include buying separate recycle bins for glass, paper, plastics and food, and replacing the light bulbs with energy-saving ones.

Excellent for a start, but you have to be aware there is a lot more you can do!

If you want to reach the level of a perfectly Green Office, reducing its carbon footprint to basically nil is a must! The best way to do this is to get rid of the office paper completely.

After you do this, you won’t get just a paper-free office, but that type of office is considered to be one of the most efficient working and administrative environments.

Fewer Tasks, More Money

There are many positive aspects of going paper-free, both practical and financial.

Practical benefits are numerous. For example, after you introduce a paper-free system, there will be no printing anymore, as well as no filing or storing a bunch of paperwork. As a result, there won’t be a need for so many filing cabinets or other storage spaces, which immediately means – fewer cleaning tasks.

You can then decorate those new empty spaces in your office with some plants or office trees. All the files can be easily saved on hard drives, servers or memory sticks.

There is always an option to set your computer to save all the documents automatically, so you won’t even have to spend time clicking on the “save” button!

After all, this also means more time for some other activities which is always a plus!

When it comes to financial benefits, the first, self-explanatory one is that you won’t spend money on paper supplies anymore. In addition, you won’t need so many shelves, closets and all other pieces of furniture which are used for file and document storage, so you don’t spend money on these.

According to one research, a typical US worker usually uses about 10,000 sheets of paper per year, which is approximately 2 cases of paper per employee.

If we take into account that an average price in the USA is about $40 for a case, the simple calculation tells us that each employee spends $80 per year just on paper.

Now do the maths and see how much money you could save with this simple step!

Nice numbers, right?

Benefits From Nature

The fact that trees give us the oxygen is very well-known, isn’t it? Also, trees are used for making and producing paper. Now, after going paperless in your office, could you even imagine how much you do for our environment?

Paper industry is the 2nd largest energy consumer. Do you remember the calculation mentioned above? So, if one employee approximately uses 10,000 sheets of paper and you have a thousand employees in your company, that’s 10 million pages only for one year.

Environmental impact of 10 million pages is 2,500 cut trees! A lot for one year and one average-sized company, wouldn’t you agree?

The whole idea of Going Green is to improve the environment. However, the greenest policy would be not just to reduce using paper in your office, but to remove it from the office entirely! After all, zero paper means zero trees need to be cut!

Remember, taking care of trees means taking care of your planet and the environment, but it also means taking care of yourself!

Go One Step Further with an Ecosafe Washer

After you implement this idea of going paper-free, why wouldn’t you go one step further with Alsco’s help?

Alsco offers a range of eco-friendly managed floorcare rental services. These mats are made of high-quality materials that can keep your workplaces clean, safe, hygienic and accident-free.

The Dust Control Mats can capture 80% of dirt, absorb three (3) litres of water and above all it will last for years. You can even consider Alsco’s Managed Rental service which includes regular cleaning, picking up and delivering products to your workplace.

Moreover, there’s absolutely NO risk at all since you have 2-week free trial for it. Do not miss this opportunity! Contact us Alsco now, and their friendly representatives will be happy to offer you the best solution for your needs!