Nash
Janitorial
Company

What Can We Recycle? Oh, Let Us Count the Ways!

May 25th, 2011

002A lot more creative thinking can go into what we recycle.  Look at any object you don’t think you need anymore and ask yourself, “Is there anything else I or someone I know could use this item for before it ends up in the landfill?”  Sometimes it requires thinking “out-of-the-box” to come up with ideas for re-use. 

 Recently, I got creative with three janitorial items that I realized I could re-use in my garden:   mop poles, clear plastic gallon containers, and old feather duster handles.   I could kick myself for not thinking about how I could put these objects to use before, but in the future I will continue to save them for re-use.  It saves money, and it gives me a sense of satisfaction that I am taking one more little step towards sustainability both at work and in my personal life.

Mop Poles
Here is a photo of how I use the mop handles for staking up my blueberries.  I use them to support a variety of plants, and they help my tomato cages stay upright too.  They are very easy to saw through.  I just wish I could come up with an idea for the mop fibers themselves.  Anybody have any ideas? 

021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clear Plastic Gallon Containers
I have a huge problem with slugs eating my vegetable starts.  I usually have to end up buying several boxes of slug bait each year to keep them at bay which is costly and not very organic.  Last year I even had a neighborhood rabbit chewing up my broccoli and I had to go out and buy more plants after he had devoured them.  Instead of spending the money on slug bait this year, I am covering my veggie starts with the containers overnight to keep the slugs and snails out.  It takes me a good minute to cover the two dozen plants I have each evening,  and then the next morning I have to go out and kick aside the containers, but I feel it’s worth it.   When they get too big for the containers then they’ll be able to survive the slugs, or I can invest in a box of slug bait.  026

Feather Duster Handles
The handles on feather dusters are really hard and sturdy, so I use them as smaller stakes for all kinds of plants and flowers.  When I think about the hundreds of feather dusters that we’ve thrown into the landfill in the past, it makes me cringe.  Does anybody else know of creative things to do with feather duster handles?  I’m thinking, something artistic maybe? Mini trellises perhaps?

 

 

AT WORK

 At work, we recycle as much as we can.  We have our employees bring in ALL their chemical containers and other items when they come to the office instead of throwing them away at their buildings.  Many clients still don’t recycle thoroughly, so this way we make sure we’re at lea008st doing what we can from our end. 

Portion Control Containers & Spray Bottles
Proportioner dispenser systems may be the best way to reduce the wasteful use of smaller containers and spray bottles, but sometimes it’s just not possible or practical to set up these systems at many smaller offices and facilities, especially if there is no appropriate janitorial closet.   We try to buy concentrated chemicals in larger refill containers which are then poured into secondary containers and spray bottles to prevent the waste of one-time-use containers. 

011

Re-labeling Portion Control Containers

If you are bothered by the cost and the wasteful disposal of smaller containers, what is keeping you from reusing them over and over again?  We reuse some of our portion control containers and put other labels on them for use out in the field also.  When possible, we refill brand name chemicals from their larger refill containers into the spray bottles.  It’s a savings in many ways, and it’s better for the environment.  In the end, when a secondary container or spray bottle can’t be used any longer, then it goes into recycling.  That doesn’t have to happen until after it has been refilled perhaps dozens of times, or until the bottle brakes or the label deteriorates.   We get most labels from our janitorial supply retailers, but I have also managed to get hard-to-find ones from the manufacturers and distributors.  They’ll send you some if you let them know that you really want to use their product, but you can’t without proper labels.  When we can’t find good labels, we can sometimes make our own. 

We all need to think about more ways we can recycle equipment, tools, and chemical containers.  I would appreciate more ideas on this subject, so if readers can share with me the ways they recycle certain objects, both practically or even artistically, please let me know.


Getting Along with Clients

February 9th, 2011

A good professional relationship between a client and building service contractor is what we all strive for, but like all relationships it can be very challenging and requires a lot of experience and effort.  There is no perfect recipe or a one size fits all approach, but over the years we’ve found that a few [...]

Cold & Flu Season Approaching!

October 7th, 2010

Cold and flu season is headed our direction again which brings us back to the annual subject of how to prevent the spread of illnesses to ourselves, our family and our co-workers.
Last year the big scare was about the H1N1 virus, and in response to that concern a few of our clients wanted us to [...]

Trash – Recycling – Liners

August 26th, 2010

 Unsuitable and inappropriate trash containers and liners can make emptying trash and recycling one of the most frustrating aspects of janitorial work. It can be time consuming and sometimes backbreaking when the following conditions apply:  

The trash container is difficult to empty because it is an inappropriate receptacle due to design, age or condition.   If your containers are [...]

Green Trends and Conservation & Recycling Tips

May 12th, 2010

Over the last few years there has been a huge escalation in the amount of green advertising companies are doing to promote their businesses.   I think it’s great because it raises the country’s consciousness about how we can all be better stewards of the environment, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.  Still, [...]

New Goal for 2010

January 19th, 2010

The Great Recession of 2009 left very few people untouched in one way or the other, and those of us who made it through with jobs in tack and businesses still strong do not take our good fortune for granted.  As always, we count our blessings here at Nash Janitorial, and we want to thank [...]

Quality Control Programs

August 10th, 2009

     What is a Quality Control Program?  If you ask most janitorial services to describe theirs, you would probably hear statements similar to the following:  “We train our janitors well, and we inspect their work regularly.”
     Thorough training and inspections are very important, but it says little about what is really involved in running a [...]

Good References

October 12th, 2008

Good references are very important when evaluating cleaning companies, yet they do not always reveal the entire picture. To get a broader view of how good a cleaning service is, a client might want to request at least a dozen references and then call at least five places from that list. Otherwise, a company will [...]

Choosing a Janitorial Service

October 12th, 2008

Choosing a janitorial service can be a tricky business. No matter how impressive a bidder might be initially, the client will never know for sure about the quality of their service until their performance has stood the test of time.
Whether a client prefers to base his choice primarily on a recommendation, measurable service points or [...]

Odor Control in Restrooms

October 12th, 2008

The most effective method for killing odor causing bacteria or mold & mildew in restrooms is to regularly clean with a disinfectant over all surfaces. This is especially important in and around toilets, stalls, sinks & counters, waste baskets, showers and floors.
Urine is the primary source of unpleasant odors in restrooms, so toilet areas and [...]

Categories

 

Mailing Address:

Nash Janitorial Company

89074 Bridge Street

Springfield OR, 97478

Phone: (541) 747-6947

Fax: (541) 726-7925