Being A Green Pressure Washing Company

There is a lot of pressure on companies these days to have green practices and procedures.  Pressure washing companies are no exception.  Although seemingly difficult to put green procedures in place, there are some inexpensive ways (and very expensive ways) to make changes in your company.  In many instances, the benefits outweigh the cost of reducing your carbon footprint.

The first step in becoming more green, is to evaluate your company’s current practices and techniques.  Become more knowledgeable about EPA regulations and what federal, state, and local laws may effect what you do.  A great resource for this kind of information is one of the pioneers of the pressure washing industry, Robert Hinderliter.  His work is dedicated to pressure washing companies that want to EPA compliant.

Start small and implement cost effective programs.  For example, try to eliminate paper.  Email, GPS units, and electronic invoicing are great ways to go paperless.  GPS units can also save you on gas by mapping out the greenest routes.  Less time driving around lost with a handful of Google Maps will ultimately save you time and money.  Reevaluate your supplies.  Do you have to use disposable gloves?  Are you reusing the million 5 gallon buckets that you have collected over the years?  Are you wasting water at jobsites with leaky hoses?  The concept of “green” can take on a life of it’s own.  It’s really a mindset that becomes easy once you are committed to it.

The pressure washing industry is heading down the green path of reclamation.  If you haven’t yet, at some point you will be faced with whether or not your company reclaims water.  We chose to be ahead of the curve by purchasing vacuum systems with sand traps, oil water separators, etc.  It was a very expensive venture that has paid off in many ways.  First and foremost it keeps you compliant by avoiding fines, etc.  It also makes you extremely portable on flatwork jobs that have limited water access (you’re recycling your own).  It has also helped us gain new business by giving us the ability to promote ourselves on green sites.  There are less expensive ways to do reclaim by using dams, drain covers, and sump pumps.  Do your research and decide what is best for your company.

The important thing is to take the step.  The smallest of changes is, in fact, a change for the better.  Think responsibly and make your company the greenest it can be.

John Greene

Pressure washing Charlotte and all surrounding cities