For Immediate Release: August 15, 2011
DEP
PARTNERS WITH CLARA WHITE MISSION TO TEACH GREEN CLEANING
~Janitorial services
job-training program includes green cleaning component~
Students from the Clara White Mission Janitorial
/ Environmental Services Program Training Class display green cleaning kits provided as part of today's class.
JACKSONVILLE
– Today, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provided
hands-on green cleaning training at the Clara White Mission in Jacksonville. Through this
training, students of Clara White Mission’s janitorial services
job-training program are learning more than a new skill; they are becoming part
of a different ‘mission’ to green Florida’s future.
“Our partnership with the Clara White Mission has
been truly rewarding,” said DEP Director of Sustainable Initiatives Brad Stombock. “We are able to help
the mission provide students with a unique and marketable skill as they learn
the benefits of green cleaning and to increase the use of green cleaners in
businesses and industry.”
The Clara White Mission partners with businesses and local
community organizations to reduce homelessness through advocacy, housing, job
training and employment. In 2008, the Mission started a
Janitorial/Environmental Services Training Program to train people for work as
housekeepers and janitors in the hospitality industry. Since its inaugural
course, the Mission has continued to invite DEP to enhance the program by
providing information on green cleaning. Eight
classes later, more than 100 students have learned these skills with the help
of DEP.
A green cleaning program is a complete approach to cleaning that
examines the entire cleaning process. Programs assess space, products and work
practices to maximize cleanliness while reducing unnecessary employee, staff,
patient, visitor and environmental exposure to hazardous chemicals. In
addition, green cleaning focuses on improving indoor air quality, reducing
water pollution and encouraging recycling.
To complement the informational component of the green cleaning
training, DEP also provided students with green cleaning kits containing
microfiber cloths, environmentally friendly cleaning products and ingredients
and directions for creating their own green products.
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