How office cleaning impacts NABERS & Green Star Ratings

Achieving and maintaining sustainability ratings have become crucial factors affecting property valuations, leasing demand and investor confidence throughout Australia. Commercial landlords and corporate tenants no longer consider NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) and Green Star accreditations as optional extras for building managers – they are becoming table stakes for market competitiveness. While features such as energy systems and architectural design tend to dominate discussions on sustainability, operational services like cleaning can also affect outcomes behind the scenes. Targeted office cleaning programs can actually help commercial properties meet or exceed environmental benchmarks when tied to sustainability initiatives.

At specialist facility partners like GJK Facility Services, cleaning is looked at through the lens of an environmental performance enabler – not just a hygiene requirement.

How do cleaning programs align with NABERS & Green Star Ratings?

NABERS evaluates the operational performance of commercial buildings across metrics such as energy use, water consumption, waste management, indoor environmental quality, and more. Green Star ratings cover similar territory, rating overall sustainability attributes from design and construction through operations. These programs seek to incentivise continuous, quantifiable improvement by relying on transparent and defensible data.

Cleaning procedures affect many quantifiable factors considered in these ratings. From improving waste diversion efforts to maintaining indoor air quality and managing chemical-handling processes, commercial janitorial programs can influence the scoring metrics for both ratings. When cleaning schedules and procedures aren’t implemented with these standards in mind, building owners and managers are missing opportunities to improve their ratings.

Maintaining Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

IEQ is a major component of NABERS and Green Star ratings. From the chemicals used in cleaning products to dust control, janitorial best practices help determine air quality, occupant comfort, and overall building wellness.

Environmentally certified, low-impact cleaning solutions contain fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to poor indoor air quality. Modern microfibre technology also holds onto dust and particulates better than traditional towels and mops, limiting the circulation of debris through ventilation systems. Diligent upkeep of floors, carpets and high-touch surfaces also minimises contaminants that may drive occupant complaints or dissatisfaction surveys tied to NABERS/Green Star ratings.

Regularly spaced cleaning also prevents the build-up of dirt that would require intensive (and chemical-heavy) cleaning methods to restore surfaces. By protecting flooring and finishes through preventive cleaning schedules, janitorial teams can reduce the need for more aggressive restorative cleaning that can impact IEQ scores.

Circular cleaning efforts help meet waste reduction goals

A building’s waste performance is a standalone rating under NABERS, while waste and recycling management factors into Green Star’s operational score as well. Since cleaning teams are on the front lines of rubbish and recycling bin management, office cleaners significantly impact the integrity of a building’s waste diversion efforts.

Effective cleaning teams will ensure that recyclables aren’t contaminated by litter or other debris. Training janitorial employees in proper recycling methods can improve overall diversion rates and keep waste out of landfills. Using concentrated formulas, refillable bottles, and reusable microfibre pads can also reduce your building’s plastic packaging consumption.

While these efforts may seem small when considered individually, the aggregate effect of cleaning teams across an office tower can create quantifiable change that factors into monthly and annual reporting. Plus, when the time comes for building owners to provide hard data on waste diversion and recycling efforts, your cleaning provider will need to be involved in delivering that information.

Saving energy with intelligent cleaning strategies

Energy use tends to get the most attention when people discuss how building services can impact NABERS and Green Star ratings. However, your office cleaning program can also affect your building’s energy consumption in indirect ways. For buildings that rely on after-hours cleaning schedules, there will naturally be an increase in lighting used and hours of air conditioning necessary to keep workers comfortable. Implementing flexible cleaning schedules or cleaning during daytime operations can decrease energy usage when tied to building occupancy data and usage patterns.

The type of cleaning equipment being used also matters. Energy-efficient cleaning equipment, auto-scrubbers with water-saving technology, and low-moisture floor care systems are just some ways to consume fewer resources while cleaning common areas.

Furthermore, preventive cleaning delays the replacement cycles of carpets, tiles, furniture finishes, and more – indirectly reducing the amount of embodied carbon caused by refurbishments.

If you’re a building manager or property owner looking to improve your NABERS/Green Star ratings, it may be worth starting with your cleaning operations.