Unity College Custodial Services Places Emphasis on Green Approaches, Andersen Floor Mats Another Success

Unity, Maine – March, 2008 — When you are known as America’s Environmental College, expectations for how you clean could not be higher.

     Though Unity College custodial services has tried to keep pace with the latest in green approaches to cleaning and product choices, Lead Custodian Keith Giles, at the College for less than a year, has reinvigorated Unity’s leadership role in its overall green approach to cleaning services.

Keith Giles

     In addition to finding and purchasing ever more earth friendly cleaning products, beginning in the Fall 2007 semester, Giles found and purchased Andersen floor mats for many buildings.  The result of this single purchase has been rousing success by any measure, from the financial benefits of less cleaning time required in buildings to health benefits.

     “These mats are particularly effective in trapping a higher percentage of loose dirt than conventional mats, and this results in less cleaning time for custodians,” explained Giles.  “There is also better air quality in all Unity College buildings because there is less loose dust floating in the air.”

     Giles found that the Andersen mats are more cost effective than renting.  “In what Unity College spent in one year to rent floor mats, it was able to purchase the Andersen mats,” Giles said.  “Depending on traffic we expect these Andersen mats to last three to four years.”

     This approach is more than simply placing mats down beside doors, it is an entire system designed to take more dirt, up to 85% of dirt within the first 15 feet of building entry, than conventional approaches.

     The physical characteristics of these mats are scrapers that go outside the door, waterhogs that are directly inside the door, and a finish mat that dries.  “The scraper and waterhogs get most of the dirt, and the finish mat basically dries your feet,” said Giles.  “This is an entire system for reducing dirt in buildings and especially, floating in the air, so overall, we have been very pleased with this approach.”

     “We hear a great deal about implementing green solutions in the workplace,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy Knisley, who is also a member of the college’s budget committee. “There is often an implicit assumption that this means an additional investment on the part of companies.  Unity College’s partnership with Andersen shows how a business can green their building care practices while also ‘greening’ their bottom line through more efficient use of human resources and product needs.  We’re pleased to know that working with Andersen allows us to live up to our role as America’s Environmental College while saving money for the College.”

     Giles is most pleased with the leadership provided by Andersen.

     “The fact that Andersen created this type of system is evidence of how private companies are taking the lead in providing truly green solutions,” noted Giles.  “Andersen is helping Unity College to reach its sustainability goals.  The entire College community is grateful and could not be more impressed with this approach to a longstanding cleaning problem with health implications.  Not only are Andersen mats a more effective solution to the persistent problem of dirt being trekked into campus buildings, but it is a more healthful and cost effective solution as well.  Thank you Andersen!”

     Andersen mats are manufactured by The Andersen Company of Dalton, Georgia, and on the web at http://ecom.andersenco.com.

     Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources.  Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.