Recently, members of the Regional Center custodial team – Alex Wilson, Ian Erickson, Jason McHuff, Roberto Mejia Cruz and Sandra Oviedo – completed the Green Janitor education program.
The 30-hour training program teaches operations and maintenance practices for green buildings like the Regional Center. The program covered topics like green certification, green cleaning, energy conservation, recycling and waste diversion, water conservation and custodian health and safety – all while giving the team an opportunity to bond and learn more about one another.
Describing the team's performance, supervisor Heidi Timm has difficulty hiding her pride.
"Everyone on our team got a 100% on the midterm and the final," Heidi said. "The custodial team really are the eyes and ears of the building – they're on the frontline of our sustainability efforts, from providing teams with sustainable catering supplies to making sure our recycling and food waste is free from garbage. They are a fantastic example of how everyone plays a direct role in supporting a more sustainable Metro."
Below, the team shares their favorite take-aways from the training.
Alex (he/him)
How did the training help you connect as a team?
The green team training was a good way to work with co-workers in a learning setting. I learned that each of us are good at different parts of recycling and that together we make a great team with each of us doing our part.
Ian (he/him)
What are some things you see differently after the training?
I think the training gave our team permission to see environmental issues as something we had a say in, something we could work on together, rather than just being told what green policies we had to follow. It makes it easier to get everyone to buy into green initiatives if they feel they have some say in it.
Jason (he/him)
One of the things the training focuses on is the "triple bottom line." Can you explain what that is and what it means to you?
The "triple bottom line" refers to people, the planet and profits. This refers to protecting the safety of you and others, the environment and saving money.
To me, it means doing such things as using less harmful chemicals and looking for ways to be more productive.
Roberto (he/him)
What are some things you learned that you've brought to your personal life?
What I started doing at home is looking more carefully at the chemicals in the cleaners I had in my house, and I removed some that weren't safe for my family.
I also learned how to check how much energy appliances consume while they're plugged in, so I unplugged our shoe dryer and a portable heater to save energy.
I also learned that everyone should wash their hands for 20 seconds, or for as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" two times. I told this to my kids, especially my middle guy, Leo.
Sandra (she/her)
What are some tangible things people can do to contribute to Metro's sustainability efforts?
- Read the signs posted in workplaces.
- Use only reusable catering supplies.
- Create recycling plans at work and at home.
- Develop habits so that doing your share for the environment becomes routine.
- Ask questions if recycling directions aren't clear.
- Practice these things for the future of our planet.