In today’s business landscape, sustainability is beyond a “buzzword,” it’s a growing expectation from consumers.
According to a 2025 survey conducted by the supply chain management company Blue Yonder, 78% of consumers say that sustainability considerations are somewhat or very important when choosing to buy a product or shop at a retailer.
Saskia van Gendt, an environmental scientist and Chief Sustainability Officer at Blue Yonder, shared that “Consumers are already prioritizing sustainability when it comes to some retail categories. But we can’t rely on consumers alone. We also need brands to demonstrate and communicate clear and quantifiable sustainability benefits.”
This growing demand she refers to extends beyond households and retail shelves into the commercial and institutional spaces where facility managers, cleaning professionals, and service providers are increasingly expected to deliver greener, safer, and more responsible solutions.
But what does “sustainability” really mean in commercial cleaning? And what does it look like in action? Let’s find out…
What Sustainability Looks Like in Commercial Cleaning
At its core, sustainability in commercial cleaning means minimizing harm to people and the environment — without sacrificing the high level of cleanliness today’s businesses demand. This includes everything from ingredient safety to packaging design, shipping practices, and internal operations.
For cleaning professionals and businesses, sustainability often looks like:
- Choosing products made without harmful chemicals or unnecessary environmental risks
- Reducing waste and resource consumption during cleaning operations
- Prioritizing packaging that minimizes environmental impact and shipping damages
- Seeking out partners committed to eco-conscious innovation
How Midlab is Driving Sustainable Cleaning Forward
At Midlab, all of our departments share a holistic commitment to sustainability. It’s something we build into every part of our business, from how we manufacture products to how we package and ship them. We’re continually looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact while helping distributors and business partners meet their own sustainability goals.
That starts right here at home in Athens, Tennessee. In our own 100% LEED Gold-certified manufacturing facility, we’ve made meaningful strides to cut waste — reducing paper purchased by 68% in 2024 alone. But that’s just one example of how small changes can add up to big impact. Our product innovation reflects this same mindset…
Cleaner Product Chemistry. Smarter Product Packaging.
We’re proud to offer one of the first Green Seal® GS-40 certified floor finishes with no zinc and no intentionally added PFAS. By creating products with sustainable ingredients and formulas in mind, we aim to inspire a higher industry standard for responsible commercial floor care.
Along with this exciting news, we recently shared that we reimagined how we deliver our products: Our FlexMax® Packaging for MAXIM® floor care products helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and post-consumer waste by 65% compared to traditional buckets, and these bags are now 100% recyclable — cap included!
“This has been a great move for us as a distributor. Our customers love the easy disposal of the packaging after use and the added benefit of safety and manageability of the smaller 2.5 gallon FlexMax bags.” – Cindy, Genco Chemicals, Inc.
If you’re a current distributor of FlexMax-packaged products, keep an eye out for the LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) 4 symbol as we continue to roll out our updated bags.
How You Can Support a Greener Clean
So, what does all of this mean for you? It goes to show that an innovative mindset and incremental improvements can advance your sustainability goals, making it even easier for you to meet the growing expectations of customers, staff, and regulatory bodies.
If you’re a distributor, cleaning professional, or business working toward achieving your own sustainability goals, here are a few practical ways you can help make an impact:
- Select cleaning solutions that align with evolving health and environmental standards, including products formulated without intentionally added PFAS.
- Reevaluate your supply chain to incorporate packaging innovations that lower waste and carbon footprint.
- Collaborate with manufacturers and partners who actively invest in eco-conscious research, development, and certification.
- Implement small operational changes (such as reducing material waste or increasing recycling) that add up over time.
Enjoy this read? Find more articles on all things commercial cleaning and floor care at midlab.com/blog or follow us on social media for updates on our sustainability efforts.
About Midlab
Midlab is a U.S.-based manufacturer of commercial and institutional cleaning products, recognized for its innovation, quality, and environmental leadership. With a broad portfolio of customized cleaning products and solutions manufactured in a LEED Gold-certified facility, Midlab serves a wide range of industries and remains committed to redefining what it means to clean responsibly — for people, for businesses, and for the planet.
