Once upon a time, profit was the only thing a business had to worry about. Earth’s natural resources felt limitless, and its systems unbreakable. Western society hadn’t yet clocked the mathematical impossibility of continual consumption on a finite planet.
Today, reality has caught up. With rising awareness of climate change, social inequality and fair work practices, people are asking better questions: How is your business impacting the planet? Do you treat your people fairly? Are you actually doing anything good, or just saying you are?
Long-time friends Sam and Ed know their answer: EarthWize, the eco-friendly cleaning company they founded in Melbourne, with a mission to revolutionise the cleaning industry.
A chemical-free cleaning company
EarthWize is guided by a key principle: to provide chemical free cleaning solutions that drastically reduce environmental impact. It’s a business principle they won’t compromise on.
Instead of using litres of heavy duty chemicals that irritate the skin and lungs, EarthWize uses a revolutionary technology that sends a charge of ozone through tap water, converting it via electrolysis into a sanitiser for 24 hours, and a cleaning agent for 6 days. The ozone molecules attack contaminants and then decompose, leaving only oxygen and water behind. The method is Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved and suitable for all levels of cleaning. And, it turns out, its disinfectant properties are 50 times stronger than bleach!
‘Commercial cleaning without harmful toxins? No one teaches you it’s possible. People who’ve spent their life in the cleaning industry don’t know it’s possible.’ – Sam
EarthWize also uses special fibres designed by Enjo for chemical free cleaning. These fibres are laundered and reused, avoiding single use waste, and at the end of their 4 year lifespan they are repurposed as car upholstery. A circular system.
‘It goes far beyond just eliminating the chemicals,’ Sam says. ‘It’s about technology and using the right product. When you take chemicals out of your products, the waterways are positively affected. The need for plastic containers containing the chemicals is eliminated. So are the emissions released by transporting the chemicals across the country, or even across the ocean.’
EarthWize’s methods have paid off. The company boasts an impressive 45 tonnes of carbon emissions offset, 53kg of cardboard saved, 77kg of plastic avoided, 435 litres of water saved, and 1% of revenue given back to communities through 1% for the Planet.
Changing lives
The other remarkable principle that sets EarthWize apart is the staff team Sam and Ed refer to as the EarthWize family.
EarthWize employs people who face barriers to finding secure work. For many of EarthWize’s staff, it’s their first job. Some have a history of alcohol or drug addiction, and others have experienced domestic violence or homelessness.
‘In each case, these remarkable people have gone through a defining experience which limits their prospects on the regular job market’ Ed explains. ‘All they need is someone to see past this to the capable, worthy and wonderful person underneath. The best part of our job is seeing these people flourish when someone believes in them.’
Through an intensive training program, EarthWize works with each person’s unique situation to reintegrate them into the workforce and to turn their lives around.
‘One of our current team members was homeless at the time we offered him the job. He’d been continually overlooked by other employers. He’s now one of our best cleaners. It’s all these little stories that make up our organisation’s mission’. – Ed
Another EarthWize team member struggled to find work due to extensive dental issues impacting his appearance.
‘We employed Ben a year ago. Employers made quick judgments based on his appearance and wouldn’t give him a chance’ explained Sam.
‘You should see him now and see how much he is thriving because we gave him an opportunity that no one else would.’
A worthwhile expense
For Sam and Ed, they have no trouble retaining customers. In fact, they’ve never lost one; they boast a rare 100% retention rate of customers who sign up. And demand isn’t their issue either. Every commercial company in Melbourne has a cleaner – creating thousands of potential clients.
The struggle they face is cost. ‘We’re always more expensive for various reasons,’ Ed explains.
Firstly, Earthwize pays staff above the award rate. They also pay employees for any extra work if a job takes longer than expected. And they invest deeply in training, adding to their operation costs.
‘We train our staff very thoroughly with weeks of hands–on training tailored to their needs’ Sam explains. ‘And it’s not a one size fits all process’.
Current EarthWize staff member Mahdi couldn’t read or write, and had never held a traditional job outside the important work of parenting when she met Sam and Ed.
‘So we adjusted our processes for her,’ explains Ed. Instead of written instructions, Mahdi receives all her cleaning schedules verbally over the phone.
If a customer needs to leave an additional instruction for Mahdi, instead of writing an email they know to leave a voicemail. If they do need to leave a written note, Mahdi texts it to Sam and Ed, who will give her a call to read it aloud.
‘We meet people where they’re at.’ says Ed. Mahdi has now been with EarthWize for 10 months and is a beloved member of the team.
What’s next for EarthWize?
EarthWize is always looking for new leads. ‘Retention isn’t our issue. Getting noticed in the crowd of 47,000 commercial cleaning companies in Australia is,’ Sam explains. ‘We’re on page 10 of the Google search. So why would you talk to us? It’s only if you search ethical cleaning Melbourne that we’re the first result. So we have to get creative.’
Among their competitors, thousands are big, established cleaning companies that largely employ international students at minimum wage.
‘We’ve worked in these places and seen the minimal training and care that is provided’ says Ed. ‘At EarthWize, we spend a lot of time training people. We teach them to take pride, be humble, and to re-build their self-confidence. And we pay them a wage they can actually live off.’
‘It’s so much more than a job for these people, it’s a life transformation.’ – Ed
Currently, more than half of EarthWize’s clients are not-for-profits, BCorps, or organisations heavily involved in sustainability. But, the founders explain, there are still so many organisations out there that would be an incredible match for EarthWize.
‘We’re looking at new ways to get noticed by aligned orgs, and word of mouth and referrals will always be a big thing for us.’
For Hothouse Magazine, our purpose is to amplify community stories and to celebrate people like Sam and Ed doing business differently – but we won’t be satisfied with our impact unless we bring in business for this remarkable company. I’m positive the Hothouse community can make this happen.
Could YOU be EarthWize’s new client?
EarthWize partners with medium to large offices, coworking spaces, body corporates, tenancies, multi-level buildings and stand-alone offices.
Does your workplace fit this description? You could be EarthWize’s next customer!
Here’s your homework: Check in to see who cleans your office or building and set up a meeting with your office manager or boss to introduce them to EarthWize. Let us know if it’s a match.
You can set up an inquiry call with Sam and Ed HERE, or get a free quote over the phone by calling 03 9125 1074. Find out more about EarthWize and their services here: https://www.earthwize.com.au.
‘When people hear our story, they fight for us’ – EarthWize
