How EarthWize in Commercial Cleaning Achieved Carbon Neutrality Certification with NetNada

A Mission-Driven Cleaning Company

EarthWize was founded by Sam Szulman and Eduardo after more than 15 years in the commercial cleaning industry. They built the company with a singular purpose: to prove that you can be ethical, sustainable, give back to the community, and still run a successful business.

Their approach challenges every norm in an industry known for poor practices and low expectations:

• Chemical-free cleaning: Using ENJO/ENGO products and on-site ozone water devices instead of conventional chemicals
• Above-award wages: Every staff member receives a living wage above the industry award
• ENJO cloths at scale: Carbon-positive in manufacture, lasting ~5 years vs ~3 months for standard microfiber, and recyclable back to Austria for repurposing into car upholstery and carpets
• B Corp certified: Achieved within two years of founding

EarthWize is likely one of the only Melbourne commercial cleaners using ENJO at scale—despite the high upfront cost (~$39 vs ~$2.30 for standard cloths)—because it aligns with their mission.

The Carbon Accounting Challenge

A Distributed, Mission-Driven Operation

Unlike traditional businesses with centralised offices, EarthWize’s emissions profile is inherently distributed:

• No formal office: Sam and Eduardo work from home
• Client-site electricity: Vacuuming and equipment use at customer locations
• Purchased goods and equipment: Vacuums, scrubbing machines, gloves, ENJO products
• Logistics and transport: Courier delivery of cleaning products
• Staff commuting: Approximately 30% drive, the rest use public transport
• Limited business travel: Minimal flights (Sam’s first B Corp-related flight is upcoming)
• Mixed personal/business fuel: Sam’s vehicle used for client meetings

Previous Struggles

EarthWize initially found themselves “lost” in how to approach carbon accounting. They needed clear guidance on:

• How to structure employee commute data collection (surveys)
• How to split home-office energy use between personal and business
• How to separate business vs personal fuel expenditure
• Which methodology to apply across their unique emission sources

NetNada’s Structured Solution

Clear Boundaries and Categories

NetNada’s Emissions Boundary Configuration established precise scope definitions for EarthWize’s unique operational model:

1. Scope 2: Client-site electricity consumption during cleaning operations
2. Scope 3 - Purchased Goods: ENJO products, equipment (vacuums, scrubbers, gloves)
3. Scope 3 - Transport & Distribution: Courier logistics for product delivery
4. Scope 3 - Employee Commuting: Staff travel to client sites via car and public transport
5. Scope 3 - Business Travel: Limited vehicle use for meetings, rare flights
6. Scope 3 - Waste: Detailed operational waste data from cleaning activities

Centralised Data Platform

NetNada replaced EarthWize’s unstructured approach with a single platform that:

• Sets clear emissions categories with guides for each source type
• Provides templates for employee commute surveys, spend data, and activity data
• Supports both spend-based and activity-based calculations, enabling progressive accuracy improvement
• Migrated last year’s calendar-year inventory into the new platform for a single source of truth

Human Support That Matters

For a small, mission-driven business, platform technology alone isn’t enough. NetNada provided:

• Direct contacts (email, phone, booking calls) for methodology questions
• In-platform support chat for quick queries
• Free Academy courses for building carbon accounting knowledge
• Hands-on migration of historical data into the new platform

Audit-Ready Certification

NetNada produces draft and final reports with:

• Complete audit tables documenting every emission source
• Emission factors and their sources for transparency
• Methodology documentation for third-party verification
• Impact storytelling data for client communications and tenders

This documentation infrastructure enabled EarthWize to achieve and maintain carbon neutrality certification—turning their ethical practices into independently verified claims.

The Pioneer’s Advantage

Chemical-Free at Scale

EarthWize’s use of ENJO products represents a genuinely pioneering approach in commercial cleaning:

Attribute	Standard Microfiber	ENJO Cloths
Cost	~$2.30 per cloth	~$39 per cloth
Lifespan	~3 months	~5 years
Carbon Impact	Standard manufacturing	Carbon-positive manufacture
End of Life	Landfill	Returned to Austria for repurposing
Chemical Requirement	Conventional chemicals	None (water only)

Despite the 17x higher upfront cost, ENJO cloths deliver lower total cost of ownership, zero chemical exposure for staff and building occupants, and measurably better environmental outcomes.

Industry-Leading Retention

EarthWize’s ethical approach delivers exceptional business metrics:

• 100% client retention over the last 12 months
• ~7% staff turnover—remarkable in an industry known for high churn
• B Corp certification within two years

These results, now backed by certified carbon data from NetNada, prove that the ethical model works commercially.

Strategic Positioning for Growth

With NetNada’s platform, EarthWize can now:

• Win sustainability-focused tenders with certified carbon neutrality credentials
• Differentiate from competitors still using chemical-heavy, high-turnover models
• Tell their impact story with verified data rather than aspirational claims
• Maintain certifications (B Corp, carbon neutrality) with efficient annual renewals
• Improve accuracy over time by progressively moving from spend-based to activity-based calculations

Why This Matters for Commercial Cleaning

The EarthWize case study demonstrates three critical insights for the cleaning and facilities management industry:

1. Ethical Business Models Need Data Infrastructure

Mission-driven companies like EarthWize have the practices and values in place, but without structured carbon accounting, they cannot certify, communicate, or leverage their sustainability advantage. NetNada provides the infrastructure to turn ethical operations into verified competitive advantages.

2. Distributed Workforces Require Structured Methodology

Commercial cleaning operations—with no central office, staff commuting to multiple sites, and electricity consumed at client locations—need clear emissions boundaries and data collection frameworks. Generic carbon calculators cannot handle this complexity.

3. Small Businesses Can Lead on Climate

EarthWize proves that carbon neutrality certification is not only for large enterprises. With the right platform support, human guidance, and structured methodology, small businesses can achieve the same rigorous certification standards—and use them to win clients, retain staff, and lead their industry.

Ready to Certify Your Cleaning Business?

If your cleaning or facilities management business wants to:

• Achieve carbon neutrality certification
• Structure emissions data across distributed operations
• Back your sustainability mission with verified data
• Differentiate in tenders with certified credentials
• Maintain B Corp and other certifications efficiently

NetNada can help you achieve EarthWize’s results—turning your ethical practices into independently verified, commercially valuable sustainability leadership.

Contact NetNada to discover how structured carbon accounting can transform your cleaning business from aspiration to certified impact.