Sustainability and social responsibility policy:
People:
Throughout our team we encourage inclusion and diversity and maintain gender equality in terms of salaries and opportunities.
We ensure all staff are fully trained in both products and work ethics together with provision of continuing professional development.
Full on-site or remote staff and product training, together with the provision of client-specific cleaning programmes is also available for all clients.
Where appropriate we ensure deliveries are carried out by same DBS approved driver to avoid any issues in this regard.
We also strive to ensure that our suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the same principles and comply with ISO9001 quality assurance requirements.
To further reduce our carbon footprint, we only recruit employees from local areas and encourage staff to car-share where possible.
Product:
As concern for the environment has intensified so has the demand for eco-friendly cleaning products for both professional and home use. This in turn has created major confusion and mixed messages for the user – firstly many products claim to be eco-friendly but in reality, are not, and secondly those that are, by their very nature, do not work effectively.
Our product range is truly user-friendly, environment-safe and 100% biodegradable incorporating unique, specialist ‘active’ natural ingredients for both general use and treating specific problem areas including stains, soiling, and fatty build-ups. Each product works by addressing the actual source of the problem and not just masking the issue with sweet fragrances.
Our products align with the new EU Ecolabel cleaning services criteria and are guaranteed to meet all cleaning and hygiene needs without incorporating hazardous, abrasive or toxic substances which can harm or damage the environment, surfaces or the user.
We also use environment-friendly cleaning accessories and equipment to minimise the use of cleaning chemicals.
Packaging:
Our containers and closures are manufactured from recycled plastic waste which in turn is also fully recyclable. Our labelling and instruction guides are printed on recycled paper using natural inks.
We strongly encourage the use of bulk supplies to decant into smaller containers or trigger sprays for daily use resulting in a significant reduction in plastic waste. This also presents advantageous cost savings for our clients.
We also offer a collection service for empty containers when delivering new orders which ensures recycling of any waste and preventing further potential pollution of the environment and contributing less plastic to landfill.
We continue to challenge ourselves to rethink areas of our business where the packaging could work harder and smarter to reduce the impact on the environment.
Planet:
In addition to the sole use of natural, environment-safe ingredients in our products and recycled materials in our packaging, we continue to do all we can to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
As company vehicles require replacement we are upgrading to electric versions in line with our commitment towards a greener planet.
We monitor client usage of our products to pre-empt future requirements allowing us to consolidate orders and reduce the number of individual deliveries necessary.
We leverage remote working for client meetings and consultations whenever possible to reduce fuel consumption.
We also prioritise digital sustainability by reducing the number of emails we send, adopting a ‘think before you thank’ approach, and our website is low carbon, running on sustainable energy. You won’t see any data-heavy videos or graphics on our website because we are mindful of the associated carbon costs.(According to digital carbon measurements from established website carbon calculators, our website only produces between 0.28g-0.38g of carbon per visit).
Going forward, we will remain conscientious of our responsibilities and prepared for change as new opportunities and innovations to protect our planet arise in the future.
EU Ecolabel:
Applying for the EU Ecolabel is open to any cleaning company. It offers a great opportunity to lower companies’ environmental impact and guarantee the efficiency of their environmental efforts through the third-party certification. The result of this is greater transparency on the ingredients used and their impact on human and environmental health. These certifications are mainly related to the consumer’s interest in an environmentally friendly solution for their homes.
More info here: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/documents/Cleaning_Services_Factsheet_Final.pdf
And here: https://www.rgslabels.co.uk/news/what-are-the-requirements-for-cleaning-product-labels-in-the-uk/
Digital sustainability:
The network infrastructure that underpins online systems now accounts for more than 2% of global carbon emissions, putting information and communications technologies (ICTs) on a par with the aviation industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. The data centres that enable the so-called ‘cloud’ consume an estimated 200-terawatt hours of electricity each year (which is more than the national energy consumption of some countries), often from non-renewable sources. A 2012 Greenpeace report concluded that ‘If the cloud were a country, it would have the fifth largest electricity demand in the world’.
Think before you thank:
https://www.greensolutionsmag.co.uk/post/think-before-you-thank
Website energy:
According to digital carbon measurements from established website carbon calculators Ecograder and Website Carbon, our website only produces between 0.28g-0.38g of carbon every time someone visits.