SUSTAINABLE CLEANING
Top Tips For Going Green
Many organisations within the cleaning industry are already complying with their sustainability and corporate social responsibility programmes through the use of eco-friendly products. However, more needs to be done – organisations must look at the whole life cycle of a product as well as internal buying processes.
Review Products Regularly To Drive Efficiency And Support A Greener Approach A trend that has emerged in recent years is that often, and simply out of habit, the same products continue to be re-ordered and used for lengthy periods of time. To overcome this, it can simply be a case of informing and educating those in procurement of the range of options available, as well as the cost-savings and environmental benefits that can be gained. Regularly reviewing the products being used is essential to make sure new products are regularly considered and organisations do not miss out on quality and cost-saving improvements from product innovations.
Choose Sustainable Alternatives Which Are Still Cost Effective Green cleaning chemicals, which are made of renewable resources and are packaged in recycled and recyclable materials, can be a realistic alternative to traditional products. Where 20 years ago, those in the cleaning industry may have avoided eco-friendly products as they may have had to compromise on performance, this is no longer the case. As demand has grown for
84
products that are sustainably made and sourced, the quality and ease of use has increased at a rapid rate.
Traditionally, businesses often used cleaning products that were sold readymade. However, by using concentrated products, and a controlled dosing system, costs can be reduced dramatically and efficiencies gained.
Where 20 years ago, those in the cleaning
industry may have avoided eco-friendly products as they may have had to compromise on
performance, this is no longer the case.
Ensure End-User Engagement And Board-Level Buy In One of the biggest challenges an organisation can face when changing to a more sustainable approach can be ensuring end-user engagement. Simply changing cleaning products without informing and educating those who use them can lead to products not being used correctly or cost- effectively. Staff buy-in is essential for the products to be used effectively and they must be communicated with regularly when changes are made.
Board-level support is also imperative, to add weight to any changes that are made. As emphasis shifts to a more sustainable focus, often one board member is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the
As sustainability continues to rise up the business agenda, those in the cleaning industry must ensure they are looking towards a more sustainable future, but this doesn’t mean costs should rise. Nigel Crunden, Business Specialist at Office Depot, offers insight into the growing importance of sustainability in this industry and gives practical advice for those looking to ‘go green’ while keeping costs down.
organisation as a whole incorporates a ‘greener’ approach. A ‘bottom down, top up approach’ can work well to ensure objectives are communicated and changes are accepted at all levels.
Consolidation To Drive Sustainability And Efficiency Consolidation can be easily achieved by simply recognising that even small-scale orders, which may have very minimal costs, can become part of a larger order. Also, evaluating how often orders are placed and how many different suppliers are used is important. When ordering cleaning products, it is often possible to use one supplier for all your cleaning needs, therefore allowing one supplier to organise, package and to deliver your order, which in turn reduces packaging and the number of deliveries, saving costs and reducing emissions. Once a small number of carefully selected suppliers have been decided, combining orders into fewer deliveries can also lower the environmental impact.
Increasing sustainability can be as simple as recognising where small changes can have a big impact on an organisation’s sustainability footprint. By using one supplier and encouraging fewer deliveries, and choosing multi-purpose or concentrated cleaning products, sustainability within an organisation can be improved dramatically and targets can be met with ease.
www.officedepot.eu
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118