REGULAR
that so many chemical companies promote ready-to-use chemicals within their portfolio. It is nonsense.
All chemical manufacturers already have a legal responsibility to ensure their products are safe for people and the environment when used according to instructions. Provided these conditions are met, there should be no impact arising from hazards during normal use. It should not be a case of B2B customers asking – who is the greenest/safest of them all?
Back to that purchasing manager we mentioned at the start of this column. During pre-tender discussions, he/she should challenge the chemical supplier to produce evidence that they have effective control of impacts during the manufacturing phase. Key areas where they should be minimising impacts are:
• Raw material and finished product wastage during manufacture.
• Consumption of energy and water.
• Emissions to sewer and atmosphere and, in particular, controlling emissions of hazardous substances to avoid risk to people or the environment.
• Packaging waste and recycling used packaging.
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
Six Top Tips for the B2B Customer to Minimise Environmental Impacts
1. Reduce the consumption of product, packaging and energy by buying effective products and using them efficiently to minimise wastage and disposal to landfill.
2. Define what task the cleaning products will be used for and buy products that deliver the required performance.
3. Analyse and reduce re-work rates – cleaning correctly first time will minimise waste, particularly in energy intensive operations such as machine dish washing and laundry.
4. Go for more concentrated products where applicable, and use products according to the manufacturer’s instructions, using accurate dosing systems where appropriate.
5. Service cleaning equipment regularly, particularly critical items such as dosing pumps for automated machines.
6. Train cleaning staff on the safe and effective use of cleaning chemicals.
B2B customers of commercial cleaning chemicals need to work with reputable suppliers and ensure that they responsibly manage their manufacturing impacts. Reputable manufacturing companies should be operating an Environmental
Management System which is independently audited by a reputable accreditation agency and should have SOP’s to prevent accidental emissions.
Director General of the UK Cleaning Products Industry Association (UKCPI), Dr Andy Williams explained: “An emphasis on green procurement has provided particular challenges for the sector. Defining ‘green procurement’ has been a difficulty as different organisations tended to draw up their own criteria, many of which were not scientifically sound.”
To those of us who are scientists working in the industry, it means sustainable cleaning. Green or sustainable procurement should not be at the expense of good sense and effective cleaning. At worst there may be inefficiency or wasted money.
The best placed people to advise on sustainability in professional cleaning are the product manufacturers. We urge procurement specialists to consult the industry and take advantage of the wealth of expertise that is available there. This will be one of the best routes to achieving policies that tick social, environmental and economic boxes.
To read more musings from Max on the cleaning industry and beyond, check out the RP Adam blog at
www.thearpalgroupblog.com.
www.rpadam.co.uk Tomorrow’s Cleaning November 2015 | 33
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