INDUSTRY COMMENT
their bit for the environment when in fact they have made no positive impact whatsoever.
Perhaps we need to radically change our expectations on price, cost and performance, because we most definitely need to alter our physical behaviour rather than simply rely on single specific product innovations to solve these sustainability problems. We need cleaning to use less resources, less materials, less energy and less water for each job. Achieving sustainable development is perhaps one of the most difficult and one of the most pressing goals we face. The key point is that dosage (or the amount of concentrate used) drives every other aspect of the sustainability equation. Dosing more (of a weaker product) simply uses more resources and creates more waste. So dosing less of a more concentrated product reverses this negative trend. It may be lost on certain people within the industry, but they are simply burying their heads in the sand, that toxicity is only a matter of dose, and that all substances can be toxic in large enough quantities, so controlling and minimising the dose is key.
development, which includes the four interconnected domains of ecology, economics, politics and culture. The Science of Sustainability therefore can be explained by the study of sustainable development and environmental science. In short we must all strive to ensure a desirable planet for all species now and in the future.
Embracing sustainable development is a challenge, and because it requires change, paying close attention to a number of key factors like international and national law, urban planning and transport, local and individual lifestyles and ethical consumerism. It is sometimes easier for companies and consumers to look at one or two of these key issues and with guilty knowledge ignore some of the more difficult concepts. For example in the cleaning world, it might be easier for the consumer to demand what can only be loosely termed a ‘green chemical’ from their supplier, and in some way think that they have done
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RP Adam’s latest dosing system, Ecopax, is based on three core concepts which are intertwined: massive volume reductions through the use of proper super concentrates, total control of consumption in that you cannot put a litre of cleaning solution in a 500ml bottle, and safety of the user with the new SAFELINK safety cap. In essence we have had to invest and innovate to provide one tool as part of the cleaning operation. The actual management of the cleaning process is undertaken by another party, so the chain continues. In simple terms, if one or other of the participants in the chain fails to deliver then the sustainability of the whole operation breaks down.
The drive for sustainable development implies and requires that cleaning companies undertake responsible and proactive decision-making and innovation which helps to minimise environmental negative impact, whilst at the same time maintaining the balance between ecological resilience, and economic prosperity. Let’s not
hide from the fact that economic sustainability is as important a facet as the environmental aspect.
The daily contradiction is clear in many households across the country where domestic consumers have ‘ecological’ cleaning products in their cupboards under the sink, perhaps in some way these are purchased to relieve their consciences? But these very same ‘eco-philes’ will quite happily have their washing machines and tumble dryers on all day to cope with the family laundry workload and drive gas guzzlers a short distance to pick the kids up from school.
As a chemical manufacturer RP Adam is registered to BS EN ISO 14001 standard and we have achieved and surpassed many in-house environmental targets on waste and energy reduction over recent years as well as conforming to the parameters of the Environmental Management Standard. We heavily promote the use of dilution centres to our distributor and end-user customer base to help reduce consumption and plastics waste, and we have also begun the roll out of hybrid company cars which massively reduces CO2 emissions. We understand that we have an important part to play in the sustainability process.
Our word of caution to readers of this article is to understand clearly that sustainability in the environmental space requires a cultural mind-shift. It is not a project to be completed and ticked off, but must be woven into the fabric of your business, measured and recorded regularly. Don’t take short cuts – invest in systems, manpower and/or capital equipment, and don’t think short cuts will suffice. Thinking you are being green is not enough, purchasing so-called green chemicals is not good enough either. Companies need to understand the cleaning life-cycle and ensure that they are aware of areas of improvement, so that processes and systems can be refined continuously over time to better prevent negative impact. There is no end-game here; it’s a rolling programme for eternity.
www.rpadam.co.uk www.thearpalgroupblog.com
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