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 deliver your order. This in turn reduces packaging and the number of deliveries while saving costs and reducing emissions. Once one, or a select number of suppliers, has been decided, combining orders into fewer deliveries can also lower the environmental impact.
Secondly, it is essential to review where traditional cleaning products can be replaced by ecological products. Where 20 years ago, those in the cleaning industry may have avoided eco-friendly cleaning products, as they may have had to compromise on performance, this is no longer the case. As demand has grown for products that are sustainably made and sourced, the quality and ease of use of these products has increased at a rapid rate. This is of particular importance with regard to the chemicals and dosing sector, as people are always looking for the less harmful option.
Traditionally, businesses chose cleaning products that were sold ready-made. However, by using concentrated products, and a controlled dosing system, costs
can be reduced dramatically. For example, 1.4l of a super- concentrated product can provide 350 trigger-spray bottles of solution. This drastically reduces packaging, vehicle emissions and storage space. However, this is only effective if the products are diluted correctly, so it is crucial for staff to be trained to ensure products are used effectively.
Another trend that has emerged over the 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 just be a case of informing those in procurement that this is no longer the only option, and educating them in the range of concentrated products available, as well as the cost- savings and environmental benefi ts gained for changing. Regularly reviewing the products being used is also important, to make sure new products are regularly considered, and organisations do not miss out on quality and cost-saving improvements from product innovations. Multi- purpose cleaners can also offer a straightforward way to minimise costs and increase sustainability; rather than using four different cleaning products to clean a bathroom, switch to a multi-purpose cleaner that can be used for all four purposes.
Finally, one of the biggest challenges an organisation will 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 costly consequences. 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 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 organisation as a whole incorporates a sustainable approach. A ‘bottom- up, top-down approach’ can work well to ensure objectives are communicated and changes are accepted at all levels.
Increasing sustainability can be as simple as recognising where small changes can have a big impact. 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 for reducing energy consumption can be met with ease.
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