REGULAR
Improving standards
Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), advocates for standards in the context of a turbulent world.
2025 has been a year of uncertainty. Conflicts have continued in hotspots around the world. New ones have erupted. Supply chains have been disrupted. The continual changes to US tariffs have been dizzying. The UK economy has been sluggish. Tax rises might have been unavoidable, but have
perhaps undermined the growth we need so much. AI brings the potential of valuable productivity improvements but also poses a threat. What will it do to jobs? What happens when AI outstrips human intelligence?
Despite this turbulent backdrop, the cleaning and hygiene sector has continued to evolve and innovate.
Research released by the British Cleaning Council (BCC) showed our sector has reached a record value of about £66.9bn. The report stated the UK cleaning industry is a Top 10 employer, with over 1.49m people working in cleaning and hygiene. Our recovery since the pandemic has been impressive and we have improving business survival metrics. We’re an industry that has earned a place at the top table, and at the CHSA we support the BCC’s initiatives to get our voice heard.
Standards are in the DNA of the CHSA. We introduced our first Accreditation Scheme in 1997 and now have Schemes for Manufacturers of Soft Tissue, Plastic Sacks, Cotton Mops and Cleaning Chemicals, and for Distributors of cleaning and hygiene products. We are continually evolving these schemes in response to the market.
This year we substantially reviewed and tightened the requirements placed on manufacturers of soft tissue and cleaning chemicals. As well as meeting the dimensional and volumetric specifications and proving independent quality certifications, members of the soft tissue scheme must evidence sustainable forestry credentials and members of the cleaning chemical scheme must evidence their product efficacy claims.
26 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
As part of this evolutionary process, each Manufacturing Scheme has agreed that factories producing CHSA accredited product undergo an ethical audit. Our members are committed to adhering to the highest standards in the practice of their business, and this new requirement will offer additional peace of mind to buyers and end users of cleaning and hygiene products. The Independent Inspector will start asking for evidence of ethical audits during the 2026 audit cycle, with all members expected to have the audit carried out by 31 December 2026.
Sustainability has also become one of the top issues in our industry. Product innovation, supply chain initiatives and improved distribution are all key pillars as we make the changes needed for a more sustainable future. The impact of the plastic packaging tax is also really being seen. The purpose of the tax is to incentivise businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging. Our members have responded positively and adopted new, more sustainable solutions.
Carbon reporting is also dominating in this area. At the CHSA, we have delivered a webinar designed to help members understand and report on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Scopes 1 and 2 are emissions controlled by the company. Scope 1 covers those emissions released directly from a company’s controlled assets. This could be combustion of fuels for heating or company vehicles, or the emissions released from industrial processes onsite. Scope 2 emissions are those released indirectly from the company, for example through the purchasing of electricity for office spaces.
Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions out of the company’s control, and account for around 70% of a business’ carbon footprint. Calculating Scope 3 emissions is particularly complex and we are designing a webinar to run early in 2026 to guide our members.
www.chsa.co.uk twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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
