FEATURE Sustaining success in 2024
Alastair Scott, Sales Director at Robert Scott, explains how to achieve sustainable success for the cleaning industry in 2024.
The findings from Robert Scott’s latest ‘pulse of the industry’ survey suggests that the cleaning industry is facing a 2024 that's marked by both opportunity and challenge.
While industry professionals continue to flag cost pressures as a significant challenge impacting the sector, they are simultaneously acknowledging that conditions are stabilising and predicting more
focus on areas such as sustainability.
It adds up to a new phase in the sector in which sustainable solutions are increasingly viewed as not simply an increased cost, rather an investment in long- term efficiency and profitability.
Key trends in 2024
Following a period of turbulent conditions, it’s fair to say that the 2024 edition of our annual survey of industry professionals reveals a tempered optimism for the year.
Just one third of respondents predict that they will be increasing prices this year – a stark contrast to the 90% that forecasted price rises when surveyed at the beginning of 2023 (which 75% subsequently did have to do). This year, there is a sense of emerging economic stability and an expectation of a softer blow from inflation and supply chain disruptions.
Yet, the backdrop remains complex, shaped by uncontrollable external geopolitical and logistical challenges and the potential upheavals of a looming general election. Indeed, 20% of respondents believe that political environment will impact their business this year, with over a third calling on government to do more to combat inflation (34%).
Faced with both early green shoots of recovery alongside continuing unpredictability, the sector seems to be cautiously biding its time and taking a ‘wait and see’ approach.
Sustainable bottom lines
Indeed, with 62% of sector professionals forecasting continuing cost pressures, it remains the most prominent trend facing the industry this year and a reminder that we aren’t completely out of the woods yet.
Yet, bucking the cautious trend, priorities like ‘reducing plastic waste’ (55%) and ‘green cleaning’ (48%) have gained momentum, signalling an unwavering commitment to environmental considerations, even in tough market conditions.
This can perhaps be explained by the fact that strong green credentials are no longer just a nice to have: they can actively make a positive impact on the bottom line. After all, a substantial 80% of respondents to our research stated that
36 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING sustainability was important or very important to their clients.
This points to an industry at a crossroads, aiming to balance fiscal prudence with an elevated eco-profile. At the centre of this, the enduring myth that eco-friendliness equates to higher outlays is being systematically debunked. Sustainability is proving not only to be a viable alternative but also an economically sound choice over time, bringing a range of business benefits.
Long term view
This fresh perspective is recalibrating the industry’s approach to cost analysis.
Cleaning businesses are increasingly taking a more long- sighted approach, examining the total lifecycle costs and value of cleaning products and regimes. This lens often reveals the long-term benefits and cost-effectiveness of innovative lower carbon options that can be missed when simply focusing on initial purchase price.
Take Robert Scott’s Toucan Eco range, which offers both immediate and long-term financial benefits with its simple water-and-salt mechanism. By reducing the requirement for harsh chemicals by up to 80%, it reduces long-term costs while also making a positive environmental impact.
Meeting client expectations
What’s more, the ripple effects of sustainable choices are felt in cost savings beyond the obvious. With clients increasingly incorporating environmental criteria into their procurement standards, cleaning companies with sound green practices are finding themselves at an advantage when it comes to winning tenders, less dependent on competitive pricing alone.
Cleaning businesses are recalibrating their procurement to align with this reality. A system like Toucan Eco, which not only cuts out harsh chemicals but also slashes plastic waste (by around 80%) and distribution needs, is a case in point.
Cleaning businesses are also looking at ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their wider operations and supply chain by being more conscious of the practices of the partners and suppliers they work with, which is in turn important for their efforts to help their clients reducing Scope 3 emissions.
We take great pride, for example, in being a manufacturer and supplier to the sector that is taking significant strides in sustainable supply chain management. Our innovations include, for example, incorporating 70% recycled plastic across a wide range of our essential products – from buckets to mop heads. This has helped us reduce our use of virgin plastic by 220 tonnes in the last year alone. We also now use 30% recycled plastic packaging and recycle all end- of-life plastic. This contributes to a further 50 tonne plastic saving annually.
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