Planning for change in 2022
James Lee, Cromwell Polythene’s Managing Director, chats with us about what to focus on when planning your new year.
January is a time when businesses are putting their plans in place to make the new year a success. So, what resolutions should we be making, whilst we collectively continue to tackle the challenges of COVID and climate change? Cromwell believe there should be five key focuses:
1
Continued COVID caution – The industry must continue to champion best practice, and businesses must be
equipped with the right products and personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect people. Whilst COVID-19 might have heightened the importance of good hygiene and waste management techniques, these measures constantly play a vital role within society.
2
Step up on sustainability – It’s increasingly important to act now as the world unites to tackle climate
change and reach net zero goals. Unfortunately, this can lead to ‘greenwashing,’ where companies convey a false impression, or misleading information, about their environmental credentials.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has introduced a Green Claims Code to help businesses understand and comply with obligations under existing consumer protection law when making environmental claims. This will also help protect businesses from misleading marketing by other businesses. All organisations, whether large or small, should champion ethical and environmentally sound products and processes, and follow the CMA guidance.
We believe there should be a regulated auditing process that verifies eco claims, founded on data, scientific, or other evidence and clearly labelled. A good example of this includes science-based net zero claims. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) developed the first science-based global standard for corporate net-zero targets, to ensure companies’ net zero targets translate into action.
3
Product proficiency – Before investing in products and equipment, take time to assess whether they are the
right tools for the job. Purchasing departments and others further down the chain need to make sure these products are used appropriately. For example, compostable bags are ideal to capture and contain organic waste destined for industrial composting facilities. However, it would represent a misallocation of resources (and expense) if used to handle non-organic waste destined for incineration or landfill.
Additionally, if compostable packaging is mistakenly put into the recycling stream, it can contaminate other materials, compromising the integrity of future recycled plastics. Correct waste management and recycling handling is an
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important step to avoid cross-contamination and support circular goals.
4
Legislative logistics – Several new measures are coming into place soon which businesses should
prepare for, the first being the Plastic Packaging Tax, from April this year. Cleaning organisations should engage with their suppliers to ensure that their products are compliant. If 30% recycled content and above is not possible, they need to prepare for the additional £200/tonne premium applied to their plastic products.
Towards the end of 2022, businesses and local authorities should be at an advanced stage of planning for reforms being introduced in 2023. These include extended producer responsibility (EPR) for the environmental management of goods, once they are no longer in use by the consumer, and consistency of collections of recyclable materials.
5
Collaboration and communication – Global challenges like COVID-19 and climate change demonstrate the
importance of collaboration in achieving shared goals. We must all work closely together to share industry best practice and implement achievable solutions. The industry has its fair share of challenges, not least its dependence on disposable materials and packaging for the wide range of cleaning products and chemicals required to deliver safe and hygienic living and working environments.
The Cleaning and Hygiene Supplier’s Association (CHSA) is developing a ‘Roadmap to Sustainability’ to tackle this very issue, being rolled out in 2022. If you didn’t get the chance to join the presentation about this at The Cleaning Show in 2021, you can view it on their YouTube Channel.
Whatever your goals are for 2022, careful research, forward planning and reliable supply chain partners will be essential to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk/cromwell-resources/ twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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