Striking the right balance
Jan-Hein Hemke, MD of Facilicom UK, argues that a rounded approach to sustainability should be taken in the cleaning industry, taking into account ‘people’, ‘planet’ and ‘profit’.
Sustainability is a word often heard in the cleaning industry – and quite rightly so. After all, the day-to-day operations, products and chemicals used to successfully clean inevitably have an impact on the environment.
Even before the government unveiled its 25-year environmental plan in 2018, reputable cleaning companies had long been making more environmentally friendly choices – without, importantly, lowering quality standards.
However, sustainability is so much more than being ‘green’: in its purest sense, it means ‘the ability to maintain change’, and this also applies to the people working within the sector. At Facilicom, we believe a successful sustainability policy will balance three intrinsically linked dimensions: people, planet and profit.
People are our prime asset
Social sustainability must be taken into account if a business is to succeed. After all, people make a company, and without them its service would grind to a halt. It is therefore key to ensure workers are treated fairly and with respect. Improving the daily lives of colleagues is vital, as it results in a better trained workforce which is more loyal, more motivated, and has greater experience. This ultimately leads to a higher quality service for our customers.
One of the most important things a cleaning company can do to make things better for their employees is to pay a fair wage. In-work poverty is increasingly becoming one of the UK’s major socio-economic challenges, and some people are being forced into unsustainable working commitments just to make ends meet.
As a Living Wage Recognised Service Provider, we passionately believe that those willing to work hard for their wages should be rewarded sufficiently, to be able to live and enjoy life. We also provide each and every staff member 24/7 access to an Employee
Assistance Programme, where they can discuss any issues that might adversely affect their work performance, or health and wellbeing.
Training also plays a part in improving our colleagues’ daily lives. It ensures that staff are able to follow best practice, work safely and respect the environment in which they operate. Through Facilicom’s unique ‘Hostmanship’ programme, it also helps build confidence, self-esteem and ability to communicate effectively – all skills which will enrich their wider lives.
Protecting the planet
Responsible service providers must consider the often unseen consequence of a cleaning operation – the damage caused to the environment through carbon emissions generated by cleaning activities. At Facilicom, we are proud of our unique and revolutionary carbon neutral cleaning system, C2Zero. Using the programme we can calculate the precise carbon impact of every aspect of our service. By understanding and measuring this, we are able to fully offset the environmental impact and return the whole cleaning process on site to a carbon neutral position.
Reducing the amount of materials, the volume of chemicals used, and the quantity of waste is also key to improving sustainability. We work with suppliers to develop chemical-free cleaning products and also to reuse machinery and equipment to give it a longer life and reduce the amount of material sent to landfill, or ending up in our oceans and waterways.
Profit
The ultimate aim for any business is to deliver a profit: this is no exception for a sustainable-thinking company. In fact, a healthy return is a pre-requisite. It must be able to invest in order to guarantee the continuity of the company, the provision of goods and services to clients, and employment.
Making a profit not only means achieving healthy financial results year after year, but also enables a company to contribute to a nation’s prosperity and to play a positive role in society.
A successful business must balance these three P’s to be sustainable. By treating people well and paying them fairly, their lives, and the lives of those around them, are improved. Being responsible in the way of working and the products used helps to protect the planet; and financial sustainability means that customers, suppliers and employees can rely on the company being around for years to come.
www.facilicom.co.uk
54 | SUSTAINABILITY
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