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LIFE’S A BEACH, LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY
As the Brexit negotiations continue to roll on, one area that Lee Baker, PR & Media Manager for the British Cleaning Council, feels didn’t get enough coverage in the run up to the referendum was the EU’s environmental policies. Here, he discusses how being outside of EU law could affect the UK’s environmental behaviour.
There’s been a sharp rise in the number of British holidaymakers staying at home this summer. The staycation boom has happened, in part, because the value of the pound has dropped, but also because the UK now has some of the cleanest beaches in Europe.
It’s not something you would have heard a lot about in the recent EU referendum debate, but the EU’s environmental policy is generally considered to be a success and the British public and tourist industry has certainly benefited as a result of it.
In fact the UK’s record on environmental protection was poor before joining the EU, and a number of environmental organisations have expressed concern that we may slip back into old ways once we’re not bound by EU law.
Before the EU got tough with the UK government, it was deemed perfectly acceptable to pump thousands of gallons of untreated sewage straight into the sea, making huge swathes of our coastline too polluted for swimming.
The EU’s Bathing Water Directive in the 70s and its various successors, plus threats of action from them, forced the UK government to clean up our rivers and beaches, but it was a tough battle
26 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning September 2016
to get politicians in Westminster to change their polluting ways.
EU directives have often been portrayed as ‘red tape’ by Eurosceptic politicians, but the evidence is that the UK quite often does need a firm hand guiding it for its own good on occasions.
Working sustainably and efficiently is something the UK cleaning industry is constantly striving for and a number of BCC members have taken on board guidance and advice from Europe in an attempt to get more sustainable outcomes.
The Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) has been instrumental in the promotion of the environmental management standard ISO 14001 within the contract cleaning sector, helping cleaning organisations meet their environmental obligations.
But others, including The British Association for Chemical Specialities (BACS), The Chartered Institution of Waste Management’s (CIWM), The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) and The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers’ Association (CHSA), have all produced guidance for members and operate in as sustainable a manner as possible.
The cleaning industry in the UK realises that there is a great deal of responsibility on its shoulders, and believes working efficiently and sustainably can not only be good for business, but it also sets a good example to others.
Many industries in the UK do take their environmental responsibilities seriously. But nevertheless, there is a real danger that if legal protection from the EU is removed, a small minority of organisations may see this as a green flag to start polluting and operating in a way that is not in the best interests of the majority in the UK.
It was unfortunate that environmental issues were barely mentioned, if at all, in the recent EU debate, because our air is cleaner, our beaches safer, and our industry more sustainable thanks to guidance from Europe. So, as we enter Brexit negotiations, it’s important that UK politicians spell out clearly how they see environmental policy developing, and perhaps even share with us their plan on how they intend to keep us striving to be as clean and efficient as possible.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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