FEATURE
A YEAR OF CHANGE
It has certainly been a year to remember, with a number of high-profile events that have shocked the world. Here, Tomorrow’s Cleaning Editor Matt Waring looks back on a tumultuous 12 months, and how it has impacted on the cleaning world.
Well, what a year 2016 turned out to be! I don’t think anyone could have predicted the sheer number of shocking, surprising things that have rocked the front (and back) pages over the past 12 months – from the outcomes of the EU referendum and the US Presidential race, the alarming influx of celebrity deaths (RIP Messrs Bowie, Rickman, Ali and of course, Princess Fisher), to the unexpected triumph of a certain East Midlands football team.
But when it comes to discussing the past year, it’s impossible to look anywhere else than Brexit. If the campaign leading up to the referendum last June was fractious, it was nothing compared to the fallout following the verdict. With Cameron resigning, the infighting in the Tory party, and recently the move for a second Scottish referendum, it has certainly made for an interesting time in the past few months, and it only seems now that we are getting a true indication of what Brexit will actually mean for the British people.
How it will affect the cleaning industry also remains to be seen. It is expected that, on the coal faces, there will be some impact, with a large portion of frontline cleaners originating from overseas. However, the British Cleaning Council has remained impartial, both in the build up to and following the referendum, instead focusing on its core values of ‘championing the UK cleaning industry at every opportunity’.
However, the council did add that ‘Europe remains a very important market for the UK cleaning industry, and every effort should be made to make the transition to a non- EU state as smooth as possible... There are many EU nationals working in the UK cleaning industry and their hard work and commitment is extremely important for the buoyancy of the industry.’
Stepping away from politics for a minute (you’ll be pleased to hear!), the cleaning industry has, over the
6 | TOMORROW’S CLEANING YEARBOOK 2017/18
past 12 months, seen a dramatic rise in the number of revolutionary robotic cleaners available on the market. Originally sounding like something out of science fiction, these robots have changed the way we view cleaning, freeing up operatives from the time consuming task of floor cleaning and allowing them to focus on other duties, safe in the knowledge that their robotic counterparts will get the job done. It’s a trend that is only going to get more prevalent across the industry, as there are now already 12 companies, including Diversey Care, ICE and Nilfisk, producing these robotic cleaners.
Continuing with the theme of technology, the past year has also seen a sharp uptake in the number of integrated management systems utilising the ‘Internet of Things’. Something of a buzzword in the industry currently, this ethos aims to create a fully joined up, interactive system of cleaning that allows operatives and facilities managers to know exactly what needs cleaning where. And the introduction of systems such as Kärcher’s Connected Cleaning, the Tork EasyCube from SCA and Diversey Care’s Augmented Reality – winner of the Innovation Award at last year’s Amsterdam ISSA/INTERCLEAN event – show that this concept is one that is already taking a firm hold in the industry.
Speaking of Amsterdam, it would be remiss of me not to mention the many fantastic events that we’ve been treated to this year. From the very first Manchester Cleaning Show back in March last year, to the aforementioned INTERCLEAN event, right through to this year’s London Cleaning Show, trade shows continue to be the lifeblood of the cleaning world, and it’s always so great to see so many people coming out to represent the industry at its biggest events.
It’s safe to say that 2016 was a tumultuous year, however amid all the chaos of the outside world, the cleaning industry continues to thrive. Here’s hoping for more of the same (for the industry at least!) in 2017.
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