FEATURE
A better year
Paul Thrupp, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council (BCC), outlines the next 12 months in the cleaning and hygiene sector.
It’s difficult to predict the future. Just look at this time last year, when we looked ahead to what 2020/21 would bring for the cleaning and hygiene sector: who would have predicted the entire year would be totally dominated by COVID-19?
Now, as the vaccination programme is rolled out and we look to recover after a third wave, it seems wise not to make any firm predictions on whether we have seen the worst of the pandemic or whether it could be back again this year.
Yet despite this uncertainty, one thing is for sure: our cleaning and hygiene staff will remain vital for the success of the future. While the UK unlocks, frontline cleaning and hygiene workers in a wide variety of occupations will continue to play a vital and essential role, protecting the health and wellbeing of others and making sure public spaces are clean and safe.
As a number of surveys have testified, in order for public confidence to be restored, people want highly visible cleaning regimes delivering high standards of cleaning and hygiene in workplaces, supermarkets, shops etc. Even if we don’t get a major resurgence of the virus, that is set to continue. The impact of this terrible, tragic pandemic has been to make people realise how important cleaning and hygiene is for everyone.
So, over the coming year, I see rising demand for cleaning and hygiene services as organisations and businesses invest more into providing better, more comprehensive, technically- advanced services with cleaning operatives being much more visible. Part of this demand will be met by increased automation over the next 12 months, as robots and co- bots supplement the workforce and help them achieve high standards of hygiene.
It’s unclear what will happen with the economy post COVID-19 and the end of the furlough scheme. There will be challenges, but many experts expect a rise in demand will help the economy to rebound strongly. Whilst it’s inevitable that we will see challenges across the cleaning and hygiene industry, I still think the long-term future is very positive for the cleaning and hygiene sector.
The pandemic has caused several environmental side effects, and as an example, the careless disposal of single- use masks and other disposable products is causing huge plastic pollution. Our industry cares about the environment
and has been prioritising the production of sustainable products and cleaning methods for years, and this trend will gain momentum through the year.
The impact of the newly formed All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry will also be felt over the next year. Its overall aim is to promote the critical importance of the cleaning and hygiene sector to people in the UK, and this will help keep the vital work of our sector in the spotlight.
Among the key aims of the APPG are supporting ‘critical and essential worker’ recognition for many cleaning and hygiene staff and supporting the creation of a recognised apprenticeship and training accreditation for cleaning and hygiene operatives.
There will be exciting developments over the next year, with the APPG holding several events and meetings to discuss and pursue the overall objectives. For example, plans are currently being drawn up for a major meeting to discuss the vitally important role of cleaning and hygiene and how it helps to boost public confidence as the UK unlocks.
Something else I’m looking forward to, providing the worst of the pandemic is truly over, is the return of industry events which were cancelled or postponed last year.
In that respect, the much-anticipated BICSc Annual Awards are set to return in September, and the Cleaning Show in London in November. It is the industry’s biggest and best event, and it will be fantastic to meet colleagues in the industry face-to-face again.
Whatever happens in the next year, it must be an improvement on the last.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org 6 | TOMORROW’S CLEANING PRODUCTS & SERVICES GUIDE 2021
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