CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL BuyerBeware
The seductive lure of low-cost cleaning solutions combined with environmental claims is tempting but comes at what cost? The only way buyers can guarantee quality is to specify the CHSA Accreditation Scheme mark, says Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association.
In January the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its forecasts for the UK, predicting the economy will contract by 0.6% in 2023. While it’s important to remember the IMF’s predictions have been wrong before and may be again, without doubt 2023 is going to be a challenging year. In the past unscrupulous manufacturers have cut corners to keep prices low, compromising on product quality and quantity. Now they are also making claims that amount to nothing more than greenwashing by exaggerating their sustainability credentials. An example of this is to say a product is biodegradable, but given the right conditions, everything will biodegrade into its natural elements, even if it takes millions of years. The claim means nothing without information on conditions and timeframe.
Buyers of cleaning and hygiene products also have to navigate the legacy of the pandemic. As demand for surface cleaners and hand sanitisers exploded, it turned into something like the wild west. Claims for the power and residual effects of products were made that could not be substantiated and methods of applications described as the panacea were more about the theatre than the reality of cleaning. These and other claims are still being made today.
People working hard in the care sector do not have the time or resources to check every product, research environmental claims or know what’s real and what’s fanciful when it comes to the efficacy of cleaning chemicals.
We can help. Setting and maintaining standards is in the DNA of the CHSA. We set up our first Accreditation Scheme in 1997 and now have six. They are for manufacturers of paper-based products, plastic-based products, cotton-based products,
and cleaning chemicals, for general manufacturers and for distributors of cleaning and hygiene products.
The Schemes’ integrity is maintained by the Independent Inspector. In 2022 he conducted more than 139 audits. In the process, he inspected over 1,500 labels, tested over 507 product lines and physically tested 4,170 individual products.
Every CHSA member has also signed the CHSA’s rigorous Code of Practice, which incorporates the Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code. It requires them to “maintain a high standard in the conduct of its business”.
The combination of our Code of Practice and Accreditation Scheme membership means every member:
• Trades ethically and sustainably; • Provides quality, fit for purpose products; and • Makes sure what’s on the box is what’s in the box.
Our advice to buyers who want to avoid these problems is simple – be cautious:
• Be sceptical. It if sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Ask for supporting evidence. The manufacturer should be willing and able to show you data sheets or other relevant evidence to support claims.
• Ask for the CE declaration and any other test reports to show conformance to specification.
• Buy from a reputable supplier with a track record.
• Finally, specify CHSA Accreditation. Our Standards, Your Guarantee.
www.chsa.co.uk
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