ENERGY MANAGEMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
STRIKING A BALANCE
Here, Alastair Scott, Sales Director at Robert Scott, explores why Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) has become more important to the sector and highlights the many areas and innovations companies can take advantage of as they strive to navigate ESG challenges.
The cleaning sector has always been aware of its potential environmental impact and has taken great strides over the years to reduce its carbon footprint. Customer insights from cleaning product manufacturer, Robert Scott, have highlighted just how fundamental sustainability considerations have become to how the sector behaves and makes decisions.
Serious about sustainability The trend towards a greater emphasis on sustainability is clearly evident and the cleaning industry is increasingly embracing and leading in this shift. In fact, almost four in five (78%) cleaning businesses told Robert Scott that sustainability was significantly important for their clients in 2023. Moreover, over a third (34%) identified sustainability as the most significant trend of the year, with another 27% highlighting the need to address plastic waste.
Yet while sustainability remains a core focus, the efficacy of cleaning products and the quality of the finished clean mustn’t be compromised. Facilities management businesses must therefore work towards a balance of sustainability and cleaning effectiveness.
Areas that cleaning businesses can address to support their ESG goals include: choosing products featuring high levels of recycled content; working with more products that can be used again and again; adopting chemical-free alternatives; and the integration of locally manufactured and distributed supplies.
Making smart product choices The cleaning market has been evolving at pace to bring better choices of product to customers. Many are now made using fewer virgin plastics, instead opting for recycled (and recyclable) alternatives or natural materials such as wood.
Seemingly innocuous changes can have a big impact - for example, switching up the design of mophead and socket
28 | TOMORROW’S FM
systems to include the Refill reusable socket. With the average mop socket containing around 25g of plastic, the environmental benefits associated with reusing these can quickly mount up.
Manufacturers including Robert Scott have introduced more sustainable product lines, such as 100% recycled cleaning cloths and mops crafted from cotton waste, and reusable spray bottles made from 100% recyclable plastic bottles.
The collective benefits of switching to such products is substantial. Our calculations have found that the use of recycled-content buckets from Robert Scott alone saves over 100 tonnes of virgin plastic per year.
Chemical alternatives Taking steps to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals in use will help protect waterways, friendly microorganisms and human health. These products are often shipped in single use plastic bottles, too, putting significant strain on sustainability plans. By opting for products that use natural formulations, you can minimise your ecological footprint.
For example, the Toucan Eco range needs nothing more than water, salt and electricity to make a supply of eco- friendly antibacterial cleaner which reduces around 80% of a typical user’s plastic waste.
Source local Supply chains can have a pivotal impact on a business’ ESG performance. Choosing overseas manufacturers will inevitably increase your business’ environmental footprint, so choosing local alternatives will help to redress this balance.
Businesses that embrace ESG wholeheartedly will find that it supports their business in more ways than anticipated. Stronger relationships, an improved reputation and better results will typically all follow – for facilities managers looking for ways to stand out from the crowd, moving towards ESG is a natural step.
www.robert-scott.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
