October 2019

The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector

OCTOBER 2019

SPECIAL REPORT

ACT NOW

BUSINESS

What are we looking for in washroom dispensing systems?

Page 21

The flip side of sustainability

Modern slavery

Subscription economy

Page 31

Page 38

Page 45

CONTENTS

October 2019 | Vol.27, No.5

BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORTS

45 The meteoric rise of subs

21 High-speed dispensing

Hartley Milner explores the pros and cons of the burgeoning subscription economy.

How do washroom dispenser producers make their units quick to use?

31 Sustainability - the flip side Everything we make, use and consume is under scrutiny. But is that fair?

38 Act now to eradicate slavery There is a greater focus by governments on modern slavery.

41 How hard can it be?

How do new hard flooring developments affect the cleaning challenge?

03 News

47 Natural is best?

Are ‘natural’ cleaning products a positive move or threat to manufacturers?

14 European reports

51 Fair provision for women A recent UK report has called for the fair provision of public toilets for women.

55 Product review

53 Cleaning sector thrives Bobbie van der List brings latest trends from the Asia Pacific region.

Criterion Publishing Ltd PO Box 299, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1FP UK T +44 (0)1494 791222 F +44 (0)1494 792223 info@europeancleaningjournal.com www. europeancleaningjournal.com Subscriptions UK - £60 / Continental Europe - £70 / International - £80

Editor Michelle Marshall Features Writer Ann Laffeaty Advertisement director Chris Godman Advertisement sales executive Laura Bell

Circulation Marie Payne

Italy, Spain & Switzerland Fabio Potesta Mediapoint & Communications Corte Lambruschini, Corso Buenos Aires, 8 V0 Piano, Interno 7 16129 Genova, Italy T +39 010 570 4948 F +39 010 553 0088 info@mediapointsrl.it www. mediapointsrl.it

European Cleaning Journal is published six times a year by Criterion Publishing Ltd. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in European Cleaning, Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright for all material published in European Cleaning remains with Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents.

ISSN 0968-901X ©Criterion Publishing 2019

NEWS & EVENTS

Latest News & Events from ECJ

European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 - winners announced The annual European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards took place at The Church House in London as ECJ went to press, where the 2019 finalists were honoured at a glittering awards dinner.

Following a record year for entries, the judges considered over 130 nominations. Twenty-three finalists across nine categories were announced in August, and the London event saw the winners revealed.

Now in their fourth year, the awards recognise standards of excellence in the professional cleaning industry and are the only pan-European awards for the sector. They were founded

by European Cleaning Journal (ECJ). The winners were: The winners • Best use of smart solutions by service provider (sponsored by i-team Global): Swiss Post Real Estate Management and Services • Investment in training (sponsored by Greenspeed): Derrycourt • Excellence in client/ contractor partnerships: Principle Cleaning Services, 30 St Mary Axe • Sustainability – best practice (sponsored by Werner & Mertz, greencare Professional): Incentive QAS • Commitment to diversity (sponsored by Principle Cleaning Services): Facilicom/ Buitengewoon • Best initiative raising the profile of the cleaning sector (sponsored by Ceris Burns International): Lucart • Technological innovation of the year: Adlatus/Killis • Leader of the Year: Gerlinde Troestl, Markas • Rising star (sponsored by Jangro): Sol Amorim, Principle Editor of European Cleaning Journal and member of

the judging panel, Michelle Marshall, said: “The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards are all about shining the spotlight on the outstanding work going on in our industry so it was fantastic to see so many entries flood in this year. There was some seriously strong competition but we really felt that our nine winners had gone above and beyond to champion our industry. They are some of the most innovative, proactive leaders in the sector and it was brilliant to be able to honour them in London on the night.”

Strong competition Joining Michelle Marshall on the judging panel were Lynn Webster, director of Lynn Webster Consultants (UK), Juan Diez de los Rios de San Juan, president of European Cleaning & Facility Services Industry (EFCI), and Frank Veneman, director of Association for Cleaning Research (VSR) (Netherlands).

This year’s sponsors include RAI Amsterdam, Ceris Burns International, Diversey, Greenspeed, i-team Global, Jangro, Principle Cleaning, Werner & Mertz, greencare Professional, Truvox International, Vectair Systems and Vermop Salmon.

Media partners include Tomorrow’s Cleaning (UK), GSA (Italy) and Services (France).

•ECJ November edition will feature more news from the London event, along with photographs. Register now for your copy at www. europeancleaningjournal.com For more on the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards visit www.echawards.com. You can also follow on Twitter @ECH_ Awards and #ECHAwards19.

News of 2020’s event will be early in the new year.

Les gagnants des Prix européens de proprété et d’hygiène 2019 ont été annoncés récemment lors d’une cérémonie à Londres.

ECJ will publish a special supplement in November focusing on the issues surrounding sustainability. Email info@europeancleaningjournal.com to reserve your copy

EVENTS October 15-17

October 26-29 2020

Middle East Cleaning Tech Week

ISSA North America

Dubai, UAE mectw.com

Chicago, USA www.issa.com

October 17

March 16-18 2021

European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards

The Cleaning Show

London, UK www.echawards.com

London, UK cleaningshow.co.uk

November 12-14

May 18-20 2021

Hygienalia Pulire Madrid

Pulire

Madrid, Spain www.hygienalia-pulire.com

Verona, Italy www.cms-berlin.de

November 18-21

September 21-24 2021

ISSA North America

CMS

Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com

Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.de

May 12-15 2020

November 15-18 2021

Interclean Amsterdam

ISSA North America

Amsterdam, Netherlands www.intercleanshow.com

Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com

October 14-15 2020

October 10-13 2022

Budapest Cleaning Show

ISSA North America

Budapest, Hungary budapestcleaningshow.hu/en

Chicago, USA www.issa.com

To have your event included in Events, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com

Die Gewinner der European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 wurden vor kurzem im Rahmen einer Preisverleihung in London bekanntgegeben.

I vincitori del premio 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 sono stati annunciati durante una cerimonia che si è tenuta di recente a Londra.

October 2019 | ECJ | 3

NEWS Ecolab must sell off Holchem

Hygienalia+Pulire Madrid show

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK has decided Ecolab must sell off Holchem to prevent potential price rises or a lower quality of service as a result of their merger.

The decision follows an investigation by the government organisation, which concluded the merged business is likely to face limited competition from other suppliers.

Ecolab and Holchem, who completed their merger in November 2018, are two of the largest suppliers of cleaning chemicals to food and drink manufacturers in the UK. The merger will create a new organisation which is much larger than any of its remaining

The Hygienalia+Pulire professional cleaning exhibition will take place from November 12-14 in Madrid. The organisers say this year’s show is bigger than previous editions, attracting not only more exhibitors but more international visitors too.

Esther Cano, the event’s director, says: “For this year’s edition we wanted to showcase the industry’s entire range of services and products to our

competitors and would leave only three players of any significant size competing in the UK market.

This merger reduces the choice available to these customers and the CMA is concerned it could mean food and drink manufacturers face higher prices or a lower quality of service for cleaning chemicals.

While the group of independent CMA panel members considered alternative ways of addressing its concerns about the merger, it has concluded the only effective way of addressing the significant loss of competition is to effectively block the merger.

Now, Ecolab must sell off Holchem to a new owner, which must be approved by the CMA.

• Le Hygienalia+Pulire, salon espagnol de la propreté, aura lieu du 12 au 14 novembre à Madrid.

4 | October 2019 | ECJ

• Die professionelle Reinigungsmesse Hygienalia+Pulire wird vom 12.–14. November im spanischen Madrid stattfinden.

trade visitors, placing particular emphasis on business meetings, creating spaces for networking and generating new business opportunities for all those attending.”

Alongside the exhibition will be a programme of conferences and round table discussions organised by some of the sector’s trade associations.

There will also be a national window cleaning competition.

• La fiera del settore del cleaning spagnolo Hygienalia+Pulire si terrà dal 12 al 14 novembre a Madrid.

NEWS Cleaning staff need better protection, says EU-OHSA Cleaning businesses need to do more to reduce workers’ risk of exposure to dangerous substances, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OHSA) has urged.

Around four million people are employed by cleaning organisations across Europe and many come into close contact with dangerous substances every day, the agency said.

Risks arise from the use of potent chemicals in cleaning agents, the substances being cleaned - especially dust, soot and mould - and chemical reactions caused by applying cleaning agents to substances or using them with other products.

Many cleaning agents include

fragrances or perfumes which can cause allergic reactions.

It advised cleaning companies to record the products being used and to conduct a workplace risk assessment considering the type, intensity, length and frequency or potential exposure to each product.

Procedures in place Comprehensive procedures should also be put in place to manage, identify and safely dispose of chemicals being used and companies should substitute as many “dangerous” substances as possible.

“Where dangerous substances cannot be eliminated or substituted, employers should

• Les agents de nettoyage devraient être mieux protégés contre les substances dangereuses, a déclaré l’Agence européenne pour la sécurité et a santé au travail.

ensure that substances are used and diluted as per the manufacturer’s instructions and that they are not mixed with other products. They should also consult and inform workers and ensure that cleaning work is supervised and carried out in a well-ventilated space,” the agency said.

• Die Europäische Agentur für Sicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz am Arbeitsplatz hat verlautbart, dass Reinigungspersonal einen besseren Schutz gegen gefährliche Substanzen benötigt.

Other recommendations included ensuring staff are provided with personal protective equipment and work clothing; offering training on safe working practices; drawing up a skin protection plan and monitoring the health of workers who use potent cleaning products.

• L’agenzia europea per la salute e sicurezza sul posto di lavoro (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work) ha dichiarato che il personale addetto alle pulizie necessita di maggiore protezione contro le sostanze pericolose.

October 2019 | ECJ | 5

NEWS Premier League clubs under fire

Street cleaners face attack

Premier League football clubs in the UK have been urged to pay all staff above the minimum wage after spending €1.6 billion on players.

Many cleaners, security guards, caterers and other staff do not earn enough money to cover the cost of living, the charity Citizens UK said. In fact only four out of 20 of the clubs are accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

Street cleaners operating in three areas of Madrid are receiving protection from the municipal police after a spate of attacks by local thugs.

Cleaners have recently complained of being shot at with pellets, had eggs thrown at them and receiving verbal and physical abuse in some areas of the city.

The neighbourhoods of Villaverde, Carabanchel and Latina are considered among locals to be the most dangerous in Madrid with local gangs accused of making residents’ lives a misery. Municipal workers such as social service officials, firefighters, emergency doctors

Some have made the pledge Everton, Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham have all made the pledge - while some football clubs outside the top league, such as Luton, also pay the

voluntary rate.

Premier League clubs made a record combined revenue of €5.4 billion in the 2017-18 season.

Citizens UK said a new football season had started with employees “left on the breadline” which was “not right when clubs are splashing out record fees on players”.

• Au Royaume-Uni, les clubs de football de la Premier Ligue ont été exhortés à rémunérer leurs agents de nettoyage à un taux supérieur au salaire minimum.

• Des balayeurs de rue affectés à trois zones de Madrid sont désormais protégés par la police municipale après avoir subi une vague d’attaques de la part de voyous de quartier.

6 | October 2019 | ECJ

• Fußballclubs in der britischen Premier League wurden dazu aufgefordert, dass die Bezahlung aller Reinigungskräfte den Mindestlohn übersteigen sollte.

• Straßenreinigungsmitarbeiter, die in drei Gebieten von Madrid tätig sind, erhalten nach einer Reihe von Angriffen durch lokale Schläger Schutz von der Stadtpolizei.

and cleaning staff have all reported coming under attack when attending incidents or performing their duties.

Last year alone, the Alto de San Isidro and Pan Bendito areas of Carabanchel reported 1,170 incidents in which perpetrators were detained. On one occasion a leaf blower was stolen and had to be retrieved by police officers.

Madrid’s municipal police have now started to accompany street cleaners as they go about their duties to protect them.

Street cleaners often operate alone, at night or in the early hours and are frequently the target of abuse as a result, particularly in urban areas.

• Nel Regno Unito, i club di calcio della Premier League sono stati esortati a pagare tutto il personale addetto alle pulizie un salario superiore alla retribuzione minima.

• Gli addetti alle pulizie delle strade che operano in tre aree di Madrid ricevono ora protezione dalla pulizia municipale in seguito a una serie di attacchi da parte di delinquenti locali.

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NEWS Thank Your Cleaner Day

Can cleaning kill C.diff?

Latest research suggests that Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) persisted on a variety of surfaces even after appropriate decontamination procedures.

Lovleen Tina Joshi PhD of Plymouth University in the UK and colleagues compiled the report - writing in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. C.diff spores were found on hospital surgical gowns as well as on stainless steel and vinyl flooring, after recommended treatment with disinfectant.

“The spores of the bacteria were able to grow after decontamination. This shows that spores are becoming resistant and we need to reconsider how we decontaminate and employ hygiene measures in hospitals,” Joshi said.

Joshi and colleagues found

C.diff spores were able to both “transfer and adhere to polypropylene spun gowns after being spiked in a liquid medium”. Joshi noted that as the number of spores did not increase during contact time (10 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute, five minutes, 10 minutes), the transfer of spores likely occurred within the first 10 seconds.

This was designed to assess the potential for transmission to patients, by mimicking transfer of infectious bodily fluid in the clinical setting, the team said.

Joshi said the work should help to inform future guidelines on infection control and biocides, and can be applied to hospitals anywhere in the world.

“It may be prudent to reconsider how much biocide we use currently, and to ensure infection control is standardised,” she concluded.

• D’après de récentes recherches, il se peut que Clostridium difficile (C.diff) ne soit pas éliminé entièrement de différentes surfaces à la suite de l’application de procédures de décontamination approriées.

• Le 16 octobre a été la Journée officielle Remerciez votre agent de nettoyage dans 20 pays du monde.

8 | October 2019 | ECJ

Those of us who work in the professional cleaning sector know it is one of the most important industries in the world. And every day millions of dedicated cleaning staff work around the clock to ensure our working and living environments are clean, safe and hygienic.

Thank Your Cleaner Day on October 16 was an ideal opportunity to bring cleaning staff into the spotlight and acknowledge their dedication.

More than 20 countries from around the world took part in

• Neueste Forschungsergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) auf verschiedenen Oberflächen auch nach entsprechenden Dekontaminierungsverfahren fortbesteht.

• Der 16. Oktober war offiziell der „Thank Your Cleaner Day“ in 20 Ländern rund um die Welt.

the initiative started by Kärcher in 2015.

There is virtually no limit to the creativity of the companies who take part in Thank Your Cleaner Day. From joint breakfasts to barbecues or cakes, the feedback from building service contractors, their employees and customers is really positive - with many using the day as the foundation to build reward, recognition and staff development programmes.

Visit www.thankyour cleanerday.com to find out more.

• Le ricerche più recenti suggeriscono che il Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) permane su una varietà di superfici anche dopo che sono state effettuate delle appropriate procedure di decontaminazione.

• Il 16 di ottobre è stato il giorno ufficiale di “Thank Your Cleaner Day” (ringrazia il tuo addetto alle pulizie) in 20 nazioni del mondo.

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NEWS EU employers’ associations seek to improve skills matching EFCI - the Brussels-based organisation representing the cleaning and facility services sector at EU level - has joined with other European employers’ associations to publish a joint statement under the title ‘Reducing labour shortages by improving skills matching’.

An initiative of BusinessEurope, the statement invites policy makers and social partners to take concrete actions in order to reduce labour shortages by improving skills matching across European Member States.

The statement explains that growing skills mismatches and labour force shortages are a

reality in a majority of Member States. If left unaddressed, this worrying trend will have a negative impact on innovation and productivity. The joint statement has been sent to the European Commission and to members of the European Parliament, and is being promoted via social media.

The statement says: “Around 13 million new jobs have been created since 2014, but many vacancies are left unfilled and many employers are facing difficulties finding the people with the skills they need.

“It can also be noted that the unemployment rate remains very high - around 10 per cent

• L’EFCI, l’organisation représentant les services de propreté au niveau de l’UE, a publié une déclaration conjointe avec d’autres organisations patronales dans laquelle elle appelle à une réduction des pénuries de main-d’oeuvre par une meilleure adéquation des compétences.

10 | October 2019 | ECJ

and above in some Member States. This recent trend has exacerbated the pre-existing structural labour market challenges caused by population ageing, and skills provision that is not sufficiently connected with labour market needs.

Overall, skills mismatches are the major determinants of labour shortages.”

It continues: “Not only is there the emergence of new jobs that require new skills, but existing jobs are profoundly transformed, with some tasks disappearing and some new tasks being added. Additionally, a key challenge across sectors and different work levels is the lack

* EFCI, die Organisation, die die Reinigungsbranchen auf EU-Ebene repräsentiert, hat mit anderen Arbeitgeberverbänden eine gemeinsamen Erklärung veröffentlicht. Sie trägt den Titel „Reducing labour shortages by improving skills matching“ (Verringern des Arbeitskräftemangels durch verbesserten Abgleich von Qualifikationen).

of basic digital skills.

“Achieving a better link between skills training and innovation is also key to ensuring that European companies have the competitive advantage they need to attract customers and grow.

“Another important challenge is to foster increasing employment participation levels of women and to simultaneously achieve a more balanced representation of men and women across fields of education, occupations and sectors.”

So employers are calling on policy makers and social partners at EU and national level to work together to tackle the situation.

• EFCI, l’organizzazione che rappresenta i servizi di pulizia a livello europeo, ha pubblicato la dichiarazione congiunta con le associazioni di altri datori di lavoro a titolo ‘Ridurre la carenza di manodopera combaciando meglio le competenze’.

EFCI NEWS EFCI news - how have cleaning companies evolved over time?

In June 2019 the EFCI published its Trend Report. The European Cleaning Industry 1995-2016.

This statistical work presents a great deal of information about the cleaning companies in Europe and their evolution throughout the past 20 years.

The report builds on the past editions of the EFCI survey published regularly since 1987 and on Eurostat’s most recent data. By using and sharing this report, the EFCI intends to promote the industry and enhance the sector’s competitiveness and image.

In this article, and based on the conclusions of the report, we will analyse what are the main characteristics of cleaning companies and how they have evolved over time.

Number of cleaning companies In 2016, the total number of cleaning companies exceeded 277,000. This number more than doubled over the last 20 years, representing an average increase of 8,000 companies per year in Europe. Despite the decrease following the global crisis, the number of companies still grew with annual rates higher than three per cent.

The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) represent 98 per cent of the market (when excluding the selfemployed). The growth in terms of companies’ numbers has been mainly driven by the significant increase of microbusinesses with between two and nine employees: in 2016, almost three out of four companies had indeed less than 10 employees.

Cleaning companies’ turnover Overall, the total cleaning industry turnover tripled during the last 20 years to €107 billion

in 2016. Companies with more than 250 employees generate 48 per cent of the total turnover whereas the other half was produced by SMEs. On the other hand, the turnover generated by companies between two and nine employees decreased

slightly from 16 per cent to 13 per cent of the total turnover.

Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK accounted for 69 per cent of the industry’s turnover in 2016.

EFCI’s Trend Report is available at www.efci.eu/wp-content/

uploads/flipbooks/1/. Email: secretariat@efci.eu. Specific information about turnover evolution is available pages 15, 16, 18, 21 and 24.

• More news from the EFCI Trend Report in the November edition.

The winners of the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 were announced at a gala dinner in London recently. News and photographs from the awards ceremony will be in November ECJ

L’EFCI (European Cleaning & Facility Services Industry) a récemment publié un rapport de tendance sous le titre The European Cleaning Industry 1995-2016 (Le secteur européen du nettoyage 1995-2016). Ce document rassemble les données les plus récentes d’Eurostat et s’appuie sur les enquêtes que l’EFCI a menées par le passé.

EFCI (European Cleaning & Facility Services Industry) veröffentlichte vor Kurzem einen Trendbericht unter dem Titel „The European Cleaning Industry 1995– 2016“. In diesem Dokument werden die neuesten Daten von Eurostat erfasst, und es stützt sich auf historische EFCI-Umfragen.

EFCI (European Cleaning & Facility Services Industry) ha pubblicato di recente un rapporto sulle tendenze intitolato The European Cleaning Industry 19952016. Questo documento raccoglie i dati più recenti di Eurostat e parte dai sondaggi storici di EFCI.

October 2019 | ECJ | 11

NEWS EXTRA Simplicity, ethics and sustainability in the 21st century Kanso is a new London-based cleaning services company with simplicity, ethics and sustainability at the core of its values. ECJ’s Michelle Marshall spoke to founder and managing director Chris Parkes, who believes these elements are essential for 21st century businesses to prosper.

Kanso is a Zen principle meaning ‘simplicity’. Eliminate what doesn’t matter to make room for what does. It was around this principle that Chris Parkes developed his simple, uncluttered and transparent approach to starting a facilities management business at the beginning of this year.

“Simply, we allow our clients to thrive and be productive by creating clean and great environments that promote collaboration, engagement and wellbeing for all.”

Parkes has worked in the FM and contract cleaning sector for over 10 years, the last six of them exclusively in London. Prior to that he held a commission in the British Army for 10 years. When he was planning to start his own company he looked around at the other businesses in the sector and decided he wanted to do things differently.

Form partnerships “Many companies have very high overheads because they have been adding processes as they’ve grown, for example,” he explains. “I worked out that I could form partnerships with other specialists in FM services – waste management and pest control – and co-locate certain aspects of the business. Just one of the benefits of that approach has been fewer journeys by our vehicles, for example.”

Kanso offers daily office cleaning, window cleaning, specialist floor care, washroom services, pest management, waste management, consumables & supplies, maintenance and security.

It operates on a very simple model. “We deliver what we promise and we are transparent about our costs,” Parkes explains. “Our business is not about saving money. Our clients want to demonstrate to their staff that they care about their experience when they’re at work – they’re simply being ethical.

Certain sectors are price-driven of course but we can work around that too.

“We are flipping the traditional model on its head. We say to clients, ‘you tell us what your budget is and we will formulate a solution’.”

Kanso’s ethos is based on total transparency with its clients about its own costs too. “Our customers know everything,” continues Parkes. “If we have a better year than we predicted, we would ask our clients if they would like the profit reinvested into the contract or into social enterprise.

“Why can’t we be more open as an industry about costs, about making a living?” he asks.

The company has social enterprise at its core. “The fundamental principle on which Kanso is built is to create a vehicle that offers opportunities for people - that is 100 per cent ethical, agile, quick-moving, with low overheads. A longterm journey for people who may have been marginalised – ex-prisoners or the homeless for example.”

How do you get such a diverse group of people to do a good job to a deadline, to be engaged with their day-to-day work? Here Parkes’ military background serves him well. “If you treat people with respect,

Kanso, un mot japonais voulant dire la simplicité, est la dénomination adoptée par une entreprise de nettoyage de type nouveau, qui a été fondée à Londres au début de l’année.

12 | October 2019 | ECJ

• Chris Parkes

Reinvest profit they will go to the ends of the earth for you,” he says.

“This industry can truly change lives,” he believes. “Our cleaners are a range of different nationalities, as is typical of London. They have been through training and upskilling with us to give them relevant qualifications.

We value mutual respect and care for our workforce.”

“All our operatives have an interest in and a knowledge about the core business of the client they work for. They take ownership of our clients’ core values and that empowers them.”

Social media strategy A consolidation of the SME market within the cleaning sector is happening and the older generation – the people who founded many of the successful businesses – is now retiring. “Who are the new breed of managers?” he asks.

“We now need to have people in our industry who can meet the needs of the new generation of purchasers.”

Kanso, das japanische Wort für Einfachheit, ist der Name einer neuen Art von gewerblichem Reinigungsunternehmen, das Anfang des Jahres in London gegründet wurde.

By 2025 75 per cent of the workforce will be millennials and the workplace of the future will change. “Modern workspaces are more and more experiencedriven and hygiene solutions are increasingly health and hygiene focused. Clients are changing, the demographics are changing. Priorities are different – buyers now have a social conscience, they care about the environment.

“What is our industry doing to adapt?”

And now, he says, Kanso has more chance of getting a recommendation via social media from someone they don’t know than from a personal connection. “That makes a social media strategy vital. It’s absolutely essential to create engagement where your target clients are present.” Kanso plans to create video content for its YouTube channel, for example.

“Understand your client, engage them – we are in a service business after all,” Parkes concludes.

Kanso, la parola giapponese che significa semplicità, è il nome di un nuovo tipo di impresa di pulizia commerciale fondata a Londra all’inizio di quest’anno.

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UPDATE: FRANCE What do we know about cleaners?

A survey by the French Ministry of Labour shows that the industry set to recruit the most people over the next three years is cleaning. ECJ reporter Christian Bouzols tells us more.

It turns out from a recent survey by the French Ministry of Labour that the trade that’s going to recruit the most people these next three years is none other than that of an ordinary cleaner.

This forecast has to be seen in the context of the eight per cent of French wage earners who already work in the cleaning sector.

The most common profile of a cleaning worker, as established by the Ministry, is that of a 50-year-old woman without a degree and who, more often than not, comes from abroad.

In carrying out its survey, the Ministry wanted to know more about those 2.3 million people who, working discretely and sometimes invisibly, clean our offices, hospitals, schools and houses.

Rarely a calling The first thing that emerges from the survey is that cleaning is rarely seen as a calling. A high proportion of cleaning workers enter the sector after having been unemployed for some time. That’s because cleaning is a sector that hires people whatever their qualifications.

But personal fulfilment is not always achieved, as only 17 per cent of cleaners would be happy for their children to follow in their footsteps. That’s less than half of the proportion observed among French wage earners in general.

One reason for the tough working conditions is that cleaning is seen as repetitious and hard by nearly three-quarters

Une enquête par le ministère français du Travail montre que l’industrie qui recrutera le plus de monde ces trois prochaines années est celle de la propreté.

Notre correspondant Christian Bouzols en donne des précisions supplémentaires.

14 | October 2019 | ECJ

of the cleaners surveyed. To this must be added emotional considerations as about a third of cleaners deployed in company premises feel that they are ignored by the other workers.

That proportion is more than two times higher than that recorded among all other nonqualified workers.

Ignored This feeling is made worse by the unsocial hours that cleaners have to work, often on a parttime basis.

Eight cleaning jobs out of 10 are held by women generally.

But in company premises, the majority of cleaners are men.

The cleaning sector also employs twice as many immigrants than elsewhere because they hold about 20 per cent of all cleaning jobs. As indicated by the Ministry, this proportion has been on the increase since 2000.

Also noteworthy is the fact that these foreign cleaners are better educated than their French colleagues. Indeed, eight per cent of immigrants in the cleaning sector have a degree above the baccalauréat (the exam which concludes secondary schooling), as opposed to only five per cent of native cleaners.

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Aus einer Umfrage des französischen Arbeitsministeriums geht hervor, dass die Branche, die innerhalb der nächsten drei Jahre die meisten Menschen einstellen wird, die Reinigungsbranche ist.

ECJ-Reporter Christian Bouzols berichtet darüber.

Un sondaggio del Ministero del Lavoro francese rivela che il settore che prevede di assumere il maggior numero di persone nei prossimi tre anni è quello del cleaning. Ce ne parla il corrispondente di ECJ Christian Bouzols.

LATEST: DENMARK A workplace out of the ordinary Lotte Printz, ECJ’s correspondent in Denmark, reports from an inspiring business - The Laundry “It could be a cleaning company, a bicycle workshop or something else. The main thing is that each and every one can contribute and that we do things together,” Pia Stabell Hjort says.

She and Katrine Knudsen are social workers who worked in a residential care home for people with learning disabilities when they had the idea to start The Laundry. A “practice course for people with learning disabilities” as they call it – on their terms.

This workplace adapts to its employees, rather than the other way around.

“They have grown immensely.

And on a day like this when people have called in sick, they have re-organised and shared the tasks between them all by themselves,” Katrine Knudsen says when I visit.

Some have learned taking the bus on their own to work and to see the private and professional customers where they collect and deliver laundries. And with a helping hand or a little encouragement they manage the other tasks of a laundry on their own.

Some of them think it’s still a bit difficult, but being a contributing part of a workplace is important to the extraordinary employees of The Laundry, as well as meeting and chatting with the customers.

Having room for a cup of coffee and for chatting with Katrine, Pia and all the people from the local community who stop by are the most valued characteristics of a working day, its employees proclaim when gathered around a big, homely table while washing machines and tumble dryers are roaring in the back.

Raphael Bo Jensen can think of other gains as well: “I’ve learned a lot here. As a human being, too.

Today, I’m not afraid of talking in front of a large audience. My selfesteem has been strengthened.”

Que faire pour que des gens ayant des difficultés d’apprentissage puissent se sentir vraiment appréciés et s’épanouir sur le lieu de travail ? Lotte Printz, notre correspondante au Danemark, s’entretien sur cette question avec l’organisation The Laundry.

If the two initiators are asked to give a talk, they decline: “We all go together, or we don’t go at all,” Pia Stabell Hjort stresses.

With a traditional business mindset, it’s not necessarily easy to understand how this workplace works. And the local municipality officials actually deemed The Laundry ‘not viable’ when Katrine Knudsen and Pia Stabell Hjort first presented the idea to them.

Three years on, local authorities, municipality officials and organisations from around Denmark are beginning to see the point and are curious to learn.

Katrine Knudsen and Pia Stabell Hjort believe there’s lots of inspiration for local authorities, but do not think The Laundry could have been initiated by local authorities themselves. They do not want municipality funding to run the place either, because then expectations will have to be met.

They are well aware, though, that one ‘yes’ was needed to get The Laundry started – and that came from a housing organisation who gave them access to a community laundry room in a housing estate.

Since then it’s not just the people working in The Laundry that have grown. From humble beginnings in the community laundry room, The Laundry moved to larger premises in a former grocer’s shop in the area in March. Coffee is served when The Laundry is open and people from the neighbourhood come and go.

People who just like the atmosphere or would otherwise have felt lonely.

The Laundry does not consider itself a business, nor a social community. But it is certainly a workplace out of the ordinary and a good example of ‘civil disobedience’ as the local mayor recently called it.

Wie kann Menschen mit Lernbehinderungen das Gefühl vermittelt werden, dass sie ein wichtiges Gut sind und an einem Arbeitsplatz wachsen können? Lotte Printz, die ECJ-Korrespondentin in Dänemark, stellt The Laundry vor.

Come possono le persone con disturbi di apprendimento sentirsi delle valide risorse e crescere sul posto di lavoro? Dalla Danimarca, la corrispondente di ECJ Lotte Printz presenta The Laundry.

October 2019 | ECJ |15

LATEST: NETHERLANDS

LATEST: ITALY

Managing the experience

Plenty of job prospects

News from correspondent John Griep, director of the Dutch Association for Cleaning Research (VSR).

Anna Garbagna tells us about a new alliance in Italy’s professional cleaning sector.

Forget the objective measurement of fingermarks, dust particles and cleaning performance.

During the VSR’s recent event, the focus was on the staff’s subjective work experience. For example, temperature – a relatively small component in the workplace – has a considerable impact on workplace experience.

This was revealed in the Leesman Index, a method used to measure the effect of the physical work environment and related services, on workplace experience. “We are like radiologists, but not doctors,” explained Gideon van der Burg, managing director Benelux.

The index is a digital survey consisting of 90 questions.

These cover staff activities such as work requiring concentration or telephone calls, the physical work environment such as the office and noise level, the facility services such as cleaning, and the variation offered in the available workplaces. The purpose is to measure the impact of these factors on employees’ productivity and pride.

Two important questions: What is important to you? (for example, temperature) And how much (or little) does this support you in your activities? Employees give a score.

Seventy-seven per cent of employees consider temperature to be important, while only 30 per cent are happy with it.

The score says nothing about whether the temperature is at the best level in scientific terms, it relates only to the experience.

Using international data from 600,000 employees working in 4,000 buildings, the organisation has access to valuable information - which allows you to measure your business.

At VSR too, we have realised

There is a ‘new birth in the cleaning world: from ANIPConfindustria (National Association of Cleaning and Integrated Services Companies); ANID (National Pest Control Association); ASSOSISTEMA (Association Integrated Industrial System of Goods and Textile Services and Doctor Related); and UNIFerr (National Union of companies undertaking activities of cleaning and integrated services for the railways), comes Confindustria Servizi Hygiene, Cleaning & Facility Services, Labour Safety Solutions.

This important alliance was created within Confindustria by the union of four related associations which will perform this common role to promote a growing sector that involves huge numbers of workers.

Which makes it important in social and economic terms for the whole country.

John Griep, reporteur d’ECJ aux Pays-Bas, explique comment l’on cherche de plus en plus à faire connaître l’« expérience » de l’immeuble tout entier sur le lieu de travail.

for some time that scientific data alone is not the answer.

Even if you satisfy all the agreements as a cleaning provider, your client may still be unhappy.

As part of the ‘facilities and services’ component, the index shows almost 74 per cent of employees consider toilets to be important. Yet only 50 per cent are happy with them. And 75 per cent find cleaning important; 62 per cent are satisfied.

The index demonstrates a small component in what Leesman calls ‘the workplace ecosystem’ can be important and have a huge impact on your organisation’s index score.

“The real revolution is managing on an experience basis,” says Van der Burg. “In the past, adjustments were driven by the criteria occupancy, cost, real estate, FM, HR and IT. Yet there is one massive criterion above every one of these and that’s experience. If you make people prouder and more effective, you achieve more than with criteria lower down the scale.”

It appears there are 13 super drivers affecting the workplace experience. Such as general cleanliness, toilets, office and noise level. But also ‘learning from others’ and ‘relaxing and taking a break’.

“These components must be put at the top of every agenda,” in Leesman’s opinion.

An opportunity for cleaners. Of course it is important to respect your agreements, and ensure the toilet is hygienically clean and no dust is flying around.

However, satisfaction goes further than technical cleanliness! And this is also something you can influence. A smile, some input, an unexpected gesture; they cost nothing and they even make you happy too.

John Griep, der ECJKorrespondent für die Niederlande, berichtet über die Verschiebung des Schwerpunkts am Arbeitsplatz hin zu einem umfassenden „Gebäudeerlebnis“.

16 | October 2019 | ECJ

Dai Paesi Bassi, il corrispondente di ECJ John Griep ci informa su come l’attenzione sul posto di lavoro si sta spostando verso l’esperienza dell’intero edificio.

Highlighting services ANIP is the sector’s national association which represents and protects companies delivering cleaning and multiservices at national and EU level - and at political, institutional and trade union level. It is a founding member of EFCI, the panEuropean contract cleaning body based in Brussels.

This is an alliance which aims to highlight the integrated services sector in Italy, as explained by the new board with Lorenzo Mattioli from ANIPConfindustria as president and Marco Benedetti (ANID), Marco Marchetti (ASSOSISTEMA) and Pietro Auletta (UNIFerr) in the presidential council. Laura Giorgia Arpino (UNIFerr), Francesco Marrone (ANIP – Confindustria), Salvatore Taschetti (ANID), Fabio Luppino (ASSOSISEn Italie, une nouvelle alliance a été conclue entre un groupe d’associations et des organisations professionnelles liées au secteur de la propreté, rapporte Anna Garbagna.

TEMA) are in the general council while Matteo Nevi (ASSOSISTEMA) is director and Barbara Fiorucci (ANIP – Confindustria) is vice-director.

The association’s objectives are clear and multiple: to create synergy among its components: first of all to represent, protect, assist and support companies on the political and institutional level; to reinforce and increase identity and sense of belonging to the Italian industrial system represented by Confindustria; to encourage modernisation and streamlining of the industrial relations system; to increase competition within the sectors; to promote a culture of enterprise, respect for the law and compliance with rules, with particular attention to specific policies for development and growth of the services sector.

“This new federation represents an important step for the industrial service’s world, whose importance, now more then ever, must be brought to the attention of policy makers,” said Lorenzo Mattioli. “This new reality represents 565,915 operators, equivalent to over 41,000 companies with actual turnover of €2.7 billion.”

Such scale, Mattioli added, will have a greater weight in the Confindustria system, following the path indicated by the presidency of Vincenzo Boccia, ie, making Confindustria more representative. “We are the companies that guarantee wellbeing of citizens and the cleanliness of cities and workplaces: those ‘services for life’ making a country modern and safe.

“There is increased visibility of services in Italy: we are leaders in the economy and in the market.”

Anna Garbagna berichtet, dass in Italien ein neues Bündnis zwischen einer Gruppe von Verbänden und berufsständischen Einrichtungen in der Reinigungsbranche gebildet wurde.

Dall’Italia, la corrispondente Anna Garbagna ci informa su una nuova allenza creta di recente da un gruppo di associazioni e organizzazioni di categoria rilevanti per il settore del cleaning in Italia.

LATEST: UK Think outside the box Lynn Webster, ECJ correspondent in the UK, highlights issues surrounding sustainability.

As we approach the 2019 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards, one category, Best Practice in Sustainability is highlighted as the most discussed topic around.

Growing further into both our corporate and individual world it more and more impacts into our everyday lives.

There are six major conservation problems: ordinary decay, inadequate water management, damage from UV radiation, overgrown vegetation, incompatible conservation and restoration work from earlier generations, and visitors (tourists).

Exponential health, knowledge and standards of living improvements at a fast rate have come at a huge cost to the stability of the natural systems that sustain us. Examples present themselves through global warming likely to reach 1.5 degrees between 2030 and 2052 if it continues at its current rate. Evidence is emerging of the impact of climate change on our physical and mental health with air pollution links to respiratory disease and deteriorating mental health.

NHS area of concern The healthcare sector is a key area of concern; the NHS employs five per cent of the UK workforce, produces more carbon emissions than any other public sector organisation in Europe with a carbon footprint of 18 million tonnes of CO2 per annum (energy 22 per cent, travel 18 per cent procurement 60 per cent), 13 per cent of its carbon footprint is road travel; use of anaesthetic gases represents five per cent of acute hospitals CO2 emissions; respiratory inhalers represent 4.3 per cent of the sector’s carbon footprint. In the built environment therefore, facilities not only procure quality and effectiveness Lynn Webster, notre correspondant au Royaume-Uni, nous encourage à sortir des sentiers battus quand nous recherchons de bonnes pratiques en matière de durabilité.

but must consider the sustainability qualities of goods driving a circular economy of raw materials production, use, reuse and recycle.

One product example, nitrile gloves use has increased exponentially, often used when not required with confusion as to when they are needed. The NHS purchases three billion nitrile gloves per year, often single use, and they end up in landfill for perhaps 100 years...

Consider the support of procurement and distribution with their help considering solutions in terms of packaging. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Delivery models where small increases in minimum orders reduce shipping impact nationwide. How are your goods packaged? In plastic wrapping? In plastic containers? One recent suggestion was to replace plastic tape with a paper sustainable version.

Closer to home, consider the grocery shop. We are encouraged to retain and reuse our plastic carrier bags; retailers charging has changed our mindset but groceries used to be carried home in brown paper bags that were regular recycled into numerous other uses - remember covering school books in paper covers to protect them? A walk upstairs rather than on electrically powered escalators in every store or building; we didn’t jump into the huge gasguzzling 300 bhp machines to travel short distances; we washed reusable nappies, drying them outside with natural solar power and wind energy not by a machine commanding excessive use of energy.

Sustainability is not simply about producing glossy reports and impressing customers with business ethics. It demands a continuous and lifelong approach.

Die britische ECJKorrespondentin Lynn Webster ermutigt uns dazu, „um die Ecke zu decken“, wenn es um das beste Vorgehen bei Nachhaltigkeit geht.

La corrispondente

del Regno Unito Lynn Webster ci incoraggia a “pensare fuori dagli schemi” quando si tratta della migliore prassi di sostenibilità.

October 2019 | ECJ |17

Innovative Hygiene.

No microplastic, it‘s fantastic.

For abrasive hand soap HAGLEITNER uses chopped corncobs and shredded olive stones (both GMO-free)— as cosmetics made by HAGLEITNER are 100% free of microplastic ingredients in general.

HAGLEITNER cosmetics

www.hagleitner.com

WASHROOM DISPENSING

High-speed dispensing None of us wants to spend longer in the toilet than we need to. So how do manufacturers make their washroom dispensers quick to use, operate, clean and refill, asks Ann Laffeaty?

The main role of a washroom dispenser is to protect the soap or paper inside. But it has other functions too: it should enhance the look of the washroom and provide easy access to the products to speed up the user’s visit.

And this latter function is more important than we think – particularly at busy facilities, according to Essity’s commercial marketing director Anna Königson Koopmans.

“We recently surveyed 3,000 people across six countries about their experience of high-traffic washrooms and the results were clear: guests don’t want to be delayed or miss out on an event,” she said.

Washrooms at busy venues such as stadiums will inevitably experience traffic peaks - but they should still be quick and easy to use, said Königson Koopmans.

“This will maximise the number of people who practice proper hygiene and reduce the risk of visitors spreading illness,” she said. “And queues in the washroom will prevent guests from enjoying the venue and spending money on food and beverages.”

Intuitive dispensers will reduce the time spent by visitors on figuring out how to access the product, she said. “It is also important to ensure that soap and paper are always available and that dispensers are conducive to a good traffic flow.”

Ease of cleaning is also important, she says. “Dispensers with a smooth casing are easier to clean and if they can be topped up in use, this will further help to improve efficiency.”

Essity’s Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel is designed for high-traffic

venues and holds up to 2,100 towels. It can be topped up in use and delivers a towel in just three seconds which helps to speed up queues, according to Königson Koopmans.

Manual staff checks on dispensers are a waste of valuable cleaning time, she says.

“Refill indicators are a good option, and our data-driven Tork EasyCube system can significantly speed up dispenser maintenance because it enables staff to check on refill levels remotely via a smartphone or tablet.”

A fast and efficient washroom throughput is particularly important in high-traffic arenas, shopping centres, service stations and airports says Brightwell Dispensers marketing manager Nicole Mathes.

“A high volume of visitors will increase the waiting time – particularly when only a few cubicles and hand washing stations are available,” she said. “Public washroom visitors prefer to spend as little time as possible in the facilities so it is important that soap and paper dispensers are practical, easy to use, fully operational and stocked with a sufficient amount of product.”

Dispensers also need to be quick and easy to fill and maintain for the cleaner, she said. “Labour is a big factor in operational costs, so it is important to speed up cleaning,” she said. “And dispensers with smooth surfaces and no seams make cleaning so much quicker.”

Hygienic and efficient Brightwell dispensers are said to be easy to mount, refill and use. All lockable units can be opened with one key a nd have a viewing window so that cleaners can tell at a glance which dispensers need refilling.

Washroom units should be sufficiently hygienic and efficient to encourage visitors to use them, says Airdri marketing manager Trudi Osborne. “If facilities are slow or unreliable, users may look for an alternative - or more worryingly, not use them at all which will increase the risk of spreading bacteria,“ she said. “On the

other hand quick, easy-to-use and robust equipment will reduce queueing time and improve the user experience.”

Hand dryers need to be fast, reliable and deliver an effective dry at all times, she said. “An ‘out of order’ hand dryer is of no use to anyone.

“Half the battle with hand hygiene is getting people to use the facilities in the first place so it is vital to ensure that the washroom is as inviting and inclusive as possible. Making washroom systems quick and easy to use is the key to good hand hygiene.”

Dissatisfied customers The company’s latest high speed unit the Airdri Quantum is said to achieve a rapid hand dry. “The benefit of a hand dryer is that it doesn’t need constant replenishing - and when it comes to cleaning, a wipe across the surface is all that is needed,” says Osborne.

All dispensers should be easy to use and to handle, says Hagleitner’s junior washroom product manager Bernhard Binderitsch. “If there are problems with usability, the user might get upset which results in reduced customer satisfaction,” he said.

“And it is particularly important to speed up dispenser use in highly-frequented areas visited by large numbers of people during a short time frame such as sports stadiums at half time; motorway service stations and the washrooms of production facilities during shift changes.”

The high quality materials and smooth surfaces of Hagleitner dispensers make them easy to clean, he says. “An easy refill also saves time and money.” According to Binderitsch the new generation of Hagleitner XIBU dispensers can reduce labour time by up to 25 per cent and customer satisfaction by up to 30 per cent.

Hand washing and drying can prevent 80 per cent of infectious diseases according to senior hand hygiene product manager at CWS Fatima Rose.

“Despite this, many people still wash Continued page 22

October 2019 | ECJ | 21

WASHROOM DISPENSING High-speed dispensing (continued)

their hands too quickly and only 30 per cent of them use soap,” she said. “Hands that have been washed carelessly will spread germs - and this is the most important reason for developing quick and easy washroom solutions.”

Quick-to-use dispensers are particularly important at transport hubs, stadiums and schools, she said. “Schools should be given special attention because the washrooms here are often unappealing, the dispensers difficult to use and the facilities not installed with children’s needs in mind,” she said.

Refilling needs to be quick and seamless

October 2019 | ECJ | 22

in highly-frequented areas to avoid queues and prevent users from leaving without washing their hands, she said. “Simple refilling systems will allow the staff to focus on actual cleaning, while an intuitive dispenser will significantly reduce the need for training – which is particularly important in areas where the cleaning staff is frequently changing.”

The CWS cotton towel dispenser features a two-chamber system said to facilitate easy loading. All CWS dispensers are said to be easy to clean and maintain.

GOJO vice-president Chris Wakefield agrees a dispenser that is quick and easy to operate will facilitate good hygiene.

“The primary reason for installing easy-touse dispensers is to ensure a steady flow of washroom visitors to help to prevent queues,” he said. “And this actively encourages dispenser use because visitors are far more likely to abandon recommended hygiene practices if they have to wait.”

He says airports, motorway services, schools, shopping centres and healthcare facilities are all environments where washroom use needs to be fast and efficient. “Easy-to-use dispensers are essential in any facility that caters for a lot of

people at any given time,” he explained.

According to Wakefield, technology can play a huge role in speeding up dispenser use. “Touch-free dispenser technology has become increasingly popular and is welcomed by those visitors who are reluctant to touch dispensers and dryers that don’t look clean,” he said. GOJO offers two Smartlink apps that help ensure dispensers are well-stocked at all times, while the company’s Purell dispensers have flat, smooth surfaces that are said to be easy to clean.

Save time and money Easy-to-use products save time and money on training and support, says Vectair managing director Paul Wonnacott.

“There is also less risk of a product failing or breaking when someone is struggling to operate it,” he said.

“Time is precious to us all, so it’s important to think about time-savings when designing products. Our ethos is simple – the easier our products are to use, the more our customers will use them.”

According to Wonnacott, research shows that most technology users learn only four or five functions of any applica-

WASHROOM DISPENSING tion. “Lots of features may sound impressive, but manufacturers should stick to the basics if they want to avoid over-complicating themselves,” he said.

“If dispensers are too difficult to operate, queues will start forming and there’s a risk people will wash their hands in a hurry – and possibly not do so properly.” Vectair offers a range of air care products for use in hotel lobbies, offices and spas as well as in washrooms.

Less time spent in the washroom results in more time being productive in the workplace, according to Metsä Tissue managing director Mark Dewick.

“And visitors to entertainment venues won’t want to linger in the washroom if they’ve paid for the attraction – so any delay to use the soap, hand towel or air dryer will be a source of frustration,” he said. “People want to wash and dry their Comme nul ne souhaite passer plus de temps qu’il ne faut dans des toilettes collectives, il faut que leurs systèmes distributeurs fonctionnent rapidement et aisément. De plus, ceux-ci doivent être faciles à entretenir, recharger et nettoyer par le gestionnaire des installations, cela s’imposant pour garantir l’efficience des lieux.

hands and move on and if there’s a queue for either element, there’s a danger that they will simply miss it out.”

Metsä’s Katrin Inclusive range has been designed to be easy to use for everyone including children, the elderly, the visually impaired and the disabled. Dispensers include the Katrin XL and the Katrin System 800 for high-traffic environments such as stadiums and shopping centres.

Quick and easy to clean It is also important that dispensers are quick and easy to clean – particularly in the healthcare sector, says Dewick. “Infection control nurses tell us that the biggest issue for them is that devices should have a minimum number of nooks and crannies where dust and germs can hide,” he said.

“They should also look clean - whatever material they are made from.”

Niemand möchte mehr Zeit im Waschraum verbringen als notwendig, daher ist es wichtig, dass Waschraumspendersysteme schnell und einfach von Besuchern benutzt werden können. Sie sollten dem Personal jedoch auch eine schnelle Pflege, Befüllung und Reinigung ermöglichen, um die Waschraumeffizienz zu verbessern.

Ease of loading should be fundamental to any dispenser system, he said. “Katrin Inclusive dispensers are designed to be simple to refill and it is impossible to load our rolls the wrong way round,” he said.

“Staff will become frustrated if they can’t work out how to cope with refills and perhaps not do so properly which could result in either wasted product or poor hygiene.”

But despite the need for speed it is important to allow people to complete their washroom visit at their own pace, says Dewick. “A washroom visitor with a disability or someone with children or luggage in tow may take longer, so the key is efficiency rather than speed,” he said.

“And at the end of the day, the average user is not interested in preventing a queue themselves. They simply want to avoid being in one.”

Nessuno di noi vuole passare più del tempo dovuto nei bagni pubblici, quindi è importante che i sistemi di dispenser delle suddette toilette siano veloci e facili da usare per gli utenti. Ma dovrebbero anche permettere ai responsabili della manutenzione di pulirli e riempirli velocemente e inoltre migliorare l’efficienza delle sale da toilette.

October 2019 | ECJ | 23

PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSING

• Dudley Industries a lancé le système Modulo de lavage et de séchage des mains, qui s’installe dans une cabine derrière un miroir.

• DoctorClean a développé une nouvelle gamme de distributeurs sans contact de désinfectants pour les mains.

• Kennedy Hygiene a conçu l’ensemble de ses distributeurs en privilégiant l’aisance d’entretien et la satisfaction de l’utilisateur.

• Ophardt a introduit le Praesidio, un distributeur d’hygiène des mains pour espaces publics.

• Neu von Dudley Industries ist das Modulo-System, das Möglichkeiten zum Händewaschen und -trocknen in einem Schränkchen hinter einem Spiegel bietet.

• DoctorClean hat eine neue Produktreihe mit berührungslosen Spendern für Händedesinfektionsmittel entwickelt.

• Bei der Entwicklung aller Spender von Kennedy Hygiene lag der Schwerpunkt auf Benutzerfreundlichkeit und Benutzerzufriedenheit.

• Bei Praesidio von Ophardt handelt es sich um einen berührungslosen Handhygienespender für öffentliche Bereiche.

• Il nuovo prodotto della Dudley Industries è il sistema Modulo che offre le funzioni per lavare ed asciugare le mani da un armadietto dietro uno specchio.

• La DoctorClean ha sviluppato una nuova gamma di dispenser touch-free di disinfettante per le mani.

• La Kennedy Hygiene ha progettato tutti i suoi dispenser tenendo in considerazione la facilità di manutenzione e la soddisfazione dell’utente.

• Praesidio è il dispenser touchfree per l’igiene delle mani prodotto dalla Ophardt per l’uso nelle aree pubbliche.

24 | October 2019 | ECJ

Behind mirror New from Dudley Industries is a modular ‘behind the mirror’ hand hygiene solution called Modulo - a cabinet system said to offer a flexible and easy-toinstall system.

Modulo offers a choice of hand washing and drying options housed in a cabinet concealed behind a mirror. Simply choose the cabinet size, select the dispenser combination and choose the door type. Dudley Industries says each one can be positioned exactly where it’s needed.

The cabinets are available in widths of 600 mm and 1200 mm and customers can choose their dispenser combination from: soap dispenser, paper

towel dispenser, autocut paper towel dispenser and hand dryer.

Cabinet doors are available as a traditional mirror finish, however there is also a tinted glass option which reveals the dispensers through the glass.

Ease of servicing for the cleaning team has been considered throughout the design process, says Dudley Industries. www.dudleyindustries.com

No touching According to DoctorClean, hand hygiene compliance can be

influenced by visibility and accessibility of dispensers. The company has just launched its new touch-free sanitiser dispenser system, which it says is hygienic and convenient. www.doctorclean.com.cn

Sanitising Kennedy Hygiene’s sanitising range for toilets and urinals is designed to prevent malodours, extend the life of washroom ceramics and piping and provide optimum hygiene for the user.

Toilet seat sanitiser Seatsan Ellipse, for example, is available in automatic and manual version. It dispenses toilet seat sanitising foam that kills 99.99 per cent of bacteria found on toilet seats.

Scintilla is a simple dispenser for surface disinfection. The toilet seat wipes are accessed via a single-wipe dispensing aperture to minimise waste.

Activa is a programmable sanitiser that offers continuous protection against scale and bacteria build-up in and around urinals, toilet bowls and associated piping. Personalised

settings make it suitable for any location and there are optional fixing kits for different installation needs.

Bio-active is a sanitising fluid that works with Activa to neutralise malodour by preventing the formation of scale and controlling the growth of harmful bacteria. This solution has no chemical components - instead it features ‘friendly’ bacteria. kennedy-hygiene.com

Simple shape

Praesidio is a no-touch hand hygiene dispenser designed for use in public areas. This unit has been designed by Ophardt with simple geometric shapes to integrate into modern areas and be attractive to users.

The enclosed hygienic spray chamber and touchless dispensing is said to be intuitive and comfortable to use. The patented spray cone prevents aerosols from entering the lungs, and provides even distribution of alcohol-based hand rubs.

Thanks to the marine-style fill level window it’s easy for staff to ensure the unit is never empty, and Praesidio can be set up to work with EuroBottle standard bottles, or custom systems. www.ophardt.com

PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSING

Passive aircare Vectair Systems is launching V-Air SOLID Evolution – a new addition to its V-Air SOLID air freshener range. The new passive aircare refill is made up of two parts – an organic gel core, extracted from natural seaweed (carrageenan), and an outer cartridge made from EVA. Carrageenan is a powder extracted from red seaweed, often used in vegan and vegetarian products.

V-Air SOLID Evolution works by using just natural airflow, with the slatted design of the cartridge allowing for enhanced

air delivery – helping to disperse fragrance into spaces without batteries or fans. The seaweed gel core evaporates, leaving a greater surface area inside the EVA outer. This exposes an enhanced surface area of the refill for optimum fragrance performance.

The multi-phasing technology means fragrances diffuse at different rates, blending two complementary fragrances and key fragrance notes, which combats fragrance fatigue.

Without the need for batteries or mains power, the dispenser is suitable for hard-to-reach areas like lifts and corridors, as well as washrooms, changing rooms. www.vectairsystems.com

Grass fibres The new Herba eco dispenser line from Sapor is made with 75 per cent grass fibres and recycled plastic with a natural texture and a light grass scent.

The units are designed for use with bar soap to reduce water consumption. www.sapor.de

Deodorises From Unicorn Hygienics comes a range of washroom air fresheners and cleaners and deodorisers designed to combat and neutralise bacteria and unpleasant odours in toilets and urinals.

The Puresan works by releasing a cleaning solution in the toilet/urinal to combat and neutralise bacteria and unpleasant odours while the Sanair has dual functions as an air freshener, cleaner and deodoriser.

A wide range of fragrances is available, from citrus to floral. unicorn-hygienics.com

• Vectair Systems a lancé l’appareil V-Air Solid Evolution, une nouvelle adjonction à sa gamme d’assainisseurs d’air.

• Herba, la nouvelle gamme de distributeurs Herba est fabriquée en fibres de verre et matière plastique recyclée.

• Unicorn Hygienics propose des assainisseurs d’air, filtres à air et désodorisants sous forme de distributeurs.

• Vectair Systems stellt V-Air Solid Evolution vor, die neueste Ergänzung zur Produktreihe mit Lufterfrischern.

• Herba, die neue Spenderfamilie von Sapor, wird aus Grasfasern und Recyclingkunststoff hergestellt.

• Unicorn Hygienics produziert Lufterfrischer, Reinigungsmittel und deodorierende Mittel in Spendern für Waschräume.

• La Vectair Systems ha lanciato V-Air Solid Evolution, un nuovo prodotto per la sua gamma di deodoranti per ambienti.

• La nuova linea di dispenser Herba della Sapor è prodotta in fibra di erba e plastica riciclata.

• La Unicorn Hygienics produce essenze per sale da toilette, detergenti e deodoranti in dispenser.

October 2019 | ECJ | 25

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PRODUCTS: DISPENSING

Speeds up

Around 25 per cent of stadiumgoers avoid using the washrooms at such venues, according to an Essity survey.

Two out of five of respondents who had had a bad stadium washroom experience went on to complain about it to friends.

And a quarter admitted to regularly limiting the amount they eat and drink at a stadium to avoid having to use the toilet.

Through its Tork brand Essity offers a range of systems designed to speed up washroom use and prevent soap and paper run-outs in hightraffic washrooms.

Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel, for example, provides a solution for hightraffic washrooms because it is expressly designed to speed up hand drying. The unit serves more than 1,000 guests between refills – 600 more than other dispensers, it says – which means run-outs are never an issue, even in busy periods.

And the towels are dispensed in a continuous loop which means the unit will never jam and each towel may be withdrawn in just three seconds. This allows the washroom visitor to take a towel and move away.

The Tork SmartOne Toilet Roll System also speeds up washroom use because it dispenses one sheet at a time. This prevents over-use and reduces maintenance time required while also serving more visitors. www.tork.co.uk

High traffic Among Northwood’s North Shore washroom dispensers and consumables range is the high capacity 5,000 sheet, four roll Orbit toilet tissue dispenser.

This is designed for high traffic washrooms and those where

Next edition of ECJ - November - will feature hand hygiene supplies are checked only daily.

The transparent ABS plastic casing makes checking easy.

The units are lockable and minimise waste, as the next roll may only be accessed once the previous one is finished. And the paper products are drain-friendly to prevent blockages.

Also in the range are ultrahygienic, no-touch dispensing options and single-sheet presentation. All dispensers are said to be easy to clean. www.northwood.co.uk

• Essity, le fabricant Tork, propose des systèmes activant l’usage de toilettes collectives et prévenant l’épuisement de savon et de papier.

• Le système Northwood North Shore de distributeurs et consommables pour toilettes comprend des unités à papier hygiénique de grande contenance.

• Tork-Hersteller Essity bietet Systeme, die entwickelt wurden, um die Waschraumnutzung zu beschleunigen und das Ausgehen von Seife und Papier zu verhindern.

• Das Waschraumspender- und Verbrauchsmaterialiensystem North Shore von Northwood umfasst Toilettenpapiereinheiten mit großer Kapazität.

• La Essity, produttrice della marca Tork, propone sistemi progettati per velocizzare l’uso delle sale da toilette e previene che si esauriscano saponi e asciugamani.

• Il sistema dispenser di prodotti per sale da toilette North Shore della Northwood include delle unità di carta igienica ad alta capacità.

October 2019 | ECJ | 27

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability - the flip side Chemical products are often criticised people who claim that natural alternatives – or water alone – are more sustainable. And paper-based consumables also attract condemnation from those who fear for our forests. But are manufacturers of these products being judged unfairly, asks ECJ?

Sustainability is becoming more complicated all the time as we strive to strike a perfect balance between people, planet and profit.

Everything we produce and consume now comes under scrutiny. Was it made ethically, from responsibly-sourced materials and by well-paid adults? How far did the raw materials travel in order to reach the production site? And at the end of its life, is the product recyclable - and what effect will it ultimately have on the planet?

In the cleaning and hygiene sector it is the paper and chemical industries that are often singled out for criticism. For example, a widely-covered news story recently claimed toilet paper was becoming less sustainable all the time because a lower percentage of the world’s toilet tissue now comes from recycled paper. The article implied that it was our love of soft tissue products – along with the irresponsibility of paper manufacturers – that were combining to result in trees being felled to create virgin fibres.

But such statements are often misleading, says Essity’s communications director Reneé Remijnse. And they also miss the point. “When managed properly, trees are a great renewable resource which means paper from virgin fibre should not be not considered unsustainable,” she said. “It is easy to understand people’s concerns over paper-making since we all love forests and are aware of the critical role they play in the health of our planet.

“So it is incumbent on paper manu-

facturers, suppliers and environmental organisations to communicate the many benefits of responsible forestry such as active forest management and replanting.”

Essity uses both recycled fibres and fresh fibre from certified forests in its tissue products. When producing virgin fibres, the company uses mainly those parts of the tree that have been left behind from other purposes such as timber production. And the fibre used to make Tork products is said to come from responsibly-managed forests where replanting constantly takes place.

Essity’s clients have no problem with the fact that virgin fibres are used to make some of their products, according to Remijnse. “Our customers understand that products made from recycled fibre and fresh fibre are both sustainable options, and we work with them to help them find the best solution for them – one that aligns with their sustainability policy,” she said.

Entire lifecycle According to Remijnse it is important to consider the entire lifecycle of a product when assessing its sustainability. “And in any case, sustainability is not the only driver to decision-making - customers and end users also care about factors such as hygiene and ease of use,” she said. “And at the end of the day they will choose the product that best fits their needs.”

Recycled toilet paper may sound like a more sustainable option – but the picture is no longer clear-cut, says Metsä Tissue managing director Mark Dewick. “The fact is, it is becoming increasingly difficult to source paper for recycling because offices use less of it every year,” he says.

“Manufacturers are therefore obliged to produce more fresh fibre products in order to meet demand.”

Contrary to reports, this does not involve felling mature trees or clearing forests, he adds. “Our forests grow faster than they are being used and each harvested tree is replaced by four seedlings,” he said. “Every part of the tree is

utilised: around 60 per cent of it is employed to make sawn timber and wood products while only 25 per cent is turned into pulp. And the rest – the bark, branches and treetops – is used to make bioenergy products.”

Metsä currently uses a mixture of fresh, recycled and mixed fibres to cater for market needs. “However, we plan to increase our use of fresh fibres in future because we recognise the ongoing scarcity and quality issues relating to recycled fibres,” said Dewick.

Also often portrayed as an industry “bad guy” is the chemicals sector – though this is usually by manufacturers of natural or chemical-free alternatives. However, today’s stringent rules concerning the use of hazardous chemicals are making them safer all the time.

And the fact is, all cleaning systems have their merits and downsides according to Greenspeed marketing manager Floor Loos. “There are certainly times where alternatives to chemicals such as ionised water and high pressure systems can be an efficient way of cleaning,” she said. “However, high pressure systems cannot be used on all types of surfaces while ionised water is incapable of removing all types of dirt and soil.

“The big advantage of chemistry is its flexibility and the fact mixtures can be fine-tuned to deal with all types of dirt, surfaces and environments.”

She says today’s chemical manufacturers are increasingly expanding their scope from that of simply reducing their impact on the environment to fitting into a real circular economy.

“Many companies are investing heavily in improving the sustainability of their products and production processes,” she said. “I believe this has really changed the traditional image of chemical manufacturing as an unsustainable industry. It’s certainly the case in the cleaning sector.”

She claims the environmental impact of products is becoming an increasingly imContinued page 32

October 2019 | ECJ | 31

SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability - the flip side (continued) portant consideration for today’s customers. “In the cleaning industry, ecological products with environmental certification are the new norm – and there have been notable innovations to make them safer both for people and for the environment,” said Loos.

Greenspeed offers highly concentrated formulas that are said to reduce packaging waste by at least 20 per cent compared with conventional chemical products.

“We use green chemistry to create efficient cleaning products from natural ingredients and minerals,” said Loos. “These are sourced locally - preferably from renewable resources. And our cleaning agents are produced using renewable energy and have a minimal impact on the environment throughout their lifecycle while also being biodegradable.”

She says Greenspeed detergents contain neither harmful toxic substances nor volatile organic compounds. “This means they have a minimal impact on human health.”

Chemical companies are not generally portrayed as the cleaning industry’s “villain of the piece” as far as Kärcher’s head of detergents development Frank Ritscher is concerned.

Informed decision making “Our customers are very satisfied with our products and give us feedback to this effect,” he said. “Also, we only use cleaning agents that actually increase cleaning efficiency. Plus our cleaning agents are as biodegradable as toothpaste - and who cleans their teeth without toothpaste?”

He claims that cleaning with chemicals can often be the most sustainable solution available. “The more effective a cleaning technique happens to be with the aid of an environmentally compatible cleaning agent, the more water and energy you can save,” he points out.

Kärcher invests heavily in sustainability and continually revises its formulas and raw materials, replacing them with more sustainable alternatives when appropriate. According to Ritscher, cleaning solutions based on ionised water cannot compete with chemicals in terms of cleaning performance.

D’après des travaux de recherche, le papier hygiénique est devenu moins durable parce que les fabricants sont de moins en moins nombreux à utiliser des matériaux recyclés. Dans le même temps, des entreprises recourent à des tissus en coton pour remplacer le papier dans le dessein de protéger l’environnement. Cependant, peut-on avancer des arguments en défaveur de ces solutions prétendument durables ? Le recyclage est-il toujours la meilleure solution ? Nous cherchons à savoir si les prétentions de durabilité se justifient toujours, et si les solutions actuelles sont celles qui conviennent.

32 | October 2019 | ECJ

“Water-insoluble dirt such as grease and oil needs to be removed using surfaceactive substances and emulsifiers – and these can be of a natural origin,” he said.

Kärcher offers highly concentrated chemicals in 100 per cent recyclable packaging.

Diversey’s customers also understand how its products make their cleaning operations more efficient and sustainable, according to sustainability and CSR executive director Daniel Daggett.

However, he adds attitudes to the chemical industry tend to be mixed. “People may not want chemical cleaning products - but they do want sanitary places in which to live, work, operate and receive healthcare,” he said. “And they also want their food and drink to be safe. So people who understand the purpose of cleaning products don’t see us as the ‘bad guy’.“ According to Daggett, chemical products continue to evolve due to regulation, innovation and changing customer demand. “Bio-based products are gaining popularity for the real or perceived benefits they offer to people and the environment, while restricted substance lists continue to grow and target new chemicals that may have safety questions, data gaps or that might simply be wrongly associated with other substances of concern,” he said.

“Another trend in cleaning is a reduction in the use of chemicals due to the fact that tools, equipment and technology are making cleaning processes more efficient.

The amount of product required to clean today is lower than it was in the past and this trend will continue driven by financial,

social and environmental factors.”

So paper and chemical companies fully understand the perception of their products by some sections of society.

And if anything this is prompting them to work even harder to come up with new sustainable solutions and to reduce the environmental footprint of their products and processes.

For example, Essity recently announced a major investment in a pulping facility in Germany that will enable tissue products to be made from wheat straw. “This process uses significantly less water and energy than when using certified fresh wood fibre and turns an unused agricultural by-product into a new tissue fibre source,” said the company’s Renee Remijnse.

Essity is also reducing the amount of waste produced from paper towels via Tork PaperCircle, a scheme that transports customers’ used towels to local mill and recycles them into new products.

Meanwhile, Metsä is developing its mills to enable them to use even more advanced technologies to manufacture fresh fibre products. The company is committed to ensuring that its mills are all fossil-free by 2030.

And Diversey uses a sustainability scorecard for all its products to identify additional ways in which environmental stewardship can be integrated.

“Every cleaning solution has an environmental footprint as well as a raft of safety, regulatory and cost issues that need to be taken into consideration,” said Daggett. “Customers simply need to be able to make an informed decision.”

Aus einer Untersuchung geht hervor, dass Toilettenpapier weniger nachhaltig wird, da weniger Unternehmen Recyclingmaterial verwenden. Unterdessen verwenden Unternehmen Baumwolltücher anstelle von Einwegartikeln aus Papier, um der Umwelt zu helfen. Aber gibt es irgendwelche Gegenargumente gegen diese so genannten nachhaltigen Lösungen? Ist Recycling immer die beste Lösung? Wir betrachten uns die Kehrseite der Nachhaltigkeitsbehauptungen, um herauszufinden, ob wir es richtig machen.

A quanto emerge da una ricerca, la carta igienica sta diventando meno sostenibile in quanto un numero sempre minore di imprese utilizza materiali riciclati.

Nel contempo, le imprese utilizzano panni in cotone al posto di panni monouso in carta per aiutare a preservare l’ambiente. Ma ci sono argomenti contrari alle cosiddette soluzioni sostenibili? Riciclare è sempre la soluzione migliore? Guardiamo dall’altro lato dei crediti di sostenibilità per scoprire se stiamo facendo la cosa giusta oppure no.

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PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABILITY

• Le spécialiste des solutions de nettoyage InnuScience s’emploie à utiliser des matières plastiques recyclables dans ses conditionnements.

• Le nouveau nettoyeur haute pression PW-E100 de la société IPC est composé à 90 pour cent d’éléments recyclables.

• Kärcher prévoit d’introduire des agents de nettoyage écologiques sous l’appellation eco!perform.

• Le bien-être, la circularité et le rendement maximum sont les trois axes de la politique Tork en matière de durabilité.

• Grâce à sa technologie sans eau, désignée Water Warrior, la société WhiffAway parvient à réduire à zéro la consommation d’eau de rinçage d’urinoirs.

• La gamme SURE de nettoyants Diversey contient des ingrédients végétaux et présente une biodégradabilité de 100 pour cent.

• Der Spezialist für Reinigungslösungen InnuScience legt jetzt den Schwerpunkt auf die Verwendung von recycelbarem Kunststoff in seiner Verpackung • Der neue Hochdruckreiniger PWE100 von IPC wir zu 90 Prozent aus recycelbaren Komponenten hergestellt.

• Kärcher wird umweltfreundliche Reinigungsmittel unter dem Namen eco!perform anbieten.

• Wohlbefinden, kreislaufwirtschaftlichen Bestrebungen und Mehr aus Weniger – dies sind die drei wichtigsten Schwerpunktbereiche der Nachhaltigkeitsrichtlinien bei Tork.

• Mit der wasserlosen Urinaltechnologie Water Warrior von WhiffAway wird der gegenwärtige Wasserverbrauch beim Spülen auf null reduziert.

• Die Produktfamilie SURE mit Reinigungslösungen von Diversey enthält Inhaltsstoffe auf Pflanzenbasis und ist vollständig biologisch abbaubar.

• La InnuScience, specializzata in soluzioni di pulizia, si sta concentrando sull’uso di plastica riciclata per le sue confezioni.

• La nuova idropulitrice ad alta pressione PW-E100 prodotta dalla IPC è prodotta per il 90 per cento con compenenti riciclabili.

• Kärcher propone dei detergenti compatibili con l’ambiente commercializzati con il marchio eco!perform.

• Benessere, circolarità e ottenere di più con meno – queste sono le tre aree principali di interesse per la politica di sostenibilità della Tork.

• La tecnologia per urinatoi senz’azqua Water Warrior della WhiffAway porta lo scarico dell’acqua del WC dai livelli attuali a zero.

• La linea di detergenti SURE della Diversey contiene ingredienti a base di piante ed è biodegradabile al 100 per cento.

October 2019 | ECJ | 34

Less plastic

Eco name Kärcher is to offer environmentally responsible cleaning agents for professional use under the name eco!perform. So far the line comprises products for building cleaning and vehicle washes that have been awarded international environmental certificates such as the EU Ecolabel or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

In the development of the eco!perform products, the company says the aim is to not only reduce environmental pollution, but at the same time comply with sustainable criteria throughout the entire product

Cleaning agent specialist InnuScience has prioritised plastic reduction by focusing on concentrates and using recyclable plastid and PostConsumer Recycled Plastic (PCR). The company insists on all its products possessing ultimate biodegradability of 99.99 per cent – according to OECD test 301 - and all cleaning solutions are Ecologo or Ecolabel certified.

InnuScience’s range of sustainable packaging comprises: recycled HDPE material; bio-based material; and PCR material. innuscience.com

Low on energy

Money saving

life cycle. So no substances that could be dangerous to health or environment are used in production. The fragrances and dyes used meet the standards of the international ecological certification, while containers also match requirements regarding weight, composition and recycling. eco!perform products are also economical in dosing, so only small amounts are necessary. www.karcher.com

Three targets

IPC’s new PW-E100 high pressure cleaner is made up of 90 per cent recyclable components and features electric heating for safe indoor use.

This machine also features MSC technology which reduces energy consumption and maintenance costs through a self-diagnostic system. Other features include DTS Delayed Total Stop system and Intelligent Proportional Switch Off (IPSF) which switches it off completely after a period of inactivity. www.ipcworldwide.com

ety, among them Tork PaperCircle, a recycling service for paper hand towels. This programme takes customers’ used paper towels to local recycling facilities and turns them into products such as toilet tissue and hand towels. The service is said to be capable of reducing a customer’s carbon footprint for hand towels by 40 per cent.

The Tork “more from less policy” is about supporting sustainable consumption and ensuring all Tork dispensers are designed to naturally reduce over-use and waste by giving out one sheet of paper or shot of soap at a time. www.tork.co.uk

Well-being, circularity and more from less – these are the three main focus areas of the Tork sustainability policy.

The latest Tork Sustainable Life Trend Report sets out the brand’s key ambitions. “We aim to raise hygiene standards for everyone while also improving well-being in the workplace,” says Essity’s communications director Reneé Remijnse. “We work on educating people on hand hygiene and trained more than 175,000 people last year.

“And by 2030 we want 60 per cent of all our innovations to be people-centric.”

Tork aims to design products and services for a circular soci-

WhiffAway Group says its Water Warrior waterless urinal technology takes water flushing from its current levels to zero, so environmental savings are achieved from day one. The systems require no harmful chemicals and less waste needs to be treated further downstream.

The system – which can be retrofitted – offers water savings as well as other embedded energy/carbon energy savings. www.whiffaway.com

Vegetal-based SURE is the range of vegetalbased cleaning solutions for kitchen, building and personal care from Diversey. These formulas are said to be 100 per cent biodegradable by natural processes as they contain plantbased ingredients and are free from artificial perfumes and dyes, quat, chlorine, phosphate and oxide compounds.

Ingredients are derived from renewable sources – by-products of the agro-food industry and originating from sugar beet, maize, straw bran, wheat bran and coconut. www.diversey.com

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Right up to the complete solution. www.kaercher.com

PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABILITY

• L’European Tissue Symposium ETS considère que les produits en papier offrent des solutions de nettoyage à la fois durables et hygiéniques.

• La technologie ec-H2O NanoClean de Tennant convertit de l’eau en liquide de nettoyage par réaction électrique.

• Les composants des chariots de nettoyage TTS Magic sont fabriqués à partir de polypropylène recyclé.

• Das European Tissue Symposium (ETS) sagt, dass Papierprodukte eine Reinigungslösung bieten, die sowohl nachhaltig als auch hygienisch ist.

• Bei der ec-H2O NanoCleanTechnologie von Tennant wird Wasser mittels Elektrizität in eine Reinigungslösung umgewandelt.

• Reinigungswagen von TTS Magic enthalten Komponenten aus recyceltem Polypropylen.

• L’associazione European Tissue Symposium (ETS) afferma che i prodotti in carta offrono una soluzione di pulizia sostenibile e igienica.

• La tecnologia ec-H2O NanoClean della Tennant traforma elettricamente l’acqua in una soluzione di pulizia.

• I carrelli TTS Magic sono dotati di componenti prodotti in polipropilene riciclato.

36 | October 2019 | ECJ

Endorsing paper

Magic trolley

The European Tissue Symposium (ETS), which is funded by hygienic paper producers, says paper offers a cleaning solution that is both sustainable and hygienic.

ETS endorses initiatives to ensure all products are made from legally sourced wood, and it also supports forest certification schemes that encourage third party verification or certification of compliance with sustainable forestry practices. The two leading forestry certification systems - PEFC and FSC – are reliable methods of ensuring fibres used in tissue production come from sustainable forests. europeantissue.com

Magic is the line of multipurpose trolleys from TTS designed to be functional, ergonomic and adaptable. Made from polypropylene, TTS says they are resistant, long-lasting and recyclable at end-of-life.

Not only that, several of the trolley’s components are manufactured using high percentages of recycled polypropylene, certified PSV - Plastic Second Life by the Institute for the Promotion of Recycling Plastics (IPPR). The company uses premium recycled polypropylene, the only one that allows the maintenance of the traditional colours unaltered.

The choice of raw materials can have environmental advantages, says TTS. Polypropylene is a low impact material that generates fewer CO2 emissions than aluminium, stainless steel and chromed iron, halving them further if it is recycled. www.ttsystem.com

Next generation Proprietary ec-H2O technology by Tennant Company is a cleaning technology introduced in 2008 and implemented in a

range of scrubber dryers.

Since then advances in nanobubble technology have led to ec-H2O NanoClean, the next generation of cleaning technologies.

The name NanoClean refers to the creation of nano-scale bubbles that are an important part of the cleaning mechanism, says Tennant. Like the original ec-H2O, ec-H2O NanoClean technology electrically converts water into a cleaning solution claimed to clean effectively, save money and reduce environmental impact compared to daily floor cleaning chemicals.

The converted water is created by an onboard e-cell that generates millions of microscopic bubbles - nanobubbles - per millilitre of solution. www.tennantco.com

PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABILITY Less impact In seeking to reduce the environmental impact of cleaning Filmop developed Equodose, a mechanical dosing device that enables the operator to soak ondemand only the mops required, directly on-site and at the correct dose for the task.

The dosing device, it says, re-

duces working time and the cost of preparing mops compared to other pre-soaking options.

And because Equodose only soaks the side of the mop that comes into contact with the floor, savings are made on cleaning solution. The system is mechanical - it requires no batteries - and is 100 per cent recyclable at end-of-life.

The device works in conjunction with Filmop microfibre mops whose production is completely fuelled by solar energy produced by the company’s photovoltaic system complex. www.filmop.com

Disinfect Lacto Des from Greenspeed is a ready-to-use disinfectant spray containing 100 per cent plant-based active ingredients and no irritants.

The formulation cleans and disinfects in seconds, killing 99.9

• L’Equodose de Filmop est un dispositif doseur utilisé sur ses systèmes de balayage humide et permettant l’imprégnation de la moppe sur demande.

• Lacto Des, le nouveau spray désinfectant de Greenspeed, est à base d’acide lactique et biodégradable.

per cent of bacteria in five minutes according to Greenspeed.

Free of hazard symbols, alcohol and bleach, it is based on lactic acid and fully biodegradable.

Lacto Des is also suitable for use in kitchens. www.greenspeed.eu

ECJ will publish a special supplement on sustainability in November

• Bei Equodose von Filmop handelt es sich um ein Dosiergerät zur Verwendung mit seinen Moppsystemen, mit dem das Einweichen von Mopps nach Bedarf möglich ist.

• Das neue Desinfektionsspray Lacto Des von Greenspeed wurde auf der Grundlage von Milchsäure entwickelt und ist vollständig biologisch abbaubar.

• Equodose della Filmop è un dosatore adatto per essere usato con i suoi sistemi mop che permette di impregnare il mop su richiesta.

• Lacto Des, il nuovo spray disinfettante della Greenspeed è a base di acido lattico ed è completamente biodegradabile.

October 2019 | ECJ | 37

MODERN SLAVERY

Act now to eradicate slavery While the scale of modern slavery in the UK has long been overlooked, since 2015 the Government’s increased focus on modern slavery in UK and beyond has rendered it essential that commercial organisations are seen to be treating modern slavery with the focus and gravity that it deserves. UK barrister Ben Douglas-Jones, QC, writes exclusively for ECJ.

While the scale of modern slavery in the UK has long been overlooked, since 2015 the Government’s increased focus on modern slavery in the UK and beyond has rendered it essential that commercial organisations are seen to be treating modern slavery with the focus and gravity that it deserves. This article explains why, with the stakes – both legal and reputational – higher than ever before, it is crucial that businesses take action to eradicate modern slavery in their own organisation and in their supply-chain.

The legislative framework In 2015 the UK Government took the long-overdue step of codifying the various pieces of legislation on modern slavery and human trafficking into a single statute, the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which established the following four modern slavery offences: i. Holding a person in slavery or servitude (section 1(1)(a) Modern Slavery Act 2015); ii. Requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour (section 1(1)(b) Modern Slavery Act 2015); iii. Human trafficking (section 2(1) Modern Slavery Act 2015); and iv. Committing any offence with the intent to commit a human trafficking offence (section 4(1) Modern Slavery

38 | September 2019 | ECJ

Act 2015).

In addition to the four substantive modern slavery offences, section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 also imposes an obligation upon certain companies to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement at the end of each financial year. Section 54 requires any commercial organisation which has a turnover of £36 million (€40 million) or more and that carries out business in the UK to publish a statement setting out the steps it has taken within the financial year to eradicate modern slavery both within its own organisation, and anywhere in its supply chain(s).

It is section 54 that has proved to be the focal point for commercial organisations.

Why the cleaning industry?

The scale of modern slavery in the UK is often grossly under-estimated. In 2014, the Home Office estimated that there were between 10,000 and 13,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has since then assessed the level of modern slavery within the UK as having consistently risen since then, with the NCA reporting a 36 per cent increase in victims referred to its National Referral Mechanism between 2017 and 2018. Moreover, labour exploitation accounts for a substantial proportion of modern slavery offences within the UK: 57 per cent of the 6,993 individuals identified through the National Referral Mechanism in 2018 were the victims of labour exploitation.

The cleaning industry in particular has been identified as high-risk area for modern slavery and human trafficking, with the Home Office’s 2017 Typology of Modern Slavery Offences identifying the cleaning industry as being rife with labour exploitation. A particularly common form of exploitation in the industry involves victims being brought into the UK, often from EEA countries, by offenders who then source the victims legitimate employment through agencies. However, the offenders retain control of the victims’

bank accounts, and while the victim may appear to be legitimately employed and earning a wage, in practice the victim is subjugated by the offender, who retains the majority – if not all – of the victim’s earnings.

It seems that the demographics of those employed in the cleaning industry render it particularly vulnerable to this sort of exploitation. In the UK, the cleaning industry employs over 70,000 people, with these employees working for approximately 40,300 organisations. Eighty-seven per cent of these organisations are micro-businesses who employ fewer than 10 people, and who will not fall within the duties imposed by section 54 of the Act. Those organisations within the cleaning sector who are obligated to file a slavery and human trafficking statement are typically large facilities management companies; these companies comprise only one per cent of the market but provide work to over half of all cleaning employees, often through sub-contracting or agency contracts. These arrangements provide limited oversight and scrutiny of working conditions, and therefore increase the risk of exploitation.

Finally, a large proportion of workers within the cleaning industry are also migrant workers (for example, 68 per cent of cleaners in London were born overseas).

These workers may be particularly vulnerable to exploitation as a result of their over dependence on employers, caused by factors such as debts accrued during migration or the pressure to remit income to family members in their country of origin.

The risks facing commercial organisations Modern Slavery Compliance Statements - As noted above, section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires large commercial organisations carrying out business within the UK to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement.

Understandably, section 54 has become

MODERN SLAVERY something of a focal point amongst companies in the cleaning industry when considering the issue of compliance and their obligations. However, from a compliance perspective, section 54 is something of a red herring. The obligations imposed under section 54 go no further than requiring the production of a statement, and section 54 imposes no obligation upon a company to actually take steps to reduce or eradicate modern slavery within its business or supply chain(s).

No power of enforcement Furthermore, there is no power of criminal enforcement for companies failing to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement. While a company which breached its duty under section 54 may be made subject to a civil injunction compelling it to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement (breach of which would amount to a contempt of court), there are myriad reasons why this would be very unlikely to occur in practice: i. A company’s breach of its section 54 obligations may not be readily obvious, as the Government has not introduced a central register where organisations have to file their Modern Slavery Compliance (in contrast to, say, Australia); and ii. It is unlikely that the Secretary of State would incur the costs of seeking injunctive relief simply to force publication of a short statement which may say that the company has taken little or no action.

Instead, the true significance of slavery and human trafficking statements flow from their commercial importance, and it is here that a company’s implemented anti-slavery and human trafficking policies become of great significance.

In the current climate (particularly with the cleaning industry having been identified as an industry in which modern slavery is particularly common), it is essential that companies are seen to be taking the issue seriously by taking proactive, proportionate steps to eradicate

modern slavery in its business and in its supply chain(s). A comprehensive, tailored set of policies and procedures designed to reduce and eradicate the risk of modern slavery, which is clearly documented in a section 54 statement, is often the best way of publicising a company’s stance on modern slavery.

Indeed, a comprehensive and detailed slavery and human trafficking statement which sets out a business’ policies and procedures will often be necessary to secure lucrative contracts with other organisations, even for companies with an annual turnover of less than £36 million (€40 million). This is because large commercial organisations will often be obliged to conduct due diligence on potential agents and sub-contractors to ascertain what steps they are taking to eradicate modern slavery in their supply chain as part of the contracting company’s own policies to eradicate modern slavery within their supply chain. Companies that do not appear to be treating modern slavery as a serious issue (either through the publication of inadequate slavery and human trafficking statements, or by failing to publish such a statement at all), risk being blackballed and missing out on these business opportunities. Indeed, it is for this reason that even those companies who are not mandated to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement (for example, because their annual turnover is less than £36 million), can reap significant advantages by implementing tailored, proportionate anti-slavery policies, and publishing the details of these policies in a slavery and human trafficking statement.

Substantive offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 A further risk that businesses ought to be alive to is the possibility that a company (or its directors) could, in principle, be prosecuted for encouraging or assisting a substantive offence under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by failing to implement proper anti-slavery policies

and procedures.

Under the terms of the Interpretation Act 1978, a ‘person’ is defined to include corporate bodies and, as such, a company can be charged with a modern slavery offence under section 1, 2 or 4 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 just as any individual can be. A company can be said to have the requisite mental element to commit an offence if someone of sufficient seniority within the company – for example, a director – has that mental element, which allows it to be imputed onto the company as a whole.

The circumstances in which an individual – or company – can be said to have encouraged or assisted an offence are detailed in the Serious Crime Act 2007, and are broad: 44.(1) A person commits an offence if (a) he does an act capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence; and (b) he intends to encourage or assist its commission.

(2) But he is not to be taken to have intended to encourage or assist the commission of an offence merely because such encouragement or assistance was a foreseeable consequence of his act.

45.(1) A person commits an offence if— (a) he does an act capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence; and (b) he believes (i) that the offence will be committed; and (ii) that his act will encourage or assist its commission Crucially, under section 47(8)(a) an ‘act’ includes ‘a failure to act’.

It must be said that it is unlikely that a business who failed to implement any procedures or policies to eradicate modern slavery would be prosecuted for an offence under section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007, as it would be difficult for the Crown to prove that they did so intending that a modern slavery offence be committed.

However, there is no reason in principle why a company or its directors could be charged with encouraging or assisting a modern slavery offence under section 45 of the Serious Crime Act 2007, if it could be proved that the director failed to implement any policies or procedures, and did so believing that a modern slavery offence would be committed and appreciating that the company’s failure to take any steps to rectify this would assist the commission of the offence. It is for this reason that it is particularly crucial companies do have in place proper policies Continued page 40

September 2019 | ECJ | 39

MODERN SLAVERY Act now to eradicate slavery (continued) and procedures to prevent slavery and human trafficking.

Future developments Finally, the direction of travel in this area of law suggests that the importance of compliance is only going to become more of an issue going forward, and it is essential that companies have in place proper policies and procedures from as early a stage as possible to ensure that they are not left behind the curve.

The present regime, in particular the absence of any criminal sanctions for companies who breach their section 54 obligations, has been criticised as being toothless, and it is likely that the legislation will be tightened in the near future. For example, the Modern Slavery

Le thème de l’esclavage moderne, qui a été longtemps négligé, fait aujourd’hui l’objet d’un intérêt grandissant de la part de gouvernements. Il est donc important que les organisations commerciales soient perçues comme agissant à l’égard de l’esclavage moderne avec le sérieux qui s’impose et ce, non seulement au sein de leurs propres établissements, mais également sur l’ensemble de leurs chaînes d’approvisionnement.

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(Transparency in Supply Chains) Bill (which is currently making its way through Parliament) has, among other things, proposed: i. Where applicable, mandating companies to explain why they have not taken any steps to eradicate modern slavery in their slavery and human trafficking statement; ii. Publication of a list detailing all commercial organisations required to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement; and iii. Disqualifying companies from being awarded public contracts if they have failed to produce a slavery and human trafficking statement as required.

The natural progression from all this may well be the creation of a new

Der Umfang der modernen Sklaverei wurde lange Zeit übersehen, doch Regierungen konzentrieren sich jetzt in zunehmendem Maße auf dieses Problem. Das bedeutet, dass es für kommerzielle Organisationen unverzichtbar ist, moderne Sklaverei sichtbar mit dem verdienten Ernst zu behandeln – und nicht nur in der eigenen Organisation, sondern in ihrer gesamten Lieferkette.

criminal offence penalising commercial organisations to take reasonable steps to prevent modern slavery within its business and within its supply chain, in much the same way that section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 punishes companies for failing to prevent bribery.

Conclusion Despite being overlooked for so long, modern slavery must now firmly be on every business’ agenda. It is essential, both now and going forward, that commercial organisations are alive to the devastating consequences that modern slavery has in the cleaning industry and take real, proportionate steps to eradicate it. The consequences for those who fail to do so could be huge.

La portata della moderna schiavitù è stata per molto tempo trascurata ma c’è ora un accresciuto incentrarsi sulla questione da parte dei governi. Questo significa che è essenziale che le organizzazioni commerciali vengano viste trattare la schiavitù moderna con la severità che merita, non solo all’interno della propria organizzazione ma attraverso tutta l’intera filiera.

CARE OF HARD FLOORS

How hard can it be?

The hard floor market is constantly evolving as manufacturers continually seek to develop new products – or repurpose old ones – to meet changing customer demands.

But how does this affect the floor cleaning challenge, asks Ann Laffeaty?

“This is particularly the case with natural stone because one needs to consider whether or not the floor should be impregnated with a cleaning solution – and that will depend on the surface structure. Another important consideration is the time likely to be required for the job in hand since this has to be weighed up when calculating costs.”

He says granolithic floors can be tricky to clean because they often incorporate acid-resistant granite. “However, the main component of such floor coverings is concrete, which is not acid-proof at all,” he adds.

Use the right products The most important attribute of any hard floor is that it should be – well, hard. A durable surface that can withstand the passage of many feet and heavy wheeled traffic is the basic requirement of most customers.

But clients are increasingly seeking to make a statement with their flooring choice. Some opt for new materials that offer a high gloss and create a good impression on guests, while others deliberately choose natural products to demonstrate their sustainability credentials.

Floor manufacturers are keeping pace with demand and supplying natural floors made from bamboo and cork as well as coming up with a whole raft of new products including laminates, vinyl, fine porcelain stoneware, travertine and granolithic.

But each of these floor surfaces has its own maintenance challenges, which means cleaning product and machinery manufacturers have their work cut out to keep pace with the change.

New types of floor coverings are coming on to the market practically every week, confirms application technology trainer and consultant for cleaning machine producer Hako, Klaus Serfezi. “Common materials tend to prevail but it is important that contract cleaners study the cleaning and maintenance instructions of all floors before setting out to work,” he said.

According to Serfezi, most hard floors are easy to clean provided the cleaner understands their composition. “Mistakes are often made when stoneware tiles are cleaned with detergents containing surfactants because these clog the microporous surface and seal in the dirt instead of removing it,” he said. “And one could then make matters worse by using wiping products or sealing the tiles.”

Conversely, he says that floors made from glazed or stoneware tiles or from granite are relatively easy to clean. “However, when using cleaning chemicals it is extremely important to dose them correctly because overdosing usually results in a layer of smudgy residue on the floor, which is not very pretty to look at,” he said.

Hako offers a range of scrubber dryers and vacuum sweepers along with a line of matching cleaning tools.

Non-slip surfaces probably pose the greatest cleaning challenge according to product manager for scrubbers at Kärcher Christian Mrowka. “Floors that incorporate tactile strips or that have a microporous structure are an issue because dirt collects in the structure and is difficult to remove,” he said.

“Level, smooth floors with no texture such as polished granite are among the easiest to clean. With regular maintenance cleaning these types of floors will retain their appearance without much effort.”

Vinyl sheet flooring, vinyl composition tile (VCT) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) are among the latest floor covering materials to have entered the market, says Mrowka.

“These are a challenge to clean because they are made up of a variety of different materials - and not every combination can be tested with regard to its cleaning requirements,” he said.

“However, issues such as these can be quickly tackled and cleaning systems may be developed in our application test centre.”

Kärcher offers a range of accessories such as exchangeable brush heads, suction lips/squeegees, roller brushes, discs, brushes, pads and microfibres plus cleaning agents. “Cleaning parameters such as contact pressure, speeds and suction power can be individually adjusted to the machines,” he said. ”There is no one universal solution that fits all requirements: it is all about weighing up the customer’s priorities.”

Fine porcelain stoneware and natural stone floorings are among the latest products to have come on to the market, says Filmop’s Italy area manager Jimmy Vardanega. “In both cases, a correctly treated smooth surface is easy to clean with microfibre mops, though some finishes and surface effects may highlight an imperfect clean,” he said.

Absorbent materials “Travertine and granolithic are both natural materials that tend to be very absorbent. This means you need to thoroughly wash the floor in order to dissolve the dirt but without leaving it too wet, particularly in the case of a polished finish. So the mop needs to be impregnated with the optimal dose of cleaning solution depending on the surface to be cleaned.”

He adds that lapped stoneware is among the most difficult type of surface to clean. “The dirt is hard to remove from a lapped surface and any residue from the cleaning solution may cause streaking,” he said. “Rough surfaces such as non-slip Continued page 42

October 2019 | ECJ | 41

CARE OF HARD FLOORS How hard can it be? (continued) stoneware and natural stone also pose problems since the roughness causes high friction which prevents the mop from gliding on the floor, compromising the cleaning performance.”

Natural stoneware, treated microcement and smooth stone surfaces with a wax finish are all easy to clean, he adds.

“The mop glides effortlessly over these, removing the dirt that always remains on the surface.”

Filmop is constantly developing new solutions to meet ever-changing needs, according to Vardanega. Products include Equodose, a mechanical dosing device that allows mops to be soaked on demand directly on site.

The type of floor in question has a substantial impact on the cleaning task according to IPC communications director Gabriella Bianco. “Travertine surfaces are particularly delicate, especially if these are external floors and exposed to rain,” she said. “They can be damaged over time and become a breeding ground for moss and lichens, losing their lustre and attracting permanent stains.

“And the cleaning of granolithic floors requires specific scrubber dryers equipped with advanced cleaning programmes and microfibre pads in order to achieve longlasting results.”

Particularly hard to maintain are the ultra-shiny floors found in shopping centres, gyms, hotels, airports and public areas, she said. “Scratches are far more evident on shiny floors since the bright surface brings these imperfections to everyone’s attention,” she said. “And scratches can easily be made by rubber shoes, heels, wheelchairs and prams.”

Concrete floors are probably the easiest to clean, she adds. “However, even these can be difficult to maintain if there’s no consistency in the cleaning operation because concrete floor substrates are easily stained.

“But generally speaking, all floors are difficult to clean and maintain if the operator fails to use the right tools. An ongoing maintenance programme plus appropriate machines are needed to keep the shine.”

Bamboo, cork and reclaimed materials are all becoming particularly popular with today’s environmentally conscious customers, she adds. “In fact naturallooking surfaces are now in greater demand than traditional wood flooring,“ said Bianco. “And laminate, vinyl and tile are also becoming increasingly popular – but again, an ongoing maintenance programme and appropriate tools are the magic words when it comes to cleaning and maintaining these new kinds of flooring.”

IPC Group has launched a new range of sweepers said to provide for an accurate collection of both light and heavy debris while also offering a high degree of dust control. The company also claims its CT 51 walk-behind scrubber dryer to be sufficiently versatile to cope with today’s floorcare challenges since its interchangeable brush heads allow it to become four machines in one.

New floor types come and go with many different materials and coatings being used to create hard floors, says Tennant product manager Stefan Sehmke. “Each of these requires a specific approach to cleaning,” he said.

Tennant scrubber dryers can be equipped with a range of scrub decks for use on smooth, rough or porous floors.

“These in turn can be equipped with a variety of brushes or pads, and each machine can be set to use the right amount of water and down pressure,” said Sehmke.

“Customers can also use our ec-H2O technology to scrub floors without the use of detergents. This prevents any residue being left behind on the surface which could lead to it becoming dull.”

Uneven floors and those with worn-out

For news of the winners of the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019, and photographs from the awards ceremony in London, visit the website at echawards.com

Les architectes et décorateurs d’intérieur ne cessent d’étendre leur offre de revêtements de sols, tels que le travertin et le granito, pour réaliser des aspects haut de gamme. Cela affectera-t-il les exigences de nettoyage ? Les fabricants de machines de nettoyage et les entreprises de propreté peinent-ils à traiter ces nouveaux revêtements, ou parviennent-ils à innover constamment afin de disposer des produits et systèmes appropriés ?

42 | October 2019 | ECJ

Architekten und Raumausstatter lassen sich immer wieder neue Bodenoberflächen einfallen, wie beispielsweise Travertin und Hartbetonestrich, um ein anspruchsvolles Aussehen zu erzielen. Aber welche Auswirkung hat dies auf die Aufgabe der Bodenreinigung? Rackern sich die Hersteller von Reinigungsmaschinen und Chemieunternehmen ab, um mit neuen Bodenmaterialien Schritt zu halten, oder führen Sie beständig Neuerungen ein, um sicherzustellen, dass sie über die richtigen Produkte und Systeme für die Aufgabe verfügen?

grouting or coatings are the most challenging to clean, he said. “There is a risk here that the scrubbing action will not be consistent and some of the water will not be picked up,” he said.

“Floors with no grouting should be easy to scrub but a lot depends on the type of debris, the cleaning cadence and the choice of equipment and tools.”

So, how do manufacturers manage to keep abreast of ever-changing flooring trends?

Tennant works closely with global suppliers of brushes, pads and other cleaning products and then tests its innovations on various floor types, says Stefan Sehmke.

“We are constantly improving and finetuning our machine designs,” he said.

“When offering a cleaning solution, our sales representatives always perform a detailed site survey. And when this introduces us to a new floor type, we connect with the flooring company to double-check on cleaning requirements.”

Hako carries out a site visit before a customer purchases a machine, says Klaus Serfezi. “One of our sales consultants will inspect the local conditions to ensure that the machine is equipped with the right kind of brushes or pads and that the appropriate cleaning chemicals will be used,” he said.

And Kärcher works closely with floor manufacturers and visits trade fairs to keep abreast of market developments, says Christian Mrowka. “This involves testing our accessories and cleaning agents on new floor coverings and adapting them accordingly,” he said.

“Our goal is to continuously improve our products in terms of efficiency and material protection, and in order to make it easier for users to care for their hard floors we compile care instructions for different surfaces.”

Kärcher also uses customer surveys and on-site visits to ensure its customers have the right products and systems for the task in hand. “This cooperation with floor covering manufacturers and customers benefits us greatly and helps us to ensure that we never lose sight of our users’ requirements,” said Mrowka.

Gli architetti e i designer creano in continuazione delle nuove tipologie di pavimenti tipo travertino e graniglia per creare un look esclusivo e di lusso. Ma che effetto hanno questi rivestimenti sulla sfida della pulizia dei pavimenti? I produttori di macchine per il lavaggio dei pavimenti e le imprese produttrici di detergenti chimici fanno fatica a mantenersi al passo con le nuove tipologie di pavimenti oppure si innovano in continuazione per assicurarsi di avere sempre i prodotti e i sistemi adeguati per il lavoro?

PRODUCTS: CARE OF HARD FLOORS

Diamond pads Twister by Diversey is a set of 13 colour-coded floor care pads made from recycled plastics impregnated with billions of microscopic diamonds on the working side. They are designed for use with scrubber dryers or rotary disc machines using water alone.

When embedded into a flexible pad diamonds have the ability to micro-polish any floor type and the pads are said to last three times longer than a standard version. The difference between the alternative colours is the

size or mix of the diamonds.

Depending on the diamond mix impregnated in the pad, various tasks can be performed.

Diversey claims the diamond pads reduce chemical usage by 100 per cent, floor pad costs by 66 per cent, and weight of consumables by 98 per cent (which also saves transport and handling) compared with traditional products. www.diversey.com

Easy clicks The Click’M C flat mop system has been designed by Greenspeed to combine userfriendliness and hygienic cleaning. Thanks to magnetic seals, the operator only needs to slip the frame into the pocket of the mop, press the handle down and the magnetic fastening immediately locks the mop into place.

After cleaning, the operator presses the green button with their foot to release the frame

• Le tampon de nettoyage de plancher Twister de Diversey est à 13 coloris codés, finement diamanté, et en matériaux recyclés.

• Greenspeed propose le système à tampon plat magnétique Click’M C, conçu pour un nettoyage confortable et efficace.

• La nettoyeuse à la vapeur ST 4000 de Mazzoni est capable de traiter des planchers de tous types.

and slide the used mop into the laundry bag without touching it.

Click’M C is comparable with various Greenspeed mops. www.greenspeed.eu

Steam machine The Mazzoni ST 4000 Vapor steam cleaning machine can be used with two lances to clean and sanitise any surface, including hard floors.

The unit is suitable for steam sterilisation (without water) or with water and steam for cleaning of materials. It uses just three litres of water, and the steam level is adjustable. www.e-mazzoni.it

• Twister von Diversey ist eine Produktreihe mit 13 farbcodierten recycelten Bodenpads, die mit mikroskopischen Diamanten beschichtet sind.

• Von Greenspeed ist das magnetische Flachmoppsystem Click’M C, das im Hinblick auf komfortables und wirkungsvolles Reinigen konzipiert wurde.

• Die Dampfreinigungsmaschine ST 4000 Vapor von Mazzoni kann zur Reinigung aller Bodenarten eingesetzt werden.

• Twister della Diversey è una gamma di 13 panni per i pavimenti prodotti con materiali riciclati e codificati per colore e impregnati con microscopici diamanti.

• Della Greenspeed è il sistema mop piatto e magnetico Click’M C, progettato per le pulizie efficienti e comode.

• La macchina a vapore ST 4000 Vapor della Mazzoni è adatta per la pulizia di tutte le tipologie di pavimenti.

October 2019 | ECJ | 43

PRODUCTS: CARE OF HARD FLOORS

• L’autolaveuse accompagnée BD 80/100 W Classic Bp de Kärcher se distingue par sa longue vie utile et son prix avantageux.

• Comac a relevé son autolaveuse autoportée C85-100 par l’installation de plusieurs accessoires de haute technologie.

• Les machines de nettoyage de sols durs Maxx Magic 2 et Maxx Indur2 de la société Ecolab se signalent par leur maniabilité et par leur rendement sur des sols étanches.

• L’Eclipse 225GP de la société Pioneer, une machine polyvalente de traitement de planchers durs, assure le polissage, le décapage, et l’enlèvement de revêtements sur des planchers de tous types.

• Pour les besoins exigeants de nettoyage sur des superficies étendues, Columbus a lancé l’autolaveuse ARA 100 BM 200.

• Les autolaveuses GIGA et TERA de RCM sont conçues pour économiser du temps et réaliser un nettoyage optimal.

• Die handgeführte Scheuersaugmaschine BD 80/100 W Classic Bp von Kärcher bietet eine lange Lebensdauer zu einem erschwinglichen Preis.

• Comac hat seine AufsitzScheuermaschine C85-100 mit einer Reihe neuer HightechZubehörteile aktualisiert.

• Die Hartboden-Reinigungsmittel Maxx Magic 2 und Maxx Indur2 von Ecolab bieten Benutzerfreundlichkeit und Effizienz auf wasserbeständigen Oberflächen.

• Die MehrzweckHartbodenmaschine Pioneer Eclipse 225GP kann zum Polieren, Reinigen und Entschichten auf allen Böden eingesetzt werden.

• Für schwierige, großflächige Reinigungsanwendungen hat Columbus die Scheuersaugmaschine ARA 100 BM 200 vorgestellt.

• Die Scheuersaugmaschinen GIGA und TERA von RCM wurden im Hinblick auf Zeitersparnis und optimale Reinigung entwickelt.

• La lavasciugatrice con operatore a terra BD 80/100 W Classic Bp prodotta dalla Kärcher vanta una lunga vita operativa e un prezzo economico.

• La Comac ha potenziato la sua lavasciuga pavimenti con operatore a bordo C85-100 dotandola di una serie di nuovi accessori hi-tech.

• Le macchine per il lavaggio dei pavimenti duri Maxx Magic 2 e Maxx Indur2 della Ecolab vantano facilità di utilizzo e efficienza sui pavimenti resistenti all’acqua.

• La macchina per il lavaggio dei pavimenti duri multifunzionale Pioneer Eclipse 225GP può essere utilizzata per lucidare, pulire a fondo e decerare tutte le tipologie di pavimenti.

• La Columbus ha lanciato la lavasciuga pavimenti ARA 100 BM 200 per i lavori di pulizia difficili su aree di grandi dimensioni.

• Le lavasciuga pavimenti GIGA e TERA prodotte dalla RCM sono progettate per risparmiare tempo ed ottenere il massimo della pulizia.

October 2019 | ECJ | 44

Aluminium Kärcher’s latest model in the Classic range of scrubber dryers is the walk-behind BD 80/100 W Classic Bp. This economical, battery-operated machine is designed to be robust and simple in operation.

Components are built to withstand wear and tear - the brush head and squeegee are made of aluminium which boasts a long service life. And contact pressure can be increased from 40 kg to 69 kg, which means the machine can be used for the de-coating of elastic floor coverings.

The only switch is the On/ Off button – all other settings are made manually. To ensure easy and quick orientation on the machine, all the operating elements are colour-coded and error in use is said to be practically impossible. A powerful battery enables uninterrupted cleaning for up to five hours. www.karcher.com

New features Comac’s C85-100 ride-on scrubber dryer has been updated with a number of new features such as touchscreen display, rear view camera, rear anti-collision sensor, light pack, spray gun and vacuum wand.

The company says a key element of the new design is making the operator more central in the process of interaction with the machine, enabling them to make best use of the various

functions with the objective of optimising time and cost.

With a volume of 180-225 litres the C85-100 is designed for use in large, challenging spaces such as warehouses, production sites, shopping centres and logistics hubs. The optional extras and accessories make it flexible and easy to configure according to application.

There are two versions. Essential has a streamlined look and offers all the features needed for cleaning operations focusing on performance. Bright, meanwhile, has a more elaborate appearance and boasts optimum performance combined with higher levels of technology. www.comac.it

powered by a two-speed, 1.1kW DC rectified motor to make it highly versatile.

The enclosed 9.5-litre solution tank does not spill when the operator is changing attachments, while the integral splash/dust skirt contains splash and assists in dust collection. And the machine drives a HydraShine diamond drive plate which uses a passive planetary system to provide a superior polish on concrete, terrazzo, and marble floors. www.pioneereclipse.com

Tough tasks

Super wetting Ecolab’s hard floor cleaners Maxx Magic 2 and Maxx Indur2 feature super wetting technology and are suitable for use on water resistant surfaces.

The surfactants reduce surface tension to allow the water and product to get into full contact with surfaces and into any gaps (grout, uneven or porous tiles) and lift the dirt away. Super wetting products increase the maintenance cleaning intervals, says Ecolab, and offer an optimum cleaning result especially on porous surfaces.

The company’s new Rasant Micro Scrub mop can be used for scrubbing and cleaning all in one. It is lightweight, machine washable and can be used with the Maxx Magic2 cleaner. www.ecolab.com

Many uses

The Pioneer Eclipse 225GP multi-purpose hard floor machine is used for polishing, stripping, and coating removal on virtually any hard surface floor, as well as sanding and coating removal on wooden floors. It uses a triple planetary gear drive system

For heavy duty cleaning applications over large floor areas Columbus has developed the ARA 100|BM 200 scrubber dryer.

Equipped with a 200-litre fresh water tank this ride-on features disc or cylindric brushes, adjustable brush pressure of up to 100 kg, all-wheel drive for gradients of up to 20 per cent, side broom, water and chemical dosing system, spray lance and protective roof. www.columbus-clean.com

Smart scrubbers Giga is a compact walk-behind scrubber dryer from RCM that is designed for high productivity on medium-sized floors. Available in two versions - 700 and 800 mm working width and with two roller or disc brushes - it is said to be quiet and safe in operation.

The integrated Go Green system reduces consumption of water, chemical and energy while the MY technology automatically calibrates parameters according to the application.

Tera, meanwhile, is a ride-on scrubber for use in large areas.

Thanks to Mytera technology the operator can programme the working parameters based on the condition of the floor.

All models have CAN-bus. www.rcm.it

BUSINESS: SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY

The meteoric rise of subscriptions

A business model forged centuries ago is morphing into a disruptive force that is changing how we pay for goods and services and challenging our long-held obsession with ownership. Hartley Milner explores the pros and cons of the burgeoning subscription economy.

When you get your next bank statement, tot up the amounts debited for subscription services. You may be horrified to discover you are paying out much more than you thought. But if it eases your pain, you are far from alone.

Most of us fall into the same trap, a study in the US found. Management consultant Waterstone took 2,500 consumers and asked them to make a quick guess at their “recurring monthly expenses associated with digital services, devices and subscription boxes”.

First responses averaged out at $79.74 per month.

People were then prompted with a few examples they may not have considered, including mobile data, Wi-Fi, Netflix, Spotify and iCloud, and asked to think again. This time, they came up with a figure of $111.61 a month. Finally, they were told to count up their actual

outgoings, and the amounts turned out to be on average $237.33 each month.

So it was shown people were paying three times what they initially thought.

Of the survey sample, 84 per cent grossly underestimated how much they spent on subscription services. Only six per cent were on the button with their guesstimate. The other 10 per cent actually overestimated their total monthly spending.

“We expected many people to underestimate what they spend each month, said managing director Dhaval Moogimane. “We knew from personal experience this was a trend. But we were amazed by just how much people underestimate their spend. We’re talking about hundreds of dollars…we did not see that coming!”

Ownership not important The subscription model is predicted to dominate how we pay for things during the next decade. Driving this meteoric rise is the canny repackaging of goods as services, marking the most profound reshaping of the model since its emergence as a means of distributing maps, books and periodicals back in the 17th century.

Software developer Adobe, looking to access a wider digital market, was the first to transform product sales into a service business. The move to a monthly subscription model offering software-as-a-service (SaaS) paid off for Adobe. At first only a handful of other software producers, such as Microsoft, followed suit. Since then, a profusion of usage-based business models have sprung up across a broad range of digital industries…the assumption being that ownership is no longer important to today’s clientele.

Now traditional producers, service providers and retailers in the physical world are increasingly seeing the benefits of switching to online periodic charging. Whether you listen to it (MP3s/ audiobooks), view it (TV/theatre/cinema), read it (newspapers/magazines), smell it (perfume/body fragrances), wear it (clothing/shoes), exercise in it (sport/gym clubs), eat or drink it (dining/groceries/ wine clubs), ride in it (taxis/buses) or drive it (motor vehicles) you can be sure it is either available on subscription now or will be very soon.

Car subscriptions services are the latest innovation tipped for rapid growth. They Continued page 46

October 2019 | ECJ | 45

BUSINESS: SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY The meteoric rise of subscriptions (continued) are being promoted as a hassle-free way to update our current vehicles and are available to fleet managers as well as individuals. Leading global players BMW, Audi, Volvo, Toyota, Mercedes, Volkswagen and even Porsche offer at least one of their models on pay-as-you-go, including hybrid and electric vehicles. The service is also offered for used vehicles by a growing number of dealers.

While a little more pricey than regular lease or monthly finance plans, car subscription contracts have a more flexible lock-in period and an array of benefits that may include breakdown cover, insurance, servicing and maintenance. On the other hand, the cars typically come with restrictions on their use, such as mileage limits, and some have on-board tracking devices that monitor their location and driver behaviour.

Rapid uptake The subscription economy grew by more than 300 per cent across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region during the past seven years. Subscription platform provider Zuora found that over 28 consecutive quarters, from January 1 2012 to December 31 2018, subscription businesses grew revenues five times faster than American S&P 500 equity companies and outperformed the US retail sector. Growth in Europe surpassed that of North America, with Asia-Pacific close behind.

In Europe, about five per cent of consumer spend is subscription-based, according to ING, the Dutch banking and financial services corporation. The bank found that consumers subscribe on average €130 each month for things such as video, music, sport or food…a total of €350 billion a year. ING thinks the amount households spend could grow by an additional €190 billion a year. The most rapid uptake was seen in the UK where an estimated 58 million people subscribed to services in 2018, around 90 per cent of the adult population.

“The subscription model clearly has advantages for consumers and businesses alike, otherwise it would not have seen its fortunes rise so dramatically in recent times,” small business adviser Rod Ingle told ECJ. “Make no mistake though, its Un modèle de gestion d’entreprise utilisé depuis des siècles est en train de se muer en une force perturbatrice tendant à transformer nos modes d’achat de biens et services et à entamer la priorité que nous accordions traditionnellement à la possession. Hartley Milner examine les avantages et les inconvénients de la nouvelle « économie de la souscription ».

46 | October 2019 | ECJ

growth is not primarily driven by consumer demand as subscription companies would have you believe…the impetus comes mainly from their quest to attract more stable revenue streams.

“Revenue streams from recurring subscriptions are generally greater and more consistent than for one-off purchases because subscribers have committed long-term to a particular product or service they regard as superior or better value for money.

This potentially puts a business at an advantage in its sector because it can afford to invest more to secure new customers and replace lost customers more quickly, which means it has potential to grow its client base faster.

“Companies that have made the switch to a subscription model, or added a recurring payments element to their offline offering, report seeing their revenue margins increase significantly, sometimes by 50 per cent or more. Future-proofing revenue and providing a clear picture of a company’s financial health adds value to the business and makes it a more attractive proposition for investors, and would-be buyers when the time comes to sell up.

“Every business knows the value of building good customer relationships.

After all, it is much easier to keep an existing client than find a new one. Since subscription customers will ideally be around for a long time, it is easier to get to know them and their needs in greater detail. Their feedback will reveal what they like about a product or service and where they feel it can be improved.

Seeking feedback shows the business has its customers’ interests at heart and this engenders loyalty and trust…and, hopefully, payback in terms of a little free word-of-mouth marketing.”

Weak conversion rates However, Ingle stressed that subscription enterprises need to work hard to acquire and then retain consumers. Conversion rates are weak… little over half of people who consider a service ultimately subscribe to one, showing reluctance to make a long-term commitment. But the greatest challenge is churn, the rate at which subscribers Ein vor Jahrhunderten entstandenes Geschäftsmodell verwandelt sich in eine Störkraft, die die Art und Weise, wie wir für Waren und Dienstleistungen zahlen, ändert und unsere langwährende Fixierung auf Eigentümerschaft herausfordert. Hartley Milner untersucht die Vorund Nachteile der aufkeimenden Abo-Ökonomie.

leave a business. Because subscription companies depend on long-term relationships with customers to provide predictable revenue growth, churn can undermine their viability. “The cost of replacing lost subscribers could not only make it difficult for an enterprise to meet its growth objectives but also quickly drain its cash reserves,” he added.

Reluctance to commit For consumers and small businesses, one of the biggest benefits of paying by subscription is convenience. Ingle explained: “It takes away the hassle of making purchasing decisions, running out of a product and re-ordering, and, in the case of software, paying for regular app updates and support services. With SaaS, the pay-as-you-go element ensures you do not pay for services you do not use. All these issues are covered under the contract.

“As subscription pricing is spread over a period of time, it can make a product or service seem more affordable. And as brands generate savings from the increased customer retention and revenue predictability, they can – if in a benevolent mood – pass those savings back to their loyal customers.

“The downside is that it is all too easy to be swept away by the convenience of it all. Too many people subscribe to a service and then let it ride, only to much later wake up to the fact that they are paying out more than they would for a one-time purchase, perhaps because they are not using the service as frequently as intended or they didn’t really need it in the first place. Or they simply couldn’t be bothered to cancel it. One of the appeals of subscriptions to corporations is that they are betting on high rates of inertia… that is, you being too lazy to cancel the subscription!

“Studies show that subscriptions are most popular with millennials in the 25 to 44 age range who have deep pockets.

For the rest of us with more shallow pockets, the prospect of more and more things being available only on subscription is daunting. Perhaps the lesson from subscription creep is that we all need to monitor our spending a little more assiduously.”

Un modello aziendale creato secoli fa si sta trasformando in una forza distruttiva che sta cambiando il modo in cui paghiamo per le merci e i servizi e sta sfidando la nostra ossessione di vecchia data della proprietà. Hartley Milner esplora i pro e i contro della dilagante economia della sottoscrizione.

CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS

Natural is best?

“Natural” cleaning products that are sold in concentrated formulas and packaged in refillable pouches have become a hot new trend in today’s environmentally-aware world.

But do professional chemical cleaning companies consider these to be a positive move or a threat, asks Ann Laffeaty?

Cleaning has suddenly become trendy – thanks in part to social media phenomenon Mrs Hinch who likes to share her household cleaning tips with the world over the internet.

At the same time, sustainability has also become a much more universal concern. The advent of groups such as Extinction Rebellion has brought this issue front-of-mind and forced us to confront the threats being posed to our planet by climate change.

It is against this background that a number of start-up companies have been coming up with niche ranges of ecofriendly cleaning products and promoting them via social media channels. Splosh, for example, offers householders a range of plant-based cleaning formulas along with washing-up liquids and laundry detergents. Customers are sent a reusable bottle along with refills of the highly concentrated products which are delivered in small pouches through the clients’ letter boxes.

The empty pouches are then returned to the company for reprocessing.

Splosh claims to have made a 97.5 per cent reduction in plastic waste through the scheme.

Also providing a postal service is Smol, a company that offers vegan-friendly dishwasher tablets and laundry

detergent capsules. Customers are targeted via Instagram and the products are sent out in boxes that are both recycled and recyclable.

And Instagram is also the main marketing platform for Yope, whose all-purpose cleaning products are available in bamboo, French lavender and green tea fragrances. Again, the products come in refillable containers in a bid to minimise packaging waste.

Domestic market ripe The domestic market appears to be ripe for these “natural” cleaning products that are described as both sustainable and environmentally friendly. And most would agree that the efforts being made to reduce the use of plastics and packaging associated with detergents are to be admired. But how are commercial chemical cleaning companies and contract cleaners reacting to the shift in focus? Do they consider the current trend towards sustainability to be a necessary move and the shape of things to come - or do they suspect that these new ethical companies are cynically riding the sustainability wave?

Greenspeed is aware of the recent advent of “natural” cleaning products that come in refillable pouches and are posted through customers’ letterboxes, says the company’s marketing supervisor for circular and sustainable cleaning Lies Marijnissen. “We have noticed this evolution and believe it could be interesting for e-commerce,” she said.

The company has noticed a marked increase demand for more sustainable solutions over the past few years, according to Marijnissen. “There is a growing awareness of the fact that our planet is not indestructible - nor are its assets inexhaustible,” she said.

“People are also recognising that we should be using the Earth’s natural resources more consciously and carefully.

And terms such as ‘resource scarcity’, ‘sustainability’ and “recycling” are becoming everyday influences on our lives.”

She adds that the EU Ecolabel is becoming the market standard for many products. “At Greenspeed we see this as a good evolution since it challenges us to innovate even more,” she said.

Greenspeed has always taken the ‘green’ approach, she adds. “it’s in the company’s DNA,” said Marijnissen. “Our cleaning agents have a minimal impact on the environment throughout their life cycle because they are biodegradable and produced in an ecological factory.”

Many of Greenspeed’s products hold the EU Ecolabel and Cradle to Cradle certificate and its detergent bottles are 100 per cent recyclable and made up of a mixture of recycled material and plastic produced from sugar cane.

Facilities services provider Facilicom UK agrees there has been a general increase in environmental concerns among the public – and also sees this as a positive trend. “We have remarked a significant increase in the number of clients asking for sustainable solutions in an attempt to do their bit for the environment,” says managing director Jan-Hein Hemke.

Consider the consequences “Protecting our planet is incredibly important and we are all responsible for taking steps towards a more ecofriendly existence, both personally and professionally. As a service provider we must consider the consequences of our practices and operations on the world, and within the cleaning sector we need to be aware of the damage that may be caused through carbon emissions.”

He claims Facilicom to be an industry leader in this regard. “We work closely with our sustainable solutions partner Ethical Nation to minimise our running costs and grow our positive environmental profile,” he said. “One way we do this is through our carbon neutral cleaning system, C2Zero. This calculates the precise carbon impact of every aspect of our service and by understanding and measuring this we are able to fully offset this impact Continued page 48

October 2019 | ECJ | 47

CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS Natural is best? (continued)

and return the whole cleaning process on site to a carbon neutral position.

“We want our operations to be completely carbon free, so we offer this service as part of our standard package for customers. This ensures that doing business with Facilicom is beneficial commercially, socially and environmentally.”

Facilicom is also committed to reducing the volume of chemicals used in its operations, he says. “We work with suppliers to develop chemical-free cleaning products and to reuse machinery and equipment to give them a longer life,” said Hemke. “We also minimise the quantity of waste we produce, thus lowering the amount sent to landfill or ending up in our oceans and waterways. We are a net zero carbon emitter and we also hold the neutralcarbonzone accreditation for our ‘measure, reduce and offset’ approach.”

Sustainability awareness within the cleaning industry is increasing all the time according to product manager of building care detergents at Kärcher Mark Rosenland.

“We support this development and are happy about society’s ever-growing attention to sustainability and to our ecological De jeunes entreprises s’emploient toujours plus à proposer aux consommateurs conscients d’écologie des produits de nettoyage « naturels », offerts en formules concentrées et livrés en sachets dans les boîtes aux lettres de clients. Aux yeux des entreprises de nettoyage professionnelles, qui utilisent des produits chimiques, ces produits naturels représentent-ils une menace ou seulement un gadget publicitaire ? Pensent-elles que les produits naturels sont aussi efficaces que les leurs ?

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footprint,” he said. “We also applaud the fact that there is increasing demand for these types of sustainable products from our customers. And we welcome the fact that decision makers – particularly those from the larger cleaning companies where image plays a key role - now require various sustainability certificates from their suppliers.”

Development potential He sees a great deal of potential in the consumer sector for individual shipping plus the automated resupply of certain goods. “You see this on websites such as Amazon with regard to products like contact lenses,” he said. “For the professional sector I see a potential for customers who require smaller deliveries of detergents.

But for customers with big sites that have a higher demand for detergents, we would suggest different solutions.”

Like Greenspeeed’s Lies Marijnissen, Rosenland has remarked a growing trend for eco-ranges to be delivered in pouches, tabs or powder packages for the consumer sector by detergent suppliers. “We also see benefits in these for the professional cleaning sector in terms of sustainability Jungunternehmen nehmen sich in zunehmendem Maße die umweltbewussten Verbraucher von heute zur Zielgruppe und bieten „natürliche“ Reinigungsprodukte, die in konzentrierter Form und in nachfüllbaren Beuteln durch die Briefkästen der Kunden geliefert werden. Halten professionelle chemische Reinigungsunternehmen dies für eine Bedrohung oder eine Werbemasche? Sind sie der Meinung, dass diese Produkte ebenso wirkungsvoll sind, wie diejenigen, die sie anbieten?

and efficiency,” he said. “However, ecoproducts are often perceived as expensive to buy so in order to increase the level of acceptance, it is important for suppliers to position these products as the new standard and to make them more competitive. That’s the only way the market will accept them.”

Kärcher offers environmentally friendly cleaning agents for professional use under the eco! Perform brand. These include building cleaning and vehicle washing products that hold international environmental certificates such as the EU Ecolabel or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

According to Rosenland, plenty of manufacturers in the professional cleaning sector are now offering their own ecoproducts in concentrated formats and in refillable containers.

“However, I think there has to be a change on both sides – both from the suppliers and the customers,” he said.

“Customers have to place more focus on environmentally friendly cleaning, and suppliers need to position such products as the standard. But it is a process that will take time – particularly in those markets that are the most price-sensitive.”

Le imprese start-up stanno puntando sempre di più sui consumatori eco-consapevoli del giorno d’oggi offrendo loro prodotti di pulizia “naturali” in formule concentrate e consegnate nelle cassette delle lettere dei clienti in buste che si possono riempire più volte.

Ma le imprese di detergenti chimici professionali considerano questa opzione una minaccia o una trovata commerciale? Considerano questi prodotti efficaci come quelli che offrono loro?

PRODUCTS: CHEMICALS

Probiotic cleaner

Probio is the range of probiotic cleaners launched by Greenspeed recently, which consist of benign micro-organisms of organic origin. These ‘good’ bacteria tackle organic dirt and odours and once the products have been used they re-enter the environment where they actively contribute to water purification and maintain a natural microbial balance.

Probiotics remove organic grime deep down in the surface says Greenspeed, ensuring a lifelong cleaning result. They are also capable of absorbing odour molecules and removing substances that the bad bacteria can turn into foul odours. They are safe to use and free of hazard symbols. www.greenspeed.eu

Food contact Chemspec Formula 429FC water based antimicrobial multi-surface broad spectrum kill and residual control has been improved and is now an advanced quat-free formulation. Manufacturer Legend Brands Europe says this makes it suitable for food contact environments including those requiring halal certification.

Formula 429FC works at low temperatures and offers 24 hours of protection, and is designed for use across a wide range of applications including general surface disinfection, food contact environments, healthcare, education and leisure.

Claimed to be effective against some antibiotic resistant strains, it can be applied using a pump spray, foamer, ULV fogger or even a suitable cloth. www.legendbrandseurope.com

Tablet form Quin Tabs are cleaning formulations in tablet form, developed

by Kleen Purgatis to cut down on packaging waste. The tablets, it says, are easy to use and dosage is controlled without the use of any dilution units.

Available as an allpurpose cleaner, and wipe and care solution www.kleen-purgatis.ch

The November edition of ECJ will feature a special report about hand hygiene • Greenspeed vise à ce que ses nouveaux nettoyants probiotiques exercent un impact positif sur les gens et sur l’environnement.

• La formule Chemspec 429FC de Legends Brands Europe a bénéficié d’améliorations et convient désormais pour les zones à contact alimentaire.

• Sous la désignation Quin Tabs, Kleen Purgatis a lancé un nettoyant polyvalent sous forme de pastilles.

• Greenspeed teilt mit, dass seine neuen probiotischen Reinigungsmittel mit dem Ziel entwickelt wurden, eine positive Wirkung auf Menschen und die Umwelt zu haben.

• Chemspec Formula 429FC von Legend Brands Europe wurde verbessert und ist jetzt für Lebensmittelbereiche geeignet.

• Kleen Purgatis hat unter dem Namen Quin Tabs einen Allzweckreiniger in Tablettenform vorgestellt.

• La Greenspeed afferma che i suoi detergenti probiotici mirano ad avere un impatto positivo sulle persone e sull’ambiente.

• Il prodotto Chemspec Formula 429FC della Legend Brands Europe è stato potenziato ed è ora adatto anche per le aree che vengono a contatto con il cibo.

• La Kleen Purgatis ha lanciato il detergente multiuso in formato tavoletta Quin Tabs.

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PRODUCTS: CHEMICALS

• Proposé par Seko, le ProWash est un distributeur de produits chimiques débités sous forme diluée, de manière automatique et continue.

• Spectro offre à ses clients la possibilité de retourner les emballages plastique vides qui contenaient ses liquides de nettoyage.

• Bei ProWash von Seko handelt es sich um ein Spendersystem für Chemikalien zur Befestigung an der Wand, das automatische und kontinuierliche Verdünnung bietet.

• Spectro bietet Kunden die Gelegenheit, die leeren Plastikverpackungen ihrer Reinigungslösungen zurückzugeben.

• ProWash della Seko è un sistema di erogazione di prodotti chimici montato a parete che offre diluizione automatica e continua.

• La Spectro offre ai clienti l’opportunità di restituire le confezioni in plastica vuote che hanno contenuto le sue soluzioni di pulizia.

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Spray station

ProWash from Seko is a wallmounted system that allows walls, floor and hard-to-reach surfaces in hygiene-critical applications to be cleaned, rinsed and disinfected. It offers

automatic and continuous dilution of the desired quantity of chemical, and there is a twoproduct version for application of sanitiser and detergent.

Because it is wall-mounted the footprint of the unit is minimal - saving space and being unobtrusive. The brass nickel-plated body is robust while the polypropylene venturi, food-grade multi-layer hose and adjustable spray gun with antithermal shock capacity make for increased reliability.

And ProWash’s dosing accuracy means minimal chemical and water waste. www.seko.com

Recycle, reuse Cleaning agents specialist Spectro has launched the Recycle Factory, whereby its customers can return empty plastic packaging to the manufacturer and it will be reused where possible.

If not, Spectro will recycle it and turn it into new packaging. www.spectro.nl

The winners of the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2019 were announced at a gala dinner in London recently. For all the news, and photographs from the awards ceremony, visit the website at echawards.com And watch out for news about the 2020 awards early in the new year!

PUBLIC WASHROOMS

Fair provision for women Many of us have witnessed the familiar scene – a long queue of ladies waiting to use the washroom while the men’s toilet flows congestion-free. A recent report from the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK has called for the fair provision of public toilets for women, specifying two female toilets needed for every male one. Jamie Woodhall, UK technical & innovation manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene, tells us more.

Many of us will have witnessed the familiar scene - whether it’s at a bar, theatre or restaurant - a long queue of ladies waiting to use the washroom, while the gents’ toilets flows congestion-free.

A recent report published by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK has called for the fair provision of public toilets for women, specifying two female toilets needed for every male one.

While investing in more female public washrooms is half the battle for facilities and councils, it’s also important that these spaces have the appropriate provisions in place, so they are as hygienic, germ-free and accessible as possible for visitors.

Addressing personal hygiene With many of the most harmful bacteria we might potentially encounter originating in the washroom, personal hygiene is one of the most important elements facilities managers (FMs) need to consider. It may sound simple, but equipping washrooms with enough sinks, soap dispensers and hand drying equipment is vital in minimising the spread of bacteria and illnesses - especially when you consider that many viruses and bacteria are transmissible by touch. Installing no-touch automatic dispensers will help to reduce the spread of germs by limiting the number of touch points. Adding hand sanitiser can also provide a ‘belt and braces’ approach after hand washing and drying, as it can form a long-lasting barrier against microbes for several hours after use.

Catering for all needs When considering the implementation of more female washrooms, ensuring the appropriate feminine hygiene products and waste disposal facilities are in place is of upmost importance. Organisations need to start to consider providing feminine hygiene products in the same way they do toilet paper, soap and other bathroom necessities.

Providing sanitary products in a basket within the main toilet space is one option but for a more dignified and discreet

experience, why not consider installing a small dispenser within the toilet cubicle?

Initial Washroom Hygiene has developed a compact unit, designed specifically to hold and dispense sanitary items. Typically located alongside the toilet roll holder, female washroom users who may have been caught unaware are provided with easy, discreet and free access to sanitary products, at the time they need them most.

Sanitary items are one of the main culprits of toilet blockages. Despite popular belief, tampons are not easily biodegradable, so it’s important to provide a female hygiene unit within the cubicle. Otherwise, washroom users may feel they have no choice but to flush sanitary products down the toilet, or may even be compelled to take their waste away with them.

Creating a hygienic environment In tandem with ensuring more public washrooms are available for female users, and that they include the right-hand washing and sanitary equipment, it’s important to make sure that these spaces remain as clean as possible, to further reduce the spread of any germs. A clearly documented cleaning schedule will help facilities managers monitor how often the washrooms have been checked and cleaned, while making this publicly visible will help reduce any concerns from washroom users. You may also want to consider drafting in the help of a specialist cleaning service to carry out a deep clean of your washroom a few times a year, when any blockages in your washroom pipes or urinal traps can be removed.

The smell of success When it comes to public bathrooms scenting can often be overlooked. Yet if your washroom harbours unpleasant smells, it is often the most obvious and off-putting quality, which may prevent visitors from returning to your premises.

In an Initial Washroom Hygiene study exContinued page 52

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PUBLIC WASHROOMS Fair provision for women (continued) will help neutralise any bad smells as well as creating a pleasant-smelling environment. Air purifiers can also be installed to help eradicate any airborne bacteria and viruses. These extra touches enable people to feel more comfortable and demonstrates care and concern towards them and their washroom experience, so it’s well worth considering.

Conclusion

amining the state of air care in public and office washrooms, we found that 73 per cent of those surveyed said an unpleasant smell in the washroom would negatively affect their perception of a venue. FMs

Nous avons souvent observé de longues files d’attente devant les toilettes dames d’établissements publics, alors que les toilettes messieurs sont exemptes de toute congestion. La Société royale britannique pour la santé publique a donc appelé à l’institution d’une nouvelle norme dans ce domaine, prescrivant l’aménagement de deux sanitaires dames pour chaque sanitaire ou urinoir messieurs.

October 2019 | ECJ | 52

can take action by using scenting products, which help control and minimise the smells that come from malodourproducing bacteria. Installing air fresheners that automatically dispense fragrance

Viele von uns haben diese bekannte Szene erlebt: eine lange Schlange wartet vor der Damentoilette, während es bei der Herrentoilette keine Staubildung gibt. Ein vor Kurzem veröffentlichter Bericht der Royal Society for Public Health fordert zur angemessenen Bereitstellung von öffentlichen Toiletten für Frauen auf, wobei auf eine Herrentoilette zwei Damentoiletten kommen sollten.

After queuing for a long time, it can be doubly frustrating to then find toilets are either ill equipped or in too poor a state to be used. Keeping washrooms clean, wellstocked and ready for the needs of all users is an essential consideration, especially considering that it has been found two in five people require more frequent trips to the lavatories for medical reasons.

Molti di noi sono stati testimoni della scena conosciuta, una lunga coda di donne in attesa di utilizzare il bagno mentre il flusso delle toilette per uomini scorre senza ingorghi. Un rapporto recente della Royal Society for Public Health ha richiesto una equa fornitura di toilette pubbliche per le donne, specificando che sono necessarie due toilette femminili per ognuna machile.

ASIA PACIFIC

Cleaning sector thrives According to a study that focuses on the global professional cleaning market, most regions in the world are still growing. The largest growth figures can be found in the Asia Pacific region, where several factors contribute to a thriving professional cleaning industry. Bobbie van der List reports for ECJ.

As we pointed out in earlier features about the Asian cleaning industry, things look good for the near future: the professional cleaning industry is growing in terms of output, but is also maturing when it comes to the status of the profession.

This is clearly reflected by estimations made by an Allied Market Research report called Cleaning Services MarketGlobal Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecasts. The cleaning market, the report reads, will reach roughly $74 million by the year 2022.

According to this study, Asia Pacific is the second largest market in terms cleaning services and market size, which can be partially attributed to increased disposable income and urbanisation, but also to a steep increase of construction activities in a country like China. When we think of the very ambitious one belt one road infrastructure project of China, it is likely that construction will explode across the region, which could have positive trickle-down effect on the professional cleaning industry.

The biggest market in the region is China, yet countries like Australia, Singapore and India are also expected to show even higher growth rates until the year 2022.

Changes in family structures across the Asia Pacific region have a strong impact on the industry, especially with women entering the workforce, which disrupts traditional family structures wherein the wife is expected to care of the house.

In the Cleaning Services Market-Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecasts it is stated that there is a “consistent demand for various commercial cleaning services (…) among commercial consumers such as retails sectors, public institutions, hospitals, and events and stadiums”.

Furthermore there are sectors such as construction and mining, which cause a huge amount of debris – this means that in these sectors professional cleaning companies are very active.

The report goes on by stating that “according to the estimations by Chinese

central government, 60 per cent of the Chinese population is to reside in cities by 2020, driving the demand for construction activities”. The latter is also a positive development for the professional cleaning sector as it further drives demand for professional cleaners.

Sticking with China, the report also expects that a disposable income increase is expected to fuel demand for the domestic cleaning market. According to a National Bureau of Statistics of China source the disposable income reached $3,349 in 2015, an increase of $200 compared to the year before. What does this say? Well, people simply have more money at their disposal, and are more than happy to spend it on cleaning. We can see similar disposable income increases in a country like India.

More exhibitions All in all, there is much excitement in the professional cleaning industry in Asia, which is also reflected by the increase of cleaning exhibitions held across the continent. But to get a better understanding of some of the trends summed up in the previous paragraphs ECJ correspondent Bobbie van der List spoke to Abhinav Rautela, strategic client partner at Allied Market Research, responsible for publishing the forecasts.

Asia Pacific is expected to achieve the fastest growth rate from 2016 to 2022. To what factors can we contribute this relative growth vis-à-vis other regions in the world?

“Growing disposable income, growing working women population, rising demand from commercial consumers are some of the major factors which are contributing to the fastest growth of cleaning services market in Asia Pacific.”

How important is the factor of women increasingly being involved in the labour market?

“In Asia Pacific region, millions of women who were dependent on men have taken control of their own economic outcomes. The expansion of higher educaContinued page 54

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ASIA PACIFIC Cleaning sector thrives (continued) tion enhanced job prospects for women. It has improved their value in the job market and shifted their role models from housewife to successful professional women.

For instance, women now account for 43 per cent of the labour force, up from 36 per cent 30 years ago in Japan.”

The number of Japanese women working is steadily increasing, which could be a great contributor to the growth of the cleaning industry. How important is this factor in Japan?

“The growing number of working women plays an important role in the growth of the cleaning services industry in Japan.

There, the number of female workers has grown from 15.48 million in 1985 to 24.36 million in 2014. With this growth, new avenues have opened for the cleaning industry in the country. Furthermore, growing demand from commercial customers play significant role in the growth of cleaning services in Japan.”

What sort of companies will profit especially from this development?

“Companies involved in providing cleaning services to households and commercial facilities will certainly benefit from the growing number of working women in the labour market.”

Adoption of AI How important is the fact that China, and perhaps to a lesser extent Japan, is leading in terms of developing AI? Does that play any role in the growth of the cleaning industry?

“China has the highest adoption rate of AI and automated equipment in various household and industrial applications. This is likely to offer significant opportunities for cleaning equipment manufacturers to adopt the automated/AI powered/robotic cleaning technology in the cleaning equipment. Robotic cleaning products are a relatively new concept, however they have the potential to disrupt the cleaning services market in Asia Pacific.”

The growth is primarily driven by the upsurge in demand from China, Japan and India.

What are the main factors contributing to growth in India? And what can other cleaning regions learn from the Indian case in terms of growth and expansion? In other words, what is the cleaning industry doing right?

“India is the potential market for the growth of cleaning services market due to high population base, growth in disposable D’après une étude du marché mondial de la propreté, les taux de croissance les plus élevés sont enregistrés dans la région Asie-Pacifique. Le premier marché est la Chine, mais de forts taux de croissance sont attendus dans des pays comme l’Australie, Singapour et l’Inde jusqu’à 2022.

54 | October 2019 | ECJ

income, and rise in consumers’ awareness.

In the past, the cleaning industry in India was not so vibrant. The flexibility in the laws has made it easier to start a successful cleaning company in India. And the relatively low capital investment, low level of market share and the extreme demand for the cleaning services in the country has given a new life to the cleaning industry in India.”

Usually when a certain industry grows rapidly, a problem could be that of shortage of labour. Is this a problem for a regional economic power like China?

“Thanks to the boom in China’s economy, the country is facing labour shortages, mainly in the coastal province of the country. But this shortage is compensated by the migrant workers from other provinces in the country.”

Until 2022 what will be the most important trends in Asia Pacific, based on your estimations for the region’s growth until that year?

“Trends which are likely to be the most important until 2022 are the increase of automation and use of AI powered robots in cleaning; increased demand for construction and post-construction cleaning services; increased demand from commercial customers; and transformation of cleaning services from luxury to necessity.”

You also mention in the report that the “escalation in construction of commercial and non-commercial buildings” is one of the major growth factors. For what cleaning tasks has this especially been a major factor for growth?

“Increase in the construction of railways and roadways across the different geographies increased the demand for various

What are the possible downsides of all this growth? What are the challenges for the professional cleaning industry of Asia Pacific?

“The main challenge faced by the professional cleaning industry is intense competition in the market. The cleaning services market in Asia Pacific is characterised by high competition predominantly in developing regions.

Few large companies have a significant presence in the market by serving customers with multiple locations, whereas large number of small companies compete efficiently in local markets, especially for small businesses and residential customers.”

Could you perhaps break down per country what are the most relevant growth numbers when it comes to the professional cleaning industry?

“The market for cleaning services in Asia Pacific is likely to grow at a CAGR of seven per cent from 2016 to 2022. Furthermore, the professional cleaning industries in China, Japan and India are likely to grow at CAGRs of 6.7 per cent, seven per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively during the forecast period.”

Laut einer Studie mit Schwerpunkt auf der globalen professionellen Reinigungsbranche sind die größten Wachstumszahlen gegenwärtig im asiatischpazifischen Raum zu finden. Der größte Markt ist China, doch auch in Ländern wie Australien, Singapur und Indien werden hohe Wachstumsraten bis 2022 erwartet.

A quanto emerge da uno studio che si concentra sul mercato del cleaning professionale mondiale, i maggiori tassi di crescita attuali si trovano nella regione dell’Asia e del Pacifico. Il mercato maggiore è la Cina, tuttavia nelle nazioni come Australia, Singapore e l’India sono previsti alti tassi di crescita fino al 2022.

cleaning services such as stone cleaning, debris cleaning, and others. Growth in post-construction cleaning, which includes debris cleaning and waste disposal. These are the services that are in demand at construction and renovation sites. Emerging economies such as China and India hold great opportunity for these services in coming years.”

Key challenges

PRODUCT REVIEW Battery focus

Digital planning

Kärcher has launched its new Battery Universe, a battery technology covering over 40 machines: from garden and lawn maintenance to building site cleaning, from hedge trimmers to wet and dry vacuum cleaners.

And both compact batteries on the 18 V platform and the 36 V platform are available in different capacities.

One of the key features of all the new platform’s batteries is the LCD display with real-time technology, which also accurately displays the remaining runtime and charge time in minutes, in addition to the battery capacity left. And highperformance spray water pro-

New from Tork is a cleaning management software solution called Digital Cleaning Plans claimed to make life easier for the cleaner while empowering facility managers with better reporting and enhanced control.

Digital Cleaning Plans keep track of what needs to be done and ensures all tasks are completed without anything being overlooked. Tasks and reports are logged immediately and all monitoring is instant.

Essity says the software will give cleaning managers the tools they need to take control of their operations and to use their time and resources in smarter ways.

It includes functions for planning, communication, administration and follow-up and can be used by both mid-size and small-scale companies.

Simply register at the website to gain access to a free version. www.tork.co.uk

tection means work can be done without having to watch out for water-sensitive components.

The battery housing is manufactured in robust plastic, making it shockproof, and - thanks to efficient temperature management - the batteries also delivery optimum performance in intensive applications. Intelligent cell monitoring protects against overloading, overheating and deep discharge. If a machine is not operated for an extended period, the processor-controlled, automatic warehouse mode of the Battery Power battery ensures long life of the cells.

Kärcher says it will launch 20 new battery-powered machines by the end of 2020. www.karcher.com

• Kärcher a développé une nouvelle technologie des batteries désignée Battery Universe et portant sur des batteries de 18 et 36 V destinées à être utilisées sur une large gamme de machines.

• Sous l’appellation Digital Cleaning Plans, Essity a lancé un nouveau logiciel de gestion du nettoyage.

• Kärcher hat unter der Bezeichnung Battery Universe eine neue Akkutechnologie entwickelt, die 18-V- und 36-V-Akkus für eine breite Palette an Geräten bietet.

• Bei Digital Cleaning Plans handelt es sich um eine neue Reinigungsverwaltungssoftware von Essity.

• La Kärcher ha sviluppato una nuova tecnologia per le batterie a nome Battery Universe che include batterie 18 V e 36 V che coprono una vasta gamma di macchine.

• Digital Cleaning Plans è un nuovo software di gestione per il settore del cleaning prodotto dalla Essity.

October 2019 | ECJ | 55

PRODUCT REVIEW

• PHS Group, un prestataire de services de toilettes collectives, a collaboré avec Mitsubishi Electric au développement du sèchemains Whisper XL. • Truvox International a introduit des brosses de couleur pour sa gamme d’autolaveuses Multiwash.

• Avelena Clean & Care est la nouvelle gamme de produits de soins personnels créée par WhiffAway.

• Hydro Systems a lancé le distributeur à pompe unique CP-500 pour lave-vaisselle automatiques.

• Comme produit nouveau, Tolco expose le revêtement de sol d’urinoir Komodo, qui se pose fermement grâce à un revers autocollant.

• Liquid Guard, nouvelle formule proposée par Nano-Care, protège les surfaces contre la croissance microbienne 24 heures sur 24.

• PHS Group, Anbieter von Waschraumdiensten, hat in Zusammenarbeit mit Mitsubishi Electric den Handtrockner Whisper XL entwickelt.

• Truvox International hat farbige Bürsten für seine Produktreihe Multiwash mit Scheuersaugmaschine vorgestellt.

• Avelena Clean & Care ist eine neue Produktfamilie mit Körperpflegeprodukten, die von WhiffAway entwickelt wurde.

• Hydro Systems hat den Einzelpumpenspender CP-500 für automatische Geschirrspüler vorgestellt.

• Neu von Tolco ist die Komodo Urinalmatte, die durch eine haftende Rückseite sicher an Ort und Stelle befestigt werden kann.

• Bei Liquid Guard von Nano-Care handelt es sich um ein neues Produkt, das Oberflächen 24 Stunden lang vor Keimwachstum schützt.

• L’azienda fornitrice di servizi per le sale da bagno PHS Group ha collaborato con la Mitsubishi Electric per sviluppare l’asciugamani Whisper XL. • La Truvox International ha lanciato delle spazzole colorate per la sua gamma di lavasciuga pavimenti Multiwash.

• Avelena Clean & Care è la nuova linea di prodotti per la cura della persona sviluppata dalla WhiffAway.

• La Hydro Systems ha lanciato il dispenser mono pompa CP-500 per il lavaggio automatico delle stoviglie.

• La novità della Tolco è il tappetino per urinatoi Komodo Urinal Mat dotato di un adesivo su tutto il retro che lo fissa in maniera sicura al pavimento.

• Liquid Guard della Nano-Care è una nuova formula che protegge le superfici dalla crescita di microbi 24 ore su 24.

October 2019 | ECJ | 56

Joint launch Washroom services provider phs Group has formed a partnership with Mitsubishi Electric to launch a new hand dryer - the phs Whisper XL. The two companies say this is the quietest dryer in its class with ecofriendly low running costs.

The air-curtain design can dry hands in nine seconds, it’s claimed, and the efficient motors and air ducts enable air to flow through quietly.

Sensors start or stop airflow automatically as the hands are fully inserted or removed, and water is blown from hands and channelled into a low-maintenance drain tank to keep floors dry while the high-grade plastic casing includes antibacterial metal ions. www.phs.co.uk

Coloured brush Truvox International has extended its Multiwash scrubber dryer range with the launch of new coloured brushes. The red, yellow, green and blue colours make it easy for cleaners to separate tools into their correct area of use.

The brushes, which are easy to change and wash, are suitable for maintaining tiled floors, scrubbing grout lines clean.

Multiwash machines wash, scrub and dry both hard and soft floors in a single pass, leaving them ready to walk on in minutes. Featuring counter-rotating cylindrical brushes, they sustain

the pressure required to clean thoroughly in the grout lines of tiled floors and other crevices.

For daytime cleaning there’s the Multiwash 340/Pump Battery. www.truvox.com

Smaller, lighter

Hair and body Avelena Clean & Care is the new personal care product range for commercial washrooms from WhiffAway. It comprises foaming dry shampoo, antibacterial hand wash, antibacterial moisturising hand cleanser & sanitiser, and antibacterial hand moisturiser. www.whiffaway.com

A new urinal mat has been launched by Tolco. The Komodo mat features packaging that is around 50 per cent smaller and lighter than other options available - saving on space in the warehouse, the delivery vehicle and in the supplies cupboard.

The no-frame design reduces weight and makes for a cleaner appearance, while the fully adhesive back holds it securely in place. The mat can be mopped in-situ, while liquid wicks to the surface and evaporates. And disposal is simple - it can simply be crumpled into a small ball and put in the waste bin. www.tolcocorp.com

Single pump Hydro Systems has launched a single pump dispenser for the automatic dishwash market in commercial kitchens.

The CP-500 is said to be versatile and easy to use, capable of delivering rinse aid, detergents and sanitisers.

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Liquid formula

Designed to be straightforward and quick to install, the CP-500 is pre-wired and easily programmed using two analogue adjustments for time or speed, meaning the unit can be on the wall and delivering product in minutes. It’s a suitable unit for single tank, door-style machines or glass washers.

The sleek design and small footprint allow the unit to fit into areas with minimal wall space - it can also be retrofitted and works on a range of machines. hydrosystemseurope.com

Nano-Care Deutschland has developed a new technology in the field of antimicrobial coatings to prevent life-threatening infections caused by microorganisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Liquid Guard is claimed to protect surfaces from microbial growth 24 hours a day against microorganisms including Staphylococci.

Microbial growth starts immediately after application of many antimicrobial sprays, as their durability against odour-causing bacteria and mould growth are limited, says Nano-Care. It says this new innovation leaves a permanent antimicrobial coating on surfaces and acts against MRSA bacteria. nano-care.com