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A force for good (continued from page 41) satisfaction, higher levels of engagement and ultimately, a more motivated and productive workforce.

Being B Corp-certified provides our employees with a sense of purpose and meaning, above and beyond their day-to-day work. We know this because our staff surveys tell us they take pride in working for a company that is committed to making a positive impact in the world.

The process has also triggered several new actions for the business which have positively impacted our employees. After becoming a Living Wage employer in April 2022, we also conducted a pay equity analysis by gender, and we began monitoring staff satisfaction more rigorously. We started new wellbeing and profit share schemes, which last year saw 100 per cent of staff receive a bonus, amounting to 5.2 per cent of profits.

Looking ahead

Being certified is really only the start of our B Corp journey. We’re committed to making progress towards our sustainability goals through continuous improvement and accountability.

Since we gained certification, we have further reduced our carbon footprint by implementing energy-efficient practices across our operations. We have also made significant progress in our efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling, both in our own facilities and through the products and services we offer our customers.

Every time we look at expanding or improving our product range, we make sure sustainability is one of the first considerations. For example we recently developed and added a bespoke fully recycled hygiene bin to our product range. None of our sanitary waste goes to landfill - 100 per cent is recycled and the by-products are turned into renewable energy and aggregate for building roads.

B Corp certification has provided Simply with a clear roadmap for continuous improvement. The ongoing assessment and recertification process challenges us to set even higher standards and push beyond the status quo. By measuring our impact and striving for higher scores, we are constantly raising the bar for ourselves, fostering innovation, and finding new ways to make a positive difference in the world.

If you would like to find out more, our B Corp Impact Report is available to read here: www.simplywashrooms.com/bcorpimpact-report-2022.

To find out more about B Corp visit: www.bcorporation.net

Au Royaume-Uni, Simply Washrooms, un prestataire de services d’hygiène pour toilettes collectives, a reçu la certification B Corp. Cela signifie que cette entreprise a satisfait de hautes normes sociales et environnementales, témoignant de son engagement vis-à-vis d’objectifs débordant du bénéfice des actionnaires. Gemma Abbott nous en dit plus sur les procédés, les défis et les avantages de cette certification.

Der britische Arbeitsplatz- und Waschraumhygieneanbieter Simply Washrooms wurde als B Corporation (B Corp) zertifiziert. Das bedeutet, dass das Unternehmen strenge Sozial- und Umweltstandards erfüllt, die sein Engagement für Ziele jenseits des Aktionärsprofits darstellen. Gemma Abbott erzählt uns mehr über den Prozess, die Herausforderungen und den Nutzen.

L’azienda britannica fornitrice di servizi per l’igiene delle sale da toilette e per i luoghi di lavoro Simply Washrooms è stata certificata B Corporation (B Corp). Questo significa che soddisfa rigorosi standard sociali e ambientali e che rappresenta il suo impegno per obiettivi al di fuori del profitto degli azionisti. Gemma Abbott ci parla della procedura, delle sfide e dei benefici.

THE WORST OF THE pandemic is behind us which means that large events are back – and there have been plenty of them being staged this year. The King’s coronation drew in huge crowds in London in May, for example, while the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup in Australia and New Zealand attracted record crowds in July.

Back in the UK, this year’s Glastonbury Festival and the Notting Hill Street Carnival were both very well attended. And the Rugby World Cup was played to packed stadiums across France during September and October.

These types of occasions inevitably put enormous pressure on the clean-up teams tasked with removing every last scrap of debris from the spaces occupied by the event.

For example, an estimated 2,000 tonnes of waste – equating to nearly 10 kilogrammes per visitor - was left behind after the Glastonbury festival in June with items needing to be removed including tents, plastic bags, laughing gas canisters and food containers.

Later in the summer, council workers were expected to clear away 300 tonnes of rubbish - equivalent to the weight of 25 double-decker buses – from London’s streets following the two-day Notting Hill Carnival. Some 200 cleaners and 30 refuse trucks were involved in the huge clean-up operation in which many thousands of plastic bottles, takeaway containers and nitrous oxide canisters had to be removed.

Logistical challenge

But what are the specific sweeping challenges that such occasions pose? Does the type of debris and the access arrangements make life particularly difficult for the clean-up teams? Or is the main challenge the sheer amount of debris to be cleared up?

Sweeping up after a large event can be a significant logistical challenge according to Chiara Molardi, marketing specialist at IPC by Tennant Company. “There are several reasons for this,” she said. “The type of waste and debris that needs to be cleaned