Making an impact at Mid Sussex Science Week

BIO-PRODUCTIONS, based in Burgess Hill, met 140 pupils from five local primary schools recently when they converged to present science projects they had been working on all week. The pupils were partnered by local companies who assisted them with their projects during the week.

The goal of the event was to encourage science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) among 10-year-olds. Research shows that interest drops off after this age, particularly in girls. The aim was to showcase how interesting and engaging STEM can be.

Representatives from major employers in the town, including Bio-Productions, gave their time to work closely with teachers to set a suitable project that could eventually be presented on the final day. Bio-Productions showcased biological - how bugs work in cleaning products and how they use the natural waste bi-product of orange peel in cleaner degreasers. Its aim was to demonstrate how ingredients with less environmental impact can be used for professional cleaning - and encourage the students to think about less harmful ways to clean.

All 140 pupils had the opportunity to visit every exhibit and spent time explaining their own projects to the judges. After lunch, Mims Davies, MP for Mid-Sussex and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment, visited and explained the importance of encouraging STEM subjects among young people. She also presented the winning schools with their prizes. The event was also attended by Rebecca Hayter, Gemma Cox and Aiden Briffett from Bio-Productions. WWW.BIO-PRODUCTS.COM

Kingdom completes Colvin acquisition

KINGDOM Services Group has acquired The Colvin Cleaning Group - the Sussex-based professional cleaning services provider to the private and public sector. The company has now been rebranded as part of Kingdom Cleaning.

Colvin Cleaning Group business owner, Gerald Colvin, will remain as a consultant to support the full integration of the Colvin business, with his existing team all being retained. He said: “I am delighted with the acquisition and the integration of our two businesses. Kingdom Service Group, like The Colvin Group, has been established for over 30 years with an excellent reputation in our industry. Kingdom’s nationwide coverage and portfolio of services will provide wider service support opportunities to our clients.”

Terry Barton, CEO of Kingdom Services Group, said: “2022 was always going to be a busy year for Kingdom. We have very exciting growth plans for all the companies within the group. Kingdom remains a family-owned business with family values and when I was introduced to Gerald there was an immediate culture match. I personally welcome the Colvin team into the Kingdom Group. Colvin provide a best-in-class local cleaning service. The acquisition will further strengthen our ability to truly deliver a national and local best-in-class cleaning service. We can support the existing delivery with group-wide synergies and added value.”

WWW.KINGDOM.CO.UK

Special derogation for alcohol-based hand sanitisers set to expire

BIOHYGIENE has welcomed the expiration of a special derogation, put in place at the start of the pandemic, to help increase the availability of hand sanitiser. The derogation, put forward by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), issued critical situation permits that enabled alcohol-based hand gels to forego the normal Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) requirements for product authorisation – allowing more hand sanitiser to reach end-users.

“Though perhaps necessary in the early days of the pandemic, the HSE has now gathered information from across the industry on the current availability of hand sanitisers and the figures show that the current demand can be met by products supplied under normal BPR requirements,” said Carolyn Jones, technical director at BioHygiene. “Despite the derogation being in the best interest of end-users and the general public, the majority of products that entered the market through this derogation were alcohol-based hand gels. As many individuals have experienced, prolonged use of alcoholbased products can lead to dry and cracked skin. Furthermore, we saw some particularly disturbing stories surrounding high flammability issues. A further downside to the fast-tracking approach is that virgin, nonrecycled plastic is often used in the bottling process because it is easily accessible and cheaper. And, with such high volumes being used, the last thing we want is an increased demand for virgin plastics, whilst further contributing to plastic pollution.”

According to the HSE, the temporary derogation does not offer a grace period once ending, and therefore products must be removed from the market with immediate effect after the expiry date.

WWW.BIOHYGIENE.CO.UK