Sustainability is top of the agenda

Sustainability is very much top of the agenda in this month’s issue of C&M. Every conversation I’ve had this past month has focused on sustainability – the previously hot topic of the pandemic has been relegated to second place at best!

The discussion kicks off in this issue with an excellent article by Nina Wyers following on from her fabulous presentation at the Manchester Cleaning Show. And her warning is stark: ‘We only have nine years left to make a difference! Climate breakdown will occur within the next nine years unless we see a difference. It’s not a lot is it? But thousands of years have led to this point, and we only have a few left to reverse the effects of climate change.’ Nina goes on to discuss the impact of single use plastics and VOCs and what the cleaning sector can do to limit the impact of everyday practices on the environment.

Continuing the theme, Jamie Wright outlines the initiatives being taken by his company, Incentive QAS, as it continues on its journey towards a sustainable future: ‘Achieving net zero is crucial and within the Incentive Group we are well on our way to achieving it by 2030. We have revised our purchasing policies to acquire more environmentally friendly products and invested in several sustainability projects which will create a legacy for our staff and company, demonstrating our continuous and lifelong approach to this important subject.’

Also in this issue, Dr Salomé Giao, senior microbiologist and scientist at Dyson, looks at environmentally friendly washrooms, commenting: ‘Our past experiences are changing the future of key amenities, and pushing us to implement more innovative, environmentally friendly solutions throughout. One of the key areas within a business’s space that can reap the rewards of this is the washroom. Experiencing high volumes of traffic, the washroom must be made as hygienic and sustainable as possible, both for user confidence and to help businesses lower their carbon footprint. In fact, Dyson’s 2021 Washroom Attitudes Survey showed that 75% of respondents are washing their hands five or more times a day, illustrating the importance of clean washroom facilities. Yet are some practices as beneficial for people and the planet as they seem?’

An article on sustainable workwear further develops the theme.

In his regular column on Page 15, Lee Andrews looks at the business case for an effective ESG policy. He said: ‘You might also ask, what is the difference between the CSR policies of 20 years ago and the ESG policies of 2022? The answer is surely that the underlying crises they are trying to solve are all of a sudden more real and in some cases looking increasingly irreversible. Which is why the difference between the demands of those who promote ESG today and those who used to extol CSR is that whereas before it was enough just to be attempting the remedies, it is now necessary to demonstrate by way of record keeping and verifiable metrics that you are actually delivering on the remedies and achieving your ESG objectives year-on-year. In our industry that could mean reducing C02 emissions, paying the Real Living Wage, switching to probiotic cleaning products, or whatever channels you are pursuing to operate responsibly.’

Whatever part your organisations plays in the cleaning and hygiene sectors, one thing is clear: it is no longer sufficient to be ‘ticking the green box’ – real action with tangible results is essential. As Nina Wyers reminds us, we only have nine years… beyond that it will be too late.

I wish you a clean, tidy and healthy month ahead.

Neil Nixon, Editor Cleaning & Maintenance Magazine