How businesses can fill the gap left by under-funded public toilet facilities

Matt Anderson, director of Velair, reports.

The British Toilet Association (BTA), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of toilet hygiene, has reacted critically to news that Westminster is urging councils to reopen public toilets –but failing to provide the necessary funding. As the BTA points out, there is evidently a great deal of confusion around this point, as there is ‘no legal requirement in place to force local authorities to provide or run public toilets’ despite ministers’ insistence on toilets reopening around the country.

Urgent steps need to be taken to address this confusion. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been widely reported that the lack of available public toilets has caused a great deal of distress and discomfort, especially for those with medical conditions that require quick and easy access to such facilities. One Guardian investigation undertaken last summer revealed that the pandemic-era closure of public toilets resulted in people dehydrating themselves or relieving themselves in public spaces – neither option being good for public health.

In the absence of any firm moves on behalf of Westminster or local authorities to reinstate public toilets, it falls to businessesespecially large, multi-purpose, high footfall businesses like shopping centres - to ensure that their restrooms are fit for purpose.

Such businesses can fill the gap left by limited public toilet funding. Investing sensibly in high-quality sanitation technology will not only attract and retain consumers - especially those that cannot find facilities elsewhere - but will also demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and better environmental impacts of the latest facilities.

The cost-effectiveness of toilet tech

The value that good restroom facilities add to a business can be substantial. Leaving aside the cost-effectiveness of newer devices for a moment, it’s worth remembering that investment in strong facilities correlates with customer satisfaction. In a Finnish study of 455 respondents, it was found that 66% of customers will recommend a shopping venue provided its cleanliness levels meet a sufficiently high standard, with 30% of respondents adding that clean bathroom facilities matter in a shopping centre setting.

It would be a mistake to imagine that upgraded bathrooms are solely for the benefit of the customer, however - in fact, utilising the latest sanitation technology is the definition of a win-win situation. Touchless taps and waterless urinals, for example, are both becoming more prominent. In a pandemic scenario, the lack of touch points associated with touchless technology is very welcome, of course, but both pieces of technology also reduce water costs by limiting the amount of wasted water.

A similar story can be told of the selfcleaning toilet: a relatively new innovation that not only reduces water wastage but also ensures a consistent level of cleanliness without additional expenditure on cleaning operatives.

Today’s hand dryers, meanwhile, can be exceptionally cheap to run, with some of the best costing as little as £6 in energy usage per year.

Clearly, the time is ripe for businesses to invest in the latest sanitation technology. At a stroke, companies can increase their attractiveness to consumers while lowering their running costs in terms of water, power and human labour.

Conscientious consumers

Of course, given the current climate, there are more reasons to upgrade bathroom facilities than money alone. The current climate is, in fact, on the public’s mind in a very literal sense. Climate change is becoming more and more difficult to ignore, with the UN recently declaring a ‘code red for emergency’ - a stark warning of environmental catastrophe. According to a poll from YouGov, 68% of British adults aren’t confident that the government is able to meet its emissions targets by 2035 - implying that consumers are conscious of organisations that do embrace environmentally sound decisions. As such, water reduction from touchless taps and the use of hand dryers with a yearly carbon emission as low as 52kg will not go unnoticed by a public increasingly aware of environmental impact.

Since the pandemic customers feel a heightened awareness of hygiene standards, and they expect, for example, hand dryers equipped with HEPA filters and antimicrobial technologies as opposed to bins overflowing with paper towels.

It’s clear that the BTA is absolutely right to call for funding and support for public toilets. However, in lieu of government support for these facilities, businesses like shopping centres can absolutely fill that gap, allowing for an inclusive day out for people with certain health conditions while providing an experience that is safe, environmentally conscious and cost-effective.

WWW.VELAIR.CO.UK

Kärcher launches new steam cleaner

KÄRCHER UK has launched its latest steam cleaner, the SG 4/2. The compact and easy to use steam cleaner features a water tank, steam generator and storage space for accessories, all housed in a unique all-in-one box design. The easy-to-transport, shockresistant case weighs just 7.5kg and features extra storage space for accessories, ensuring the SG 4/2 Classic is ready-to-go when it is needed. The control panel makes the steam cleaner easy to use, with 4-bar steam pressure available within just three minutes. The built-in VapoHydro function supports those looking to move towards detergent free cleaning as it flushes stubborn dirt away with hot water.

The accessories include a steam scraper and a flat brush, plus a point jet nozzle or hand nozzle and a microfibre cleaning cloth. The attachments can be used to clean surfaces such as tiles or steel, as well as delicate materials such as ceramic or glass. The steam cleaner also comes with RM 511 decalcifying agent for initial treatment of the steam cleaner.

WWW.KARCHER.CO.UK

TORK Vision Cleaning - Essity’s digital washroom management system - has achieved GBAC STAR registration. GBAC STAR –issued by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council - is the cleaning industry’s only accreditation regarding outbreak prevention, response and recovery. It helps to establish optimal standards and procedures while also offering expert-led training and assessment of readiness for bio-risk situations.

Tork Vision Cleaning uses people-counters and connected washroom dispensers to provide real-time data on cleaning requirements. This allows cleaning teams to stay ahead of the game and anticipate situations in which enhanced cleaning or extra checks might be required. In order to be registered, Tork Vision Cleaning needed to meet specific requirements and had to demonstrate advantages over existing offerings in terms of efficacy, cost, health, and safety. Essity was also required to show scientific evidence that the system could make an effective contribution in preventing the spread of COVID-19 or other diseases.

WWW.TORK.CO.UK/VISIONCLEANING

FOR the professional catering and hospitality businesses providing celebratory food, drinks and parties in December, the festive season has already begun. Early planning is essential, so Jangro has announced that its 2022 Christmas Supplies Catalogue is now available to help businesses get ahead.

Jo Gilliard, CEO at Jangro, said: “Last year, pubs, bars and restaurants missed out on £3 billion in sales over the festive period as the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant kept the public at home, resulting in a second ‘lost Christmas’ for financially embattled proprietors. Now all restrictions have lifted, there are high hopes for December 2022. Christmas is officially on and is set to be bigger, better and more festive than ever! Therefore, preparing early is crucial. Not only to ensure you offer the best possible experience, but also to avoid any additional pressures at what is one of the most hectic times of the year for bars and restaurants.”

WWW.JANGRO.NET

MAKITA has expanded its range of 40VMax XGT vacuum cleaners. The VC008G Brushless Backpack Cleaner and CL003G Brushless Vacuum Cleaner have both been designed to offer greater flexibility, productivity and ease of use for cleaning professionals.

The 40VMax XGT Brushless Backpack Vacuum Cleaner (VC008G) delivers up to 195 Watts of suction power and a twolitre dust capacity in a compact machine. The cleaner includes a HEPA filter to remove 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns or more for a cleaner indoor environment. It features a telescopic pipe with a locking mechanism for a secure connection to the flexible pipe section, as well as a T-nozzle with a hard flooring and carpet mode selector. The VC008G also has a mechanism to prevent the dust bag compartment closing when the bag is not installed correctly.

The 40VMax XGT Brushless Vacuum Cleaner (CL003G) is a compact cordless stick vacuum cleaner that delivers up to 100W of power and a sealed suction of up to 20 kPa. A new cyclone unit integrated onto the cleaner’s main body, and positioned above the extension pipe, gives the cleaner a more compact design. The new cyclone unit also separates more dust from the air to minimise filter clogging.

Both the VC008G and CL003G have four power settings with a mode memory function for easy operation. The efficient brushless motor included in both cleaners eliminates friction and wasted energy to deliver more power and longer run-times per battery charge.

WWW.MAKITAUK.COM

Jangro launches new catering and hospitality catalogue

JANGRO has launched a new catalogue, dedicated to the commercial caterer and hospitality sector. Available now in a compact A5 size, it is packed with many new sustainable choices. These include disposable food packaging, cutlery and drinkware that are made from recycled materials, and are also compostable, biodegradable or recyclable.

It caters for everything required within commercial kitchens, including kitchen hygiene supplies, which are essential to avoid cross-contamination and the risk of foodborne illness. The catalogue covers all chemicals, paper products and cleaning products, including the new ntrl range, Jangro’s innovative line of natural and more sustainable cleaning products. All ntrl products use raw materials that are derived from plantbased extracts - their natural formulas are 100% biodegradable, contain zero petrochemicals, and can reduce the product’s carbon footprint by up to 85%.

WWW.JANGRO.NET

EDITOR

Neil Nixon neilnixon@quartzltd.com 07957 713316

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Paul Sweeney paulsweeney@quartzltd.com 01737 855041

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Michelle Andrews michelleandrews@quartzltd.com 01737 855086

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Carol Baird carolbaird@quartzltd.com 020 3602 1186

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Tony Crinion

CEO

Steve Diprose

CO-CHAIRMAN

Paul Michael

DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES

Elizabeth Barford elizabethbarford@quartzltd.com 01737 855028

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