The contract cleaning and FM market is highly competitive and increasingly focused on green solutions, therefore new innovation that provides environmentally sustainable solutions, improves speed, efficiency and - most importantly keeps standards high - is highly prized.
In 2021, we expect to see further innovation and enhancements in several areas, driven not only by client expectations, but also by external technological, social and political factors.
Social purpose beyond box ticking
While there has long been interest in sustainable and ethical cleaning methods and products, 2021 will see expectations step up a notch, with clients expecting to see evidence of social purpose as well as effectiveness.
Wider societal awareness around the green agenda and public concern around the need to live more sustainably is seeing changes being made within the contract cleaning and FM industry - those businesses that give sustainability a cursory nod may well find that minimal efforts are no longer adequate.
The reality is, the sustainability agenda has moved beyond box ticking and our industry is not immune from societal expectations. Clients are looking for a more solid statement of intent, keen to demonstrate that their commitment to the green agenda extends to their supply chain.
We have been focused on making small changes that make a big difference, sourcing ethical products and introducing more environmentally friendly cleaning methods, giving our clients confidence that they’re working with a business that is conscious of its social purpose, with a commitment to the green agenda that is equal to their own.
Tersano and iClean mini Chemical free cleaning
Chemical free cleaning solutions such as Tersano and iClean, turn your ordinary tap water into a highly effective cleaner, deodoriser and sanitiser that kills up to 99.999% of bacteria and viruses, including those similar to the one that causes Covid-19. Tersano performs stronger than bleach and hydrogen peroxide, using only water and oxygen.
The award winning, patented SAO (Stabilised Aqueous Ozone) dispenser, uses electricity to add an extra molecule to 02, creating 03. This 03, or ozone, is then infused into cold tap water to create safe, high performing Stabilised Aqueous Ozone. The ozone is attracted to germs, stains and bacteria yet is harmless to people. It quickly attacks and eliminates contaminants, leaving only pure oxygen and water after the ozone cleans and sanitises.
Not only does SAO contain no toxins, carcinogens, or chemical residue but since the introduction of Stabilised Aqueous Ozone, millions of litres of toxic chemicals are no longer emptied into landfill, groundwater, streams and rivers each month.
Eco-consciousness - becoming plastic-free
Plastic production is forecast to more than double by 2050—increasing to 756 million tons. Forty percent of plastic manufactured today is disposable packaging. Yet, the global campaign to gain control of plastic waste is one of the fastest-growing environmental causes ever mounted. Ultimately manufacturers require a fundamental change in thinking about how plastics are made, used, and a responsibility to consider how they are discarded.
Initiatives to reduce the use of plastic have dominated the last couple of years, with McDonalds’ introduction of paper straws and Glastonbury’s operating of a plastic-free festival just two examples among many.
The drive to eliminate single-use plastic will have a significant effect on the contract cleaning industry into 2021 and beyond, which will bring both challenges and opportunities.
It’s no secret that the vast majority of cleaning products are currently contained in plastic packaging - whether bottles, bags or sachets, it’s usually plastic.
Our industry will need to adapt, making every effort to source products that are stored in containers produced from alternative, more sustainable materials.
Waste and environmental management
Achieve your corporate and environmental responsibility with sustainable waste management from Floorbrite’s award winning Waste and Environmental Management division. We offer a range of services covering trade waste removal, recycling, food waste removal, secure shredding, hazardous waste and diversion from landfill.
Since 2015, Floorbrite have entered the The Green Organisation’s prestigious Green Apple Awards and consequently won each year since, with presentations at The Houses of Parliament. Through our innovation in delivering bespoke, recycling led waste and environmental management services to our clients, we have now become Green World Ambassadors and gone on to win further International Green World Awards each year, collecting the first in Dubai in 2017. Our winning projects for environmental best practice are also published in the annual Green Book produced each year.
By Nina Wyers, Marketing Director at The Floorbrite Group
www.floorbrite.co.uk