* Cleanzine-logo-8a.jpgCleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 31st October 2024 Issue no. 1136

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International News
Products

New EU legislation tightens sustainability reporting & clamps down on greenwashing:

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Latest CHSA Fact Sheet provides the information businesses need…

New EU legislation - the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU Green Claims Directive - is to tighten sustainability reporting and combat greenwashing. The purpose of the legislation is to enhance transparency, accountability and sustainability in business practices.

All businesses with operations or a market presence in the EU are affected.
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Lone workers face increased aggression, EcoOnline research finds

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The Health & Safety Executive defines lone working as work carried out by people who work by themselves without close or direct supervision - which actually doesn't mean they are physically alone...
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Robert Scott launches 100% compostable wipe for sustainable cleaning

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Cleaning manufacturer and distributor, Robert Scott, has unveiled the Ecofibre Compostable Wipe, a 100% natural fibre cleaning wipe designed for eco-friendly cleaning that doesn't compromise performance.
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Interclean Shanghai 2024: International programme highlights innovations and collaborative opportunities

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Interclean Shanghai 2024, set to take place from December 11th - 13th at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, will bring together leading global experts, innovators and decision-makers in the professional cleaning and hygiene industry.
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Culture change: how becoming people-centric can transform a business

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The culture of a business can have a ripple effect throughout every aspect of the organisation, its tentacles touching everything from recruitment and retention to morale and customer satisfaction.
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Kärcher spotlights incredible work of cleaning teams with its annual Thank Your Cleaner Day campaign

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Kärcher says it was thrilled to once again be showing its support for hard-working cleaning staff as part of this year's Thank Your Cleaner Day campaign, which took place October 16th.
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Cintas crowns Maverik - Adventure's First Stop 2024 America's Best Restroom

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Cintas Corporation has just named Maverik - Adventure's First Stop as the 2024 America's Best Restroom contest winner.
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Celebrating 50 years of innovation from Harrison Wipes and Chicopee

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Harrison Wipes is celebrating over 50 years of partnership and cleaning innovation with Chicopee, marking a significant milestone in the history of the iconic J-Cloth: a product that not only revolutionised the cleaning sector but one that has grown into a household name in the UK and beyond.
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Meet Jangro AI Beta: The Smart Cleaning Assistant

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Jangro, the UK & Europe's largest network of independent janitorial and cleaning distributors, has unveiled Jangro AI Beta. This revolutionary virtual assistant is designed to provide instant support for all cleaning & hygiene needs.
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Changes at the top of the pile for WoolSafe

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WoolSafe’s managing director, Dr Agnes Zsednai, is stepping back from the day-to-day running of the company and assuming the role of scientific advisor. Steve Bakker, son of WoolSafe founder Paul Bakker, is taking over as managing director.
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Is it time your business systems had a refresh?

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As a cleaning business your focus is on delivering the best possible service to clients by managing staff rosters and inventories in the most profitable way. Paul Ridden of SmartTask discusses how implementing workforce management software could help streamline your processes, save time and have a positive impact on your service delivery.
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New study shows that closed pipe systems can reduce hospital bacteria

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A groundbreaking study from Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) reveals that automated, hermetically sealed pipe systems for hospital waste disposal and handling dirty laundry can significantly reduce the amount of bacteria in hospitals when compared to traditional hospital waste management methods.
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Safer Surfaces & Preventing Transmission - IDTechEx explores antimicrobial technologies

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Antimicrobial and antiviral materials are a versatile technology used in many sectors, including healthcare and public transportation. They can be used to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses on surfaces where they are most likely to be passed on.
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Sasse Group acquires Capital Maintenance

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Sasse Group and Capital Maintenance have laid the foundation for a strong future and a widened service portfolio in the UK markets. "We are pleased to announce the successful merger of Capital Maintenance into Sasse Group", says Benny Wunderlich, the new managing director of Capital Maintenance and managing director of Sasse UK.
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i-team Global launches i-walk: co-biotic wizardry that’s retrofittable with any i-mop XL!

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What happens when the i-mop XL floor scrubber meets co-botic technology? The i-walk is born; a patented floor cleaning tech that removes the repetition from commercial floor cleaning in record time with much greener performance, enormous flexibillity and excellent results.
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Welcome to the Cleanzine

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Within months of joining the cleaning industry some 30yrs ago it dawned on me that our cleaners weren’t earning nearly enough - and it’s a feeling that’s grown stronger over time. It’s not just being tasked with cleaning up other people’s mess, which can be hard work and soul-destroying too, but also the unsocial hours which can mean walking out alone to the workplace, bus/tram stop or train station when the streets are quiet and dark and perhaps unsafe. Many also face working in isolation for much or all of the shift. Then there’s the lack of acknowledgment by, and respect from, the general public.  
  
Many contractors have made a commitment to paying their cleaners the much-deserved Living Wage, which is a good bit higher than the Government’s Minimum Wage. I admire them for their commitment as I can imagine it takes quite some negotiating and can so often put them out of the running! Hearing the UK Government confirm yesterday that from April, minimum pay for over-21s must increase by 6.7%, (from the current £11.44/hr to £12.21/hr) and that 18 to 20-year-olds will enjoy a 16% increase - taking their current minimum pay from £8.60/hr to £10/hr, initially excited me, (and especially so since the Government’s also removing the cap on single bus fares in much of the country, allowing them to rise by 50%!). Then the reality set in... How will employers afford it - particularly those being forced to contend with higher National Insurance contributions? After all, those seeking cleaning services so often award the contracts to those who can seemingly do the same work for far less money than all the competition professes to need! Far too few can willingly accept that great service and results don’t cost mere peanuts. How do we persuade them otherwise? Or will jobs have to go and cleaning standards be reduced as a result of pay rises that just can’t be maintained?   
  
Could The British Cleaning Council’s latest initiative provide the answer I wonder? It’s calling for minimum standards of cleanliness and hygiene for UK workplaces to be legislated by Government, with premises subjected to regular inspection. It says that this could help reduce the national bill for employee sickness, (reportedly £103bn in 2023!) thereby supporting economic growth. It argues that although employers currently have a legal duty of care to provide clean workplaces, standards are too vague. Mmmm… Could ‘minimum standards’ legislation force everyone looking for services to pay what the job’s actually worth, so that all those involved in providing the services can enjoy a decent standard of living? It’s a brilliant idea, but one that I’m not 100% sure is likely to be workable, when it comes to the reality of staffing and policing it. Your thoughts please?
 

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Yours,

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Jan Hobbs


This Week's News

Safe methods of isolation of platform controls on mobile elevating work platforms

* Safe-platform-control.jpegThe Health & Safety Executive is investigating an incident involving a mobile elevating work platform and has found that when at height, the method of isolating the controls on the MEWP can introduce a hazard to the occupants of the platform. The investigation is ongoing but in the meantime, the HSE has been working with the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) to develop the following guidance on the safe methods of isolation of platform controls for MEWPs.

The emergency stop control on the MEWP platform has been used in the powered access industry for a number of years to achieve isolation of controls and/or power source when the MEWP has reached its place of work.
more


Volunteers from Sands China and four community partners assemble 30,000+ Hygiene Kits for Clean the World in one day

* Volunteers-Hygiene-Kits.jpegA total of 350 Sands China team members and local community group volunteers worked together to assemble more than 30,000 hygiene kits for international social enterprise Clean the World earlier this month at The Venetian Macao's Cotai Expo, marking the initiative's 11th consecutive year.

Sands Cares Ambassadors and other Sands China team members joined volunteers from four organisations for the service activity: local green enterprise Macau ECOnscious, Green Future, the Bosco Green Store of Bosco Youth Service Network, and the University of Saint Joseph.
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Eliminate unsightly toilets without the scrubbing: British Innovation simplifies toilet cleaning and maintenance

* StepFresh.jpgPortsmouth-based hygiene solutions company, Pure Hold, has launched StepFresh, a revolutionary toilet cleaning accessory that eliminates the need for traditional toilet brushes and transforms the cleaning process. Simple to install and adaptable to various toilet bowl sizes, StepFresh redefines toilet hygiene and convenience.

Positioned discreetly next to the toilet, StepFresh uses a hands-free, foot-operated system that dispenses bleach or toilet cleaner in a 360-degree stream around the entire bowl. With one press, the solution coats the bowl, breaking down stains and marks effortlessly and replacing ineffective rim blocks and unsightly brushes.
more


New tool combats costly bin contamination – in seconds!

* Instant-Bin-Audit.jpegBin contamination is the scourge of the waste and recycling industry. Putting the wrong things in the wrong bin not only reduces recycling, but could also could mean an entire load is rejected through contamination. This is not only costly for the facility or waste operator (residual waste disposal is almost twice the cost of dry mixed recycling), but it also results in far more waste being landfilled or incinerated.

To combat this, waste tech pioneer, Peasy, has come up with an innovative AI tool that can be used on any smartphone. ‘Instant Bin Audit’ provides an assessment of any bin's level of contamination, and can even identify the offending waste streams - within four seconds.
more



P-Wave launches limited edition urinal screen for high-end hospitality venues

* P-Wave-NHS-Slant6-Black.jpegUK air freshening expert P-Wave has launched a new Slant6 Midnight Coast limited edition urinal screen, aimed at high-end hospitality, and featuring NHS England's important men's health message ‘Blood in your pee? Contact your GP practice’.

"Our new Slant6 Midnight Coast limited edition is more upmarket than a celebrity chef's tasting menu," quips Mark Wintle, P-Wave's brand manager from Robert Scott. "The sleek, black urinal screen allows guests to indulge in a refreshing aquatic fragrance, balanced with green palm leaves, fruity and floral hints, all layered over driftwood and white musk.
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Landmark partnership for sustainable food waste management

* Landmark-partnership.jpegSustainable food waste management solutions specialist Keenan Recycling has secured its largest-ever direct national food waste contract with Heart with Smart Group - the sole franchisee operator of Pizza Hut Restaurants in the UK.

Since July, Keenan Recycling has successfully collected food waste from all Heart with Smart Group's Pizza Hut Restaurants across the UK.
more



Spotless acquires South East-based hospitality sector cleaning specialist

* Spotless-acquires.jpegEdinburgh-headquartered Spotless Commercial Cleaning has acquired English firm Fluid Hygiene (FH), a hospitality sector cleaning specialist which has been operating for more than 30 years.

Based in New Malden, Surrey, FH was set up in 1993 by its managing director Alister Gregson who now joins Spotless as a non-exec director.
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BICSc experts share industry insights at Clean & Tidy Home Show

* BICSc-Experts.jpegExperts from the British Institute of Cleaning Science shared the latest cleaning industry insights and knowledge at this year's Clean & Tidy Home Show, which attracted thousands of visitors to ExCel, London, earlier this month.

As well as helping man the BICSc stand, the Institute’s group managing director, Neil Spencer-Cook, was joined by some of the BICSc who took part in presentations, Q&A sessions, and supported the Show's awards, with commercial director, Denise Hanson, taking part in the awards council to help highlight and select this year's worthy winners.
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Proud moment as Slicker Recycling officially receives King's Award

* Slicker-Recycling.jpegOil and waste recycling firm Slicker Recycling has officially received its King's Award for Enterprise at a special celebration day held at its Worcestershire headquarters.

It was announced in May that the company, which collects and re-refines over 75 million litres of used lubricating oil every year, had been awarded the King's Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2024, recognising Slicker's outstanding year-on-year growth as it helps companies operate in a more sustainable way.
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OCS UK secures four-year contract with Alstom for Voyager fleet cleaning services

* OCS-UK-Secures.jpgOCS UK has been awarded a four-year contract by Alstom to provide comprehensive cleaning services for the Voyager fleet at the Central Rivers Train Maintenance Depot in Staffordshire. This new contract enhances OCS's existing portfolio of services for Alstom, further solidifying its partnership with the Rolling Stock manufacturer and train services provider.

OCS has worked in partnership with Alstom since 2020, delivering the full spectrum of train cleaning 24/7, 365 days per year.
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Hospital Hygiene

Hospial Corridor

Our weekly updated Hospital Hygiene features current developments and product solutions cleaning and hygiene industry manufacturers are coming up with. Read More.


Recent UK News

Goodway Technologies expands global sales team for award-winning sanitation solutions

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Goodway Technologies, the US-based global supplier provider of industrial maintenance, cleaning and sanitation solutions, has appointed Matt Gregory as sales manager for sanitation solutions to food and beverage customers in the UK and Ireland.
more



The right payroll software can save you time and money!

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Discover the benefits of CleanLink
  

Many of us remember when management functions involved reams of paper with spreadsheet after spreadsheet! Thankfully things are very different today.
more


Manchester location for groundbreaking new Kärcher centre

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Kärcher UK has announced that it has selected Manchester for its newest and largest Kärcher centre, which will open this month.

Building on its established Manchester-based Hire business, the 18,122sq.ft, two-acre site, will house a new Kärcher centre, as well as Kärcher Hire's new headquarters..
more


ISS develops female leaders through new apprenticeship schemes

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ISS has announced the expansion of a new suite of apprenticeship schemes, aimed at inspiring, empowering and supporting female leaders across the business.

The Women in Leadership Apprenticeship Programme provides development and progression opportunities for female employees at ISS..
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Honouring services to environmental health at WCEC Military Awards 2024

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The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners has just hosted its annual Military Awards. This year, the event took place at the historic and beautiful Stationers' Hall in London which dates back to the 17th century.
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Liberty Hygiene cleans up environmentally with BigChange Job Management System

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Liberty Hygiene is using a BigChange job management system to achieve its carbon neutral aspirations.

Offering linen and floor care, as well as pest control and washroom services, Liberty Hygiene uses the six-in-one, cloud-based solution to improve the utilisation and management of its fleet as it transitions to all electric. 
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Metsä Group's 2025 Sustainability Awards submission window closes with 91 entries

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Metsä Group's tissue paper business, Metsä Tissue, has closed the window for entering the 2025 Sustainability Awards, with a total of 91 entries received from 46 companies.
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Cleanology's annual charity fundraiser sets new record to reach £115k raised for The Hygiene Bank

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Over 180 guests cheered as a sell-out event at the internationally renowned Hard Rock Café in London's Mayfair raised a record-breaking £32,000 in cash and a further £5,000 in product donations to help The Hygiene Bank charity play a major role alleviating hygiene poverty.
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September's Mash for Cash winner announced

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September's winner of Caerphilly County Borough Council's Mash for Cash Campaign - which sees houses within the Borough monitored with one food recycling participant chosen at random each month to win £500 - has been announced as Mrs Claire Jones from Penyrheol.
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Sodexo leads industry in 2024 Social Mobility Employer Index

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Sodexo UK & Ireland has been named in the top 75 of the 2024 Social Mobility Employer Index, released yesterday by the Social Mobility Foundation.

Sodexo is the first in the industry to be included in the Index, which assesses and ranks UK employers on their actions to break down barriers to employment opportunities and improve socioeconomic diversity in the workplace..
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Celebrating success at the BICSc Awards

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Winners of the BICSc Awards 2024 have been celebrated at a glittering ceremony, staged by The British Institute of Cleaning Science to celebrate the standout stars of the global professional cleaning community.
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Recycling stations take pride of place at Haringey libraries

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Recycling in the London Borough of Haringey just got easier and more accessible thanks to a suggestion by residents.
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Events & Exhibitions

ISSA Show North America
18-21st November 2024
Las Vegas
USA

Website

Interclean China 2024
11-13th December 2024
Shanghai
Website

London Cleaning Show
18-20th March 2025
ExCel London
Website

ISSA Pulire 2025
27-29th May 2025
Rho Fiera Milano
Italy

Website



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