Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 16th January 2025 Issue no. 1145
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  International News
Products Nominations open for Cintas 12th Annual Custodian of the Year Contest
Survey results show significant gap in risk preparedness
Global economic update: shedding light on industry's impact at 2025 ACI Convention
Betco celebrates 75 years of excellence: decades of progress and a vision for the future
Cleaning airport surfaces every two hours cuts Norovirus infections by 83%
Prioritising sustainability through innovative cleaning equipment design
New EU leaders join discussion in European Parliament on vital role of hygiene in our lives
EPA bans all uses of TCE and many uses of PCE, worker protections brought in
Betco to acquire environmental management assets from BiOWiSH Technologies
Introducing Truekleen Protecto-Shine!
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Welcome to the Cleanzine
Going back to my comment last week about how difficult it is to ‘switch off’ from work when supposedly on a break from it, I got chatting to a builder over Christmas who was helping out a vulnerable elderly neighbour I was visiting. I learned that as well as running his own building company, he uses his skills to help support vulnerable local people on behalf of a national charity. He’d done a great job for my neighbour and as he was leaving was about to load a broken plastic toilet seat and lid, other hard plastics, waste cardboard & some plastic packaging into his van. Knowing that, as a van driver, he’d be charged a fee when taking everything to the local civic amenity tip despite some of it resulting from his charity work, I suggested he leave this lot for me to recycle on his behalf.
In the ensuing conversation I learned that once again the system’s changed locally and loads being dumped by van drivers are no longer charged by weight. Instead, there’s a £120 charge per visit - however little rubbish there may be, which means that the abundance of packaging that seems to envelop everything these days, and which will quickly fill a van, is very costly to recycle. This flat fee per visit is on top of the waste removal licence fee, which many tradespeople have to renew every three years.
A discussion on illegal dumping ensued. He told me about competitors who regularly dump truckloads of waste in a quiet road near a junction of the M25 near us. He agreed that there’s simply no excuse for this type of behaviour and ventured that to ensure we all dispose of building and other waste responsibly, our councils have to make it easier and cheaper, rather than more difficult and more expensive, for us to do so. I told him that I’ve been saying the same for years, and that a particular bugbear of mine is that these tips are often now closed a couple of days a week, with shorter opening hours on the days they're operational - creating difficulties for those who go out to work and leading to longer queues, too. We agreed that while some councils aren’t actually encouraging the illegal dumping of waste, they’re making it far easier for the less upstanding citizens amongst us, to shrug our shoulders and say: “To hell with it”.
With the costs of clearing up what irresponsible residents and tradespeople have dumped, and the dangers to local folk and wildlife posed by dumped waste which may be contaminated with broken glass and other sharp objects, toxic fluids etc., the system’s ripe for another change, don’t you think?
This Week's News
More than 70% of the cleaning professionals surveyed in the research stated that the rising cost of doing business had the greatest impact on their operations in 2024, with almost 90% believing it will remain a significant factor in 2025. This points to a more sustained challenge than was originally anticipated, given that only a third of cleaning businesses had previously predicted price increases over 2024. Metsä Group announces shortlist for 2025 Sustainability Awards
After months of careful deliberation by the judging panel, the shortlist for the three best entries in each specific Award category, in alphabetical order, are as follows: Cleaning Show 2025 to highlight innovations leading the future of cleaning
With over 130 exhibitors offering solutions to sectors such as facilities management, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and contract cleaning, the show will provide visitors with a first-hand look at the latest innovations in cleaning technology, sustainability, and business management. President and CEO Magnus Groth will leave Essity during 2025
"As president and CEO of first SCA and then Essity, Magnus has successfully listed and led Essity on a significant journey of change over the past 10 years to increase profitability, growth and innovation," explains said Jan Gurander, chairman of the Board. "Through his leadership and commitment, Magnus has played an important role in creating the platform that Essity has for continued global profitable expansion.  Sustainability reporting by major organisations has more than doubled since 1999
International Cleaning Week 2025 set to honour cleaning professionals around the world
For five consecutive years, ISSA has hosted this celebration at the end of March. This year, ISSA will expand engagement opportunities by featuring new resources designed to showcase the cleaning industry's critical role in protecting public health and boosting economic impact.  CHSA: 2024 Scheme Performance announced
Conducting the audits, the Independent Inspector checked over 1,700 labels and 1,000 products across all the Association’s Manufacturing Schemes. Within the Distributor Scheme approximately 31,250 products from Accredited Manufacturers and over 4,000 products from non-accredited manufacturers were checked. The latter were classified as compliant with the relevant scheme at the time of audit. A.I.S.E. invited to open inspiring & sustainable SME HQ
Spectro has a proud 60-year history since this family-run company was established in 1963 manufacturing disinfectant products and has grown today into a leading supplier of cleaning, disinfecting and maintenance products for applications in professional cleaning, food hygiene and vehicle care.  North West expansion as Teesside firm makes second acquisition in two years
Founded in 1962, Caswells Group has spent over 50 years supplying businesses across the country with PPE, janitorial, safety and hose/hydraulic supplies, and has now acquired Cutlers which was founded in 1982, for £1.6million - retaining all 25 of its staff. OCS enhances GKN Aerospace offering
OCS has expanded its service offerings to GKN throughout the years, recently introducing catering including the addition of three-year technical services. The Cleanzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The Cleanzine. If you would like to run a search of the The Cleanzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The Cleanzine:
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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
The Cleaning Show 2025 to highlight innovations leading the future of cleaning
Co Antrim man turns unemployment into thriving cleaning business with Enterprise support
Prochem Europe granted Royal Warrant of Appointment to His Majesty The King
Prochem has held a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II since 2012. Recycled chewing gum helps Northern out of a sticky situation
Simpler Recycling in England: policy update The UK Government recently issued a policy statement that aims to deliver ‘Simpler Recycling’ in England, subject to spending review outcomes. The idea is to facilitate consistent, more streamlined collections from all households, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises, such as schools and hospitals. Sodexo strives to prevent prison leavers from lagging behind in the world of work
Events & Exhibitions WFBSC Global Summit London Cleaning Show The Workplace Event ISSA Pulire 2025 Hygienalia ISSA Show North America |
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