Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 10th October 2024 Issue no. 1133
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A Roadmap to Sustainability
Sustainability is one of the biggest issues facing the cleaning and hygiene sector, but it’s not an easy one. The industry is highly competitive and operates on very tight margins. Many in the sector are without resources dedicated to this issue. This combination means it’s difficult, if not impossible for some, to address the complexities of ethical and environmental sustainability. Afterall, it takes real expertise to conduct a detailed life cycle analysis of the environmental impact of a product or service, or to distinguish between greenwashing from substantive claims made by suppliers.
Despite this, whether large or small, global or local, CHSA members are committed to a sustainable future. It’s essential for long-term commercial success, as buyers become more informed and with recruitment continuing to be tough, an authentic sustainability story can be a magnet for the best talent. Employees wanting to feel proud of where they work. More than all this, however, our members know it’s the right thing to do, today and for future generations.
CHSA members are using the CHSA’s Roadmap to Sustainability as the framework for their sustainability strategies. At its core, ethical and environmental sustainability is about creating products or services that are not wasteful at any point in their lifecycle, from inception to the end of life. The Roadmap, therefore, is founded on the principle of treading lightly in all areas of the business, including the social dimension.
More information on the Roadmap is available on the CHSA’s website: https://chsa.co.uk/roadmap-to-sustainability/
Reporting on sustainability in the cleaning industry
Buyers of cleaning and hygiene products want to do the right thing but knowing what to specify is not easy. To help, the CHSA asked its members to address three key questions:
- What are the major carbon-reduction initiatives/changes taking place in the industry?
- What types of initiative/approach should be specified in tenders?
- What should buyers be aware of/avoid and how do they identify greenwashing claims?
The answers have been compiled into a report, published in the CHSA’s website: https://chsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Members-Results-Final.pdf
The carbon-reduction initiatives identified include innovations in the design and manufacture of products and packaging, and investment designed to improve energy efficiency and carbon reduction. CHSA members say buyers should expect their suppliers to have a sustainability strategy, detailing substantive initiatives for measuring and reducing carbon emissions. The report also identifies tactics for spotting greenwashing claims. These include being wary of absolute product claims.
What does biodegradable really mean?
Spurious, misleading and unsubstantiated claims about the environmental credentials of cleaning and hygiene products and services are all too common in the industry. Thanks to a glossary published by the CHSA, buyers can successfully navigate these claims .
Produced by experts within the CHSA membership, the Glossary defines a range of terms including ‘biodegradability’, ‘non-toxic’ ‘natural’ and ‘chemical-free’ and advises buyers to ask for evidence to support claims.
The Glossary is available on the CHSA’s website: https://chsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Guidance-for-Buyers-Cleaning-Chemicals-Glossary-1.pdf
The CHSA’s advice to buyers is simple. Be cautious
- Be sceptical. If a claim sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Ask for supporting evidence. Reputable companies should be willing and able to show you data sheets, reports, certificates or other evidence to support the claims made for their products.
- Ask for test reports to show conformance to specification or the micro profile when looking at biocidal products. This will show the dilution rates and conditions under which the product will eliminate particular organisms.
- Buy from a reputable supplier with a track record.
- Specify CHSA Accreditation. Our Standards, Your Guarantee.
Incorporating the Green Claims Code
Every CHSA member signs its rigorous Code of Practice. Combined with the Accreditation Schemes is means CHSA members:
- Trade ethically and sustainably;
- Provide supporting information for claims made;
- Provide quality, fit for purpose products; and
- Make sure what’s on the box is what’s in the box.
This year the Association incorporated the Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code. The CHSA’s Code of Practice now also requires members to make sure all green claims:
- Be truthful and accurate: Businesses must live up to the claims they make about their products, services, brands and activities.
- Be clear and unambiguous: The meaning that a consumer is likely to take from a product’s messaging and the credentials of that product should match.
- Not omit or hide important information: Claims must not prevent someone from making an informed choice because of the information they leave out.
- Only make fair and meaningful comparisons: Any products compared should meet the same needs or be intended for the same purpose.
- Consider the full life cycle of the product: When making claims, businesses must consider the total impact of a product or service. Claims can be misleading where they don’t reflect the overall impact or where they focus on one aspect of it but not another.
- Be substantiated: Businesses should be able to back up their claims with robust, credible and up to date evidence, preferably third party certification.
Understanding EPR
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) came into effect earlier this year. It means producers of packaging that gets disposed of in the home setting are responsible for the cost of the recycling of the packaging once the product has been consumed. Its purpose is to encourage a circular economy in which resources are used for as long as possible.
The CHSA’s Fact Sheet explains who is affected and how they are classified. It also identifies what companies need to do to comply.
The Fact Sheet is available on the CHSA website: https://chsa.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/EPR-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf
Roadmap to Sustainability – The Five Pillars
The CHSA’s Roadmap to Sustainability identifies five fundamental pillars.
Pillar 1: Product, as it is received, used and disposed of by the end user
Design and develop products based on the principle of producing more product with fewer resources. A good example is the use of concentrates instead of ready to use formulations. Reduce waste is also key. Design the product to increase the recapture of resources at the end of the lifecycle and where this is not possible, review the end-of-life disposal options, with the aim of moving up the waste hierarchy, away from landfill.
Pillar 2: All the packaging of a product, throughout the supply chain
This includes manufacturer’s packaging as well as that used by distributors as they re-pack the product for its last few miles to the end user.
The goal is a minimalistic approach. Less is definitely more, both in terms of the amount of packaging used and the resources required for its production. Talk to colleagues up and down the supply chain to eliminate over-packaging and think laterally to reduce it further.
Design the packaging to simplify the waste stream. Make it as easy as possible to get it into the right stream. This means, for example, thinking about the ease with which labels can be removed so pallet wrap can be more easily recycled in the UK, with increasing quality of recyclate.
Pillar 3: Transportation, encompassing the movement of raw materials and delivery of product to the end user
This pillar is complex so the advice for those at the beginning of their sustainability journey is to keep it simple and focus on a few key principles:
- Design the product to optimise palletisation and vehicle usage so more can be transported in the same space. A typical example is to use concentrate in place of ready-to-use formulations.
- Opt for reduced emission transport options wherever possible. This includes, for example, transitioning to electric vehicles. Remember, all vehicle fleets must be fully electric by 2030.
- Collaborate with customers to optimise loads and delivery routes. If they need a little persuading, become a thought leader. Understand their resistance and work with your suppliers to develop the well-evidenced arguments you need to overcome it.
Pillar 4: Social values, including mental wellbeing and personal development.
Mental wellbeing, personal development and corporate social responsibility sit in this pillar. Most businesses are already doing much more than they realise. The advice is to pause, notice and celebrate everything being done already. It also a good idea to empower the team. It can really boost retention, offering opportunities for personal and career development.
This pillar also covers the overall ethical approach of the business. It includes responsible sourcing throughout the supply chain, prompt payment terms and policies covering issues like modern slavery.
Pillar 5: Corporate environmental impact covering waste, emissions and water.
This area can feel intimidating, so start with a few basics.
Reduce waste to landfill. The ultimate goal is Zero Waste to Landfill Certification. The Certification process itself is valuable as it requires the company to understand and analyse in detail every waste stream. We have published a case study on our website and are in the process of completing a fact sheet, both designed to support members.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from, for example, the generation of purchased electricity, and Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions from the company’s value chain. Set targets for reducing these emissions and then develop and implement strategies to reach the targets.
Optimise water use. The first step is to understand existing water usage. For example, is it grey or drinking water? What are spillage and leakage rates? What is the quality of discharged water?
5th October 2023