Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 10th October 2024 Issue no. 1133
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Greyland: delivering a sustainable range of cost-effective products
Since 1999, Greyland has been manufacturing and providing top-notch industrial chemicals & cleaning products, to hundreds of customers all over Europe and over the years it has become renowned for its groundbreaking sustainability initiatives.
A Planet Mark certified business based in Greater Manchester, the company has been recognised for its continuous improvement towards reducing its carbon footprint as a business. The Planet Mark Business Certification is an internationally recognised sustainability certification for all organisations acknowledging continuous progress, encouraging action and building an empowered community of like-minded individuals.
“It is an incredible achievement involving the whole business and it shows how hard we have worked towards reducing our impact on the environment,” says CEO Richard Dyson.
“We’ve always been environmentally conscious, delivering a sustainable range of cost-effective products for a wide variety of applications, but one of the things that has set us apart is our early recognition of the issues regarding the use of plastics and how harmful plastics are to our environment. All our containers are fully recyclable, with the vast majority containing an impressive 40% UK recycled polymer. We were proud to be the first UK manufacturer in our market sector to take these steps in eliminating harmful plastics from the environment, significantly reducing our carbon footprint at the same time.
"Recycling plant investment and capacity in the UK and Europe is woefully short of where it should be and some UK plastic bottle manufacturers are importing recycled polymer from across the globe. Their clients are marketing the products within them as using up to 100% recycled polymer yet they have conveniently forgotten to reveal the full extent of their newly extended carbon footprint as a result of the origin of the plastic bottles.”
Richard and the team at Greyland are also proud that through their commitment to Planet Mark, they are helping charities such as Cool Earth who work alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation. “Our pledge goes directly towards supporting the Asháninka community in Central Peru and as a result, we are proud to say that as a business we have protected an area of endangered rainforest,” explains Richard.
“We are also making donations to The Eden Project - the educational charity connecting us with each other, the living world and exploring how we can work towards a better future.
Richard feels that, in the UK cleaning industry, when it comes to 'proper' closed loop recycling, Greyland has it as good as it can be.
"Publicising our efforts in this way is actually a 'cry for help' for others to try harder,” he admits. “Frankly, we would rather not be in this exclusive position, and we are not gloating because of it. New single use plastic taxes will be coming in shortly. But rather than tax us, why won’t the Government invest? Most plastic bottle manufacturers are doing their bit by reducing the weight of their containers by including less plastic content in them. If the thanks they then get for their efforts is a higher tax bill – and of course the extra taxes collected won’t get reinvested in UK plastics recycling plants - where does that leave them… the chemical manufacturer, the distributor, and the end user?"
Leaving the issues aside, Greyland boasts:
• New Biotech-developed lines with UK-cultivated bacteria and enzymes from a sustainable source within 50 miles of Greyland's factory
• New, powerful Super Concentrates, which can produce up to 266 trigger spray bottle refills per case of 2x2-litres, thus facilitating a huge reduction in the use of plastic containers
• A 250-mile closed loop of its 40% UK recycled containers completes the package, giving Greyland a very high Planet Mark rating of its whole business
• Founder membership of CMAS - the new UK & Ireland cleaning chemical manufacturers Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Accreditation scheme, meaning the company is regulated in every way and is certainly a safe, sustainable manufacturer with which to do business.
Maximum Eco range…
One of the ranges for which Greyland is best known is Maximum Eco, which comprises a mixture of probiotic enzyme-based products and water based products, made from plant-based, environmentally-friendly ingredients to be fully user-friendly and biodegradable. They are powerful, effective and safer than many cleaning chemicals currently in use. All are non-toxic, non-flammable, noncarcinogenic and non-harmful to marine and aquatic life.
“Our traditional Maximum Eco range probiotics contain eco-friendly bacteria which colonise surfaces and break down organic matters making it easy to remove soiling, leaving a long-term cleaning effect whilst eliminating odours,” explains Richard. “It complies with all the current legislation including EC Detergent Regulation 648/2004 & REACH 1907/2006.
Biotech range…
Maximum Eco includes a range of products based on the latest biotechnology.
“Biotech products have seen a vast uplift in recent years,” says Richard. “They work by using eco-friendly bacteria to colonise surfaces. Enzymes are then produced which break down organic matters such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins. By doing this, these products are able to effectively remove soiling for a long-term cleaning effect and help to eliminate unpleasant odours. Due to the noncorrosive nature of probiotic cleaners in use, surfaces are not damaged by their regular application.”
Super Concentrate range…
The Maximum Eco Super Concentrate range combines optimum performance with environmental sustainability and cost-in-use for many different sectors. Products can be accurately dispensed into refillable trigger bottle made from recycled polymer, a bucket, pelican pump or dispensed via an on wall dispensing system. Each 2x2-litre product can produce 266 trigger bottles or 50x1-litre toilet cleaner bottles.
Greyland offers an ‘own label’ service if required.
As well as being ISO 9001 and 14001 compliant, Greyland is a long-valued member of the Green Business recycling network, Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association, UK Cleaning Products Industry Association and the British Safety Council.
5th October 2023