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Principle Cleaning goes CarbonNeutral
Principle Cleaning Services has become a certified CarbonNeutral company. To achieve CarbonNeutral certification, the London based cleaning company is working with The CarbonNeutral Company, a provider of carbon reduction solutions.
Principle Cleaning Services has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol, the global standard for carbon neutral certification. The programme involves an independent assessment of the CO? emissions produced from company operations followed by an offset-inclusive emissions reduction programme. This means that for every one tonne of GHG emissions that Principle Cleaning produces, it purchases a verified carbon offset which guarantees an equivalent amount of GHG emissions is reduced from the atmosphere through a clean technology project.
Peter Smith, managing director of Principle Cleaning Services, said: “Whilst the company will always prioritise the reduction of the carbon emissions associated with our business activities, we also recognise the need to be accountable for the residual emissions. In accordance with our commitment to environmental issues, we consider it necessary to implement a carbon offsetting programme to account for the emissions we cannot reduce further. This is an exciting and positive step forward for Principle Cleaning and we look forward to a long and successful relationship with The CarbonNeutral Company.”
Rebecca Fay, marketing director of the CarbonNeutral Company, said: “By choosing a net zero emissions target, Principle Cleaning has taken the strongest possible position on carbon. As businesses face increasing pressure to manage the environmental impact of their supply chain, Principle Cleaning’s CarbonNeutral certification presents a clear and credible solution.”
www.principlecleaning.com
New poll highlights healthcare issues
The healthcare industry is being given the chance to voice its opinion on the major challenges it faces for the future in a new online poll. The poll, run on the www.cleanleanhealthcare.org blog, allows visitors to anonymously highlight their highest priority areas of concern facing the healthcare sector today, with the results being instantly displayed.
The cleanleanhealthcare.org blog - run by Jigsaw Cleaning Systems - is a new interactive medium highlighting the issues facing healthcare organisations, helping them to understand priorities and areas for improvement. The blog will feature regular articles from the leading names in the healthcare industry with opinion polls and sector statistics.
Visitors to the site can participate in the first poll - ‘What is the biggest issue facing healthcare organisations today?’ Votes can be recorded by clicking on one of the issues which include cleanliness of premises, safety around buildings, commitment to the environment, cleanliness of staff, saving time and money, and information about hygiene standards.
James Blackhurst, managing director of Jigsaw Cleaning Systems, said: “Healthcare organisations and the NHS in particular are in the midst of major reform with budgets being cut substantially. It is now vital that the service is efficient and reaches the highest standards. This poll presents the opportunity for people across the industry, as well as the public, to highlight their own priorities. As a business, we want to listen to the industry and this is just one way we will be communicating with the various organisations and individuals across the board. We would welcome guest bloggers from any part of the industry.”
www.jigsawcleaningsystems.co.uk
Developments at Dry Fusion UK following buyout down-under
Lancashire based carpet cleaning company Dry Fusion UK Ltd is set to benefit from the surprise acquisition of its antipodean parent company Dry Fusion Australia. E D Oates Pty Ltd, (a wholly owned division of GUD Holdings Ltd), located in Melbourne Australia, acquired ownership of the chemical product range and brands of Research Products, Citrus Resources and Dry Fusion Australia.
Oates is the biggest supplier of janitorial products in Australia, leading the market both in the industrial and retail segments. This acquisition not only complements its existing infrastructure but adds further strength to its market leading position in the region.
The new development comes at a opportune time for Dry Fusion UK which only unveiled a revamped version of its innovative dry carpet cleaning system in 2010 and formally launched its complementary upholstery cleaning system, Cristal Fusion, at this year’s Cleaning Show.
Headed by managing director Shaun Bradbury, Dry Fusion UK is a thriving independent business in its own right, but the prospect of working in tandem with such a well established and flourishing company of worldwide renown is an exciting prospect. Bradbury said: “For many years Dry Fusion UK has been left to carve its own niche in the UK and European markets, but the new impetus afforded by the arrival of E D Oates Pty Ltd allows us a refreshing and stimulating vision for the future. We are very keen to work with them in streamlining the Dry Fusion brand and raising awareness of its quality of product and service globally. First on the agenda is a new website and a new and exciting creative approach, aptly titled ‘World of Fusion’.”
Notwithstanding the current challenging economic pressures, David Birch, CEO of E D Oates Pty Ltd, is confident that he can take the Dry Fusion brand to a new level - not only in Australia but throughout Europe and America. He said: “With the world economy facing some significant challenges in the months ahead, at Oates we continue to position our brands as a strong value for money proposition for both our customers and consumers. Oates will continue to work closely with our trade partners, such as Dry Fusion UK, to ensure that we offer a quality product and reliable supply.”
One change that will be implemented very quickly is transferring the manufacture of Research Products and Citrus Resources chemicals destined for the UK market from Australia to the UK. The agreement to appoint Bradbury’s other company, Cleanerswarehouse, as exclusive European distributor for the Citrus and Research brands has now been completed and will run alongside the developments underway with the Dry Fusion brand. Under the agreement, all manufacturing will be done under license in the UK from April this year. Bradbury explained: “In this day and age transporting chemicals from one side of the world to the other is no longer an option. Our industry is fast becoming conscious of its environmental responsibilities and I think that the future of the cleaning industry has to be ‘greener’. Like so many others we have to rise to the challenge and explore ways of reducing our carbon footprint. With the approval of Oates, we are delighted to be able to make this positive change - the first of many!”
www.dryfusionuk.com
www.cleanerswarehouse.com
Consternation as youth unemployment is predicted to rise
Demos, the influential left-of-centre think-tank, has warned that the threat of youth unemployment is being severely underestimated and that the number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds is likely to grow to 1.2 million by 2015. Its forthcoming report - The Forgotten Half - looks at the career path of young people who do not go to university, and calls for national insurance contributions for under-25s to either be waived or reduced in order to encourage more young people to enter the workplace.
In 2009 the number of school-leavers not in education, work or training surpassed a million. Demos warned that while youth unemployment in the 1990s hovered around 10% and 15%, the recession has made 20% the new norm.
Mark Woodhead, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said: “This report paints a very worrying picture for the future and we must do everything we can to ensure that the talents and enthusiasm of the generation now entering the workplace are properly used. We desperately need to ensure that young people have access to rewarding careers in the cleaning industry and that employers have the means and incentives to provide them with jobs. We call on the government to follow through with its commitment to apprenticeships, and implement progressive tax measures to make it more efficient to hire and retain workers embarking on their careers.”
Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics is soon to publish the figure for the period between October and December last year, with some economists predicting another rise. Unemployment figures published recently showed that 965,000 16 to 24-year-olds are unemployed, the highest level since records began in 1992.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
Diversey extends partnership withThe Consumer Goods Forum
Diversey and The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), an independent global business network for consumer retailers and manufacturers, have announced a three-year extension of their partnership to provide technical expertise and best practices leadership for the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Under the partnership, Diversey’s food safety experts will actively participate in the GFSI Technical Working Group and provide counsel on food safety auditing and training services as well as sanitation and food safety guidelines in the food service, retail and manufacturing environments.
“The safety of the world’s food supply is vitally important to the future and sustainability of the world’s population,” said Pedro Chidichimo, Diversey’s president of global customer solutions and innovation. “We are pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with the CGF, bringing focused attention to the issues and trends of food safety and providing Diversey’s expertise in sanitation and public health.”
As a partner to the GFSI, Diversey will support a global food safety think-tank panel to deliver thought leadership and research around food safety which will build on the jointly developed Food Safety 2020 project. Launched in 2010, the Food Safety 2020 project has surveyed the food safety community about the trends and issues most likely to face the industry in the next 10 years. The project continues to provide active dialogue and best practices sharing around issues such as new technologies, biological risks, supply chain and food contamination.
“The Consumer Goods Forum looks forward to continuing its work with Diversey in promoting improvements to food safety standards globally,” said Jean-Marc Saubade, managing director, the Consumer Goods Forum. “Diversey provides a wealth of expertise and support to pursue the development of GFSI’s mission to provide continuous improvement of food safety to ensure the delivery of safe food to consumers.”
www.diversey.com
www.theconsumergoodsforum.com
Environmental Scientifics Group acquires two new companies
Environmental Scientifics Group (ESG), a leading environmental compliance specialist, has announced the addition of two new companies into the group - Henley Water Ltd and Q-Lab Ltd.
Henley Water Ltd, based in Amersham, provides comprehensive bespoke water treatment and water hygiene solutions to the property and facility management markets. This acquisition complements ESG’s existing capability by bringing significant expertise in the area of water treatment technology.
Q-Lab is a leading Irish laboratory offering solutions in water and food analysis throughout Ireland and has been offering its customer base INAB accredited testing services for the past 15 years. These acquisitions add six new labs and 35 employees to the group as well as an additional 700 customers.
Alex Sleeth, CEO, Environmental Scientifics Group, said: “Henley Water and Q-Labs are exciting additions to Environmental Scientifics Group as they expand our capabilities in food and water testing as well as our geographical coverage. Both companies are built on strong customer service foundations and so are an excellent fit with ESG. Additionally, they are our first acquisitions since taking over the lead role in the group following the disbandment of Inspicio, and are a testament to the continued support of our majority shareholder 3i and funds managed by 3i, which will enable us to continue the growth of the business.”
www.esg.co.uk
