Solving problems with bio logic
August 1st 2008

Mike James, MD of Bio-Productions, is an official Green Hero. But he's not about to don a cape and wear pants over his trousers,preferring instead to quietly carry on solving janitorial problems with less harmful solutions.Brendan Coyne reports

We didn't start out to be green and cranky but realised there were some problems not being solved by conventional chemicals, or even dangerous chemicals," explains Bio- Productions MD,Mike James."We looked at various problems and adapted our technology to solve them. One of the first examples was a 'safer' to use drain unclogger, an enzyme-based product which worked as quickly as domestic strength caustic. It was called FLOWFREE and went on the retail shelves with Rentokil nearly 20 years ago.

That's been our business model ever since." The Green Heroes award was for its water saving urinal block, which also solves smell and blockage issues by eating bacteria and removing calcium build up.As with other Bio-Productions products, it was developed as a solution to a common problem after James visited a urinal containing 27 blocks.He reckons the reduced flushing enabled by the Toss Block (the product is naturally flushed down the urinal every time someone takes a pee) can save around £100 per urinal per year.And that's not to mention blockages, which he says is becoming a major issue with waterless urinals.

"We've been approached for help by the two largest manufacturers of waterless urinals in the USA.There are now legal claims surfacing because the urinals are blocking, causing huge problems. Because they have been designed into buildings without any flushing water or pipe work, they have a big task on their hands to solve the problem." James says the Toss Block can help, but only if the pipe work isn't totally blocked, so product can pass through pipe work and remove the build-up.

Not just urinals Alongside what James admits are some 'me too' products covering the broader janitorial market, Bio-Productions'best selling line is another 'greener'product – a general purpose cleaning agent based on orange oil."Dudley Messenger, our chemist, developed a product called Citra Clean concentrate, which has been our biggest seller ever since. It's a universal cleaner with a relatively low pH that cleans just about everything you can think of." He says customers keep buying the product because they keep finding new uses for it."And it cuts the number of products needed in the janitorial cupboard, simplifies training and saves them money – the loyalty from customers for those products is amazing."

Green or greenbacks? James admits the firm's product line isn't entirely environmentally friendly."But what is? So-called hybrid cars are powered by batteries that take huge resources to create and a long time to break down." However, he feels strongly that some clever marketeers are taking advantage of a perceived swing towards 'greener'products.

"It's only natural that people jump on the bandwagon, but is it a genuine environmental concern or just a way to make money? There are a number of products being touted in this industry that aren't particularly environmentally friendly and create one hell of a carbon footprint." The problem, he says, is that a buyer's job, unless they specialise in one area, covers a vast range of products."The buyer is reliant on the salesperson to provide correct information. If they are misled, what can they do? But there is no point in putting to market a product that doesn't do what it says, because people will only buy it once. And the cowboys, like fly tippers, will move on." In the meantime, James hopes the Green Heroes award will help confirm Bio-Production's reputation as a progressive, solutions-driven company. Has he had much recognition since the award? "Only when I start wearing my underpants outside my trousers and donning a cape will people realise I'm a green hero," he says.

He didn't, however, rule it out entirely...

More articles from Bio-Productions Ltd: