Greener cleaning
June 1st 2008

Robert Scott & Sons is extending its range of eco-friendly products to both the retail and professional sectors.Alternative fibres and recycling play a large part in the products' success

As concerns for the environment continue to effect all businesses and individuals throughout the UK, it is more than appropriate that the cleaning industry, both professional janitorial and consumer orientated companies, should be one of the leading lights in encouraging us to seek alternative and environmentally sound ways of keeping our business premises and homes clean.

The problems associated with cleanliness are highlighted by the MSRA outbreak in hospitals and increasing amounts of chemicals are used in cleaning our homes.This has caused many manufacturers and suppliers within the industry to look at new materials to help combat these problems and encouraged them to look at alternatives to material such as cotton and manmade fibres, as well as to look at the use of recycled products such as plastics and general packaging materials.

Bamboo fibre Over the past few years Robert Scott, a manufacturer and single source supplier of professional cleaning and related products, has developed waterless cleaning systems and researched alternative materials from which to manufacture core products.

In 2007 the company announced the launch of a range of bamboo fibre cloths, which Robert Scott says have proved a huge success both in the retail and professional sectors.

"Bamboo is a fantastic, it's inherently anti-bacterial, absorbent, strong and very fast growing – hence the reason for so few chemicals in the production of Bamboo fibre compared to the growing of cotton," explains Alastair Scott,marketing director."Bamboo can grow to the same height in 60 days that it takes a tree 60 years to reach, so not only is Bamboo 'green' in using fewer chemicals, it leads to less deforestation and provides an economically viable crop for farmers to produce.

"It is a naturally regenerating crop growing three times as fast as cotton and is therefore a totally renewable resource.

Green products now and in the future "As well as our venture into Bamboo we have also recently launched a range of Organic Cotton cloths, a product for which we have successfully gained Soil Association Accreditation.These have been taken up by some of the UK's leading retailers and are now being looked at seriously by the professional sector as well.

"In July we launch a new range of plastic buckets made entirely from recycled plastic, which although only available presently in black will,we are sure, attract a lot of attention from the professional sector – especially those companies now looking to play their part in the environmental challenges of today's market. It is also worth noting that for many years now our range of dish cloths, manufactured at our greenfield sites, have been made from recycled clothing materials, collected and then re-spun by us in the UK – no air miles to take into consideration and a totally ecofriendly recycled product.

"As a company concerned for the future we are, as described above, doing our best to ensure that we have an ever increasing range of environmentally friendly products within our product portfolio and will continue to encourage their use both within the retail and professional sectors of our industry." For more information call the number below.

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