Interclean 2020 - leading the way on sustainable development

With less than 12 years to avert a climate catastrophe, providers in the professional cleaning and hygiene industry have a responsibility to build sustainability into everything they do. Every product, solution and system they develop needs work in a way that minimises the consumption of resources and generates a positive impact on our fragile planet.

That’s why Interclean Amsterdam 2020 is proud to make sustainability a central part of this year’s exhibition. It will show the industry how it can transition to cleaner, greener ways of operating, and explore how companies can make the Circular Economy work for them.

Vendors are looking forward to the chance to showcase the innovations they’ve made to create sustainable products. It’s all part of a huge shift taking place across the industry as companies realise they can no longer rely on a ‘business as usual’ approach to maintain a bright future for the world and everyone in it.

Ecolabelling set to become the difference

A key focus area within sustainability for Interclean Amsterdam 2020 will be ecolabelling. Many companies are rushing to promote products that can claim to be environmentally friendly. There’s a huge market developing for this type of solution, but businesses are still unsure of how to identify the options that’ll have the most impact.

Ecolabelling has emerged as an essential way for companies to differentiate between the products with the backing of industry experts and those that don’t. For vendors, ecolabelling will quickly become an almost mandatory route to market for professional cleaning and hygiene solutions – especially when it comes to the area of cleaning chemicals.

Overall, sustainability and the Circular Economy are areas that many businesses are still truly getting to grips with. That’s why Interclean Amsterdam 2020 will add clarity to the conversation with the appearance of its Zero Waste Dome at the exhibition. Boasting an exciting array of start-up companies and sustainability initiatives, it’ll demonstrate how exhibitors and visitors alike can take their place at the forefront of eco-friendly operations in the professional cleaning and hygiene industry.

Achieving the goal of sustainable development

Interclean Amsterdam’s sustainability activities will be built around the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides a shared blueprint for the future. The Agenda comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), six of which will form the key focus for Interclean.

These include Good Health & Wellbeing, Clean Water & Sanitation, Innovation & Infrastructure, Sustainable Communities, Consumption & Production, and Partnerships. Each of them will inform the various seminars, panels and workshops taking place at Interclean Amsterdam – with visitors able to fully explore the issues, from food waste to water scarcity.

“It’s wonderful to see sustainability become a part of everything we do at Interclean Amsterdam,” said Rob Den Hertog, director of Professional Cleaning & Hygiene at Interclean Amsterdam. “Climate change is the greatest threat we face, and we all know that things have to change. We hope to make the difference by showing the industry how it can make those changes, demonstrating how businesses can thrive as part of the Circular Economy. As always at Interclean, innovation is the future.”

Facility Inspiration Event

On 12, 13 and 14 May facility and hospitality managers can once again take part in the Facility Inspiration Event at the Interclean Amsterdam international exhibition. The Facility Inspiration Event is being organised by Interclean and the facilities consultancy organisation, Atir.

Every day the programme will start with a networking lunch. This will be followed by a seminar programme with a keynote speaker and various sessions. As Marieke Weerts, managing partner at Atir, explains, "We have put together a programme for each day which links up with developments in a segment of the facilities sector. Our aim is to inspire facility and hospitality managers as to how they can respond even more effectively to future needs."

Three days of inspiration per segment
The three days are devoted consecutively to Warehouse & Logistics (helping to optimise the supply chain), Leisure, Retail & Petrol (helping to optimise the customer experience in high traffic environments) and Real Estate & Corporate (helping to create the most ideal work and living environment). Keynote speakers have been arranged for each day who will outline the developments in the segment. For example, trend watcher and futurist Richard van Hooijdonk is scheduled to speak on Tuesday 12 May. He will give visitors an insight into the future of logistics and supply chain management by explaining, for example, how algorithms can help create a fully automatic supply chain and what facility management will look like in the world of automatic transport flows.

'Perception of clean' and neuromarketing
Every day, Josefien ten Have, who is a consumer psychologist at Consumatics, will be introducing visitors to the principles of neuromarketing. The focus will be on the influence of people's subconscious to the 'perception of clean'. During these sessions visitors will gain an insight into the factors which subconsciously contribute to the perception of clean surroundings and the cleaning behaviour of employees. She will provide specific, usable examples for each segment.

Circular world
In cooperation with the ZeroWaste Foundation, which is the driver for circular business operations, a tour is being organised during the Facility Inspiration Event to enable people to find out more about the various start-ups and scale-ups. Participants will be shown concrete examples of circular innovations which are intended specifically for facility management. During the tour visitors will be introduced to, for example, Flynther, a company that makes water-resistant packaging materials, such as waste boxes for hazardous waste produced in the healthcare sector. In addition, The Greenmachine, will present innovations which can be used to reduce waste, for example a dewatering machine which enables savings in terms of (work) space, time and waste costs.

Visitors can take part in the Facility Inspiration Event free of charge and without having to register in advance.

Professional Laundry Conference

Interclean Amsterdam, in partnership with the International Committee of Textile Care (CINET), has announced the addition of the first Professional Laundry Conference to its 2020 exhibition.

The Professional Laundry Conference will take place on Wednesday 13 May from 10.30am to 1pm, offering 150 attendees the chance to explore the opportunities and challenges involved in the on-premise laundry (OPL) sector.

It will be a unique event that brings together leading industry experts to deliver key insights, share best practices and highlight successful business approaches to professional textile care. Set across four sessions, the conference will offer a series of talks, masterclasses and presentations designed to help delegates develop effective approaches to their laundry operations and bring greater value to the wider business.

The Professional Laundry Conference will be powered by CINET, the world’s leading umbrella organisation for global professional textile care industry. Alongside its research projects and other activities, CINET is partnering with Interclean Amsterdam to share the latest developments in textile care and OPL.

Discovering the power of professional textile care

The Professional Laundry Conference will kick off with a welcome address by the moderator – Leon Wennekes, the Secretary General of CINET. Peter Wennekes, President & CEO of CINET, will then discuss the major trends shaping the world of professional textile care.

Another expert talk will see Geert Böttger, CEO of Expo+Consulting Associates, explore the differences between laundry and professional textile care. He will outline the key values of textile care, highlight how it can achieve a positive societal impact, and outline important market developments – alongside a roadmap for the future of the sector.

A highlight of the conference will be the Professional Textile Care Master Class. This will feature an exploration of best practices led by Dr Henk Gooijer, the Technical Project Director for TKT, and Simon Hemmes, Technical Consultant & former Senior Application Specialist at Diversey. As well as looking at approaches to laundry flow and design, the session will help companies find their way on important topics like green cleaning, sustainability and automation.

Delegates will also be able to enjoy the presentation of three business cases from across a range of market segments and territories. From strategic partnerships to laundry-on-demand, the last session of the day will offer a more practical understanding of how to improve laundry operations and their total cost of ownership.

The Professional Laundry Conference will be a fascinating new addition to the wider Interclean Amsterdam event – underlining its ability to lead the way in the professional cleaning and hygiene industry.

“We’re excited to be bringing the Professional Laundry Conference to Interclean Amsterdam this year,” said Rob Den Hertog, Director of Professional Cleaning & Hygiene at Interclean Amsterdam. “Not only will it be a great opportunity for our visitors to hear from the top experts in the field, but it’ll also be yet another chance to network and connect with peers – exploring solutions to each other’s challenges. It’s what Interclean Amsterdam is all about.”

“It’s a privilege to work in partnership with Interclean Amsterdam on the Professional Laundry Conference,” said Leon Wennekes, Secretary General of CINET. “There are so many ways in which businesses can improve their operations through effective professional textile care. We’re looking forward to sharing our experts’ insights and helping Interclean attendees discover the latest innovations in this area.”

To find out more, and to register for a FREE place at the Professional Laundry Conference, get in touch with r.stelling@rai.nl