The cleaning sector's role in sustainability

IN 2018 UhUb received the Planet Mark certification, the first App-based business to do so, and the certification ensures the company targets the reduction of carbon emissions with a focus on being carbon positive, while minimising water consumption and wastage.  

The company decided it needed to go further and spread the word, so last year it launched the Time For Action programme in association with the WWF and Planet Mark, an event that is planned to run yearly.  

Last March UhUb was joined by more than 100 guests for a day of hubTalks and discussions on how the cleaning sector can play its part in protecting our planet.   As this year's event had to be cancelled, the company was keen to understand and share how the guests from last year were influenced by the day - and how they moved forward with their sustainability agenda. Guests were asked the following questions: 

What was your key takeout from the UhUb Time For Action conference last year?

According to Ian Hookway, MD of City & Essex, the main thing he took was a validation that City & Essex was on the right track with its sustainability goals and initiatives. "It gave us an added determination and focus to push forward with what we were doing, even during the struggles with the pandemic," he said. "We were aware of how humans are destroying our planet but not to the degree evidenced by the figures shared by the WWF on the day."

Adam Cowper-Smith, owner of Soft Service Solutions, added: "It highlighted the importance of working together and collaborating with likeminded people to promote sustainability and protect the environment.  I was impressed by the diversity of the attendees and their enthusiasm to get involved."

Did the event inspire you to take action to improve your sustainability credentials?

Hookway noted: "We were already exploring the Greenspeed range of probiotics and we found the passion and enthusiasm for sustainability and probiotics for our industry espoused in their hubTalks, by both Michel DeBruin, CEO of Greenspeed, and Gary Fage, MD of Janitorial Express Eco, very inspiring. As a consequence, we have changed our whole product range to Greenspeed and deployed product training on UhUb for our teams. This has been very well received by our clients as it fits with their own sustainability initiatives. We had also embarked on the journey to attaining the Planet Mark certification and we have followed this through. We were very proud to have our accreditation confirmed last year."

Jamie Bull, FD at DOC found a speech from Gary Fage really interesting, and added: "It was great to hear what they are doing with regards to the circular economy, which in turn has allowed us to kick on and introduce certain improvements with our own supply chain. We have also gone through a thorough process to test and implement the ProBio cleaning range from Greenspeed. Coupled with our other ‘pure’ water cleaning systems, we have made a drastic reduction in the quantity of cleaning chemicals that are being used."

The event inspired Elad Amir, MD of Design Cleaning to go further and do more towards a sustainable service provision. Glad explained: "Firstly, we only use either public transport or electric vehicles. Also, all of our paper products, which are sold to clients are made from 100% recycled drink cartoons, helping clients to save hundreds of trees and reduce thousands of Kilotons Co2 each year. We also changed 90% of our cleaning products to synbiotics (probiotics & prebiotics)."

UhUb will return to WWF for another Time for Action event in 2022, and in the meantime will be continuing to create partnerships with other ethical organisations who can assist in our clients sustainability progress through learning and information, and on through their own supply chains and service users.

For more information visit www.uhub.co.com