Working to a sustainable future

Working towards a sustainable future is incredibly challenging because identifying the most sustainable option is not easy. The CHSA report, titled Sustainability and the Cleaning Industry helps. It answers to three important and wide ranging questions: 

1. What are the major carbon-reduction initiatives and changes taking place in the industry? 
2. What types of initiative or approach should be specified in tenders? 
3. What should buyers be aware of or avoid and how do they identify greenwashing claims?  

The major carbon-reduction Initiatives 

The key philosophy underpinning the approach here is the is the move towards the circular economy of ‘re-use, re-manufacture, repair, recycle’, and away from the linear approach of ‘take, make, use, throw’. Making this transition requires systemic change that optimizes material and energy streams to support the best environmental performance. Achieving this change requires significant investment and a clear commitment at every level of the business. 

Manufacturers committed to environmental sustainability will design-in recyclability at the end of the product’s life cycle. Care will also be taken in the materials used in the manufacturing process. Adhering to the adage that less is more for product and packaging, sustainable manufactures aim to minimize the use of materials. However, there is often a balance between the use of re-cycled and fresh raw materials as the efficacy of the product and packaging and the overall environmental impact needs to considered. For example, manufacturing a soft tissue product with re-cycled fibre may produce an inferior quality and a lot of waste during production. 

The two big areas of focus for transport and distribution are the vehicles themselves and delivery efficiency. Investment in expensive electric vehicles may be the attention-catching headline but the cumulative return on improving delivery efficiency can be significant. Investing in route planning software to reduce transport miles and working with customers to help them accept large, less frequent and less urgent deliveries is valuable. 

In relation to corporate environmental impact, many manufacturing processes are energy intensive. Adopting renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and investing in technologies and processes that improve energy efficiency offer an alternative. 

Initiatives to specify in tenders 

To identify the most sustainable solution, buyers need to develop a consistent approach for responsible supplier assessment. The first step is to require a sustainability strategy, which includes a life cycle assessment of carbon emissions, quantified and measured independently where possible. To evaluate the strategy, our advice is that buyers ask for information on the resources their potential suppliers are committing to sustainability. It will indicate their seriousness. Seeking independent certifications is also important. For example FSC or PEFC address responsible forestry, sustainable sourcing and chain of custody. EcoVardis, CDP and Sedex are tools that monitor your supply chain’s sustainability. Finally, it’s important to instigate quality assurance checks post award of the tender. They should include site visits and relevant audits. 

Identify and avoid greenwashing claims 

To avoid being caught out by greenwashing claims, buyers need to be informed. This means knowing about and understanding legislative developments. It also means understanding the truth of terms like ‘biodegradeable’, ‘compostable’, ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘natural’. Buyers must also consider the whole lifecycle and instead of taking product and service sustainability claims at face value, buyers need to challenge them, asking for evidence. In particular, beware absolute claims. It is impossible to have, for example, zero environmental impact or be 100% sustainable and no plastic sack is made from 100% recycled material. Greenwashing claims also often focus on one aspect of the product’s lifecycle while ignoring others such as transport, disposal or the use of hazardous materials.  

Lorcan Mekitarian is chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association

The full report as well as more information and resources are available on the CHSA website: https://chsa.co.uk/roadmap-to-sustainability/.