The opportunities of 2025 

ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES in the UK continue to be difficult as the government looks for growth. This is potentially made much more complex by UK’s attempts to re-set trade relations with the European Union while developing a close relationship with the new US administration. Against this backdrop, how are cleaning and hygiene companies to capitalise on these opportunities? 

Sustainable solutions

Buyers and end users of cleaning and hygiene products continue to demand sustainable solutions. However, the commercial reality of limited growth and global uncertainty means it is not sustainability at all costs. Dealing with tight margins and demanding customers, buyers of these products will not compromise on performance, time or cost. This leaves them vulnerable to greenwashing as wafer thin, or even worse,spurious or meaningless green claims are papered onto products and services. We find labels like non-toxic, natural, and biodegradable on all sorts of products in our sector but unless they have clear definitions that include methodologies and criteria, they are unreliable.

Where there is a claim about environmental sustainability buyers need to interrogate it. They need to ask for evidence and independent third-party verification. Reputable companies will be happy to provide the verifiable evidence that supports their claims. They also need to look for companies that have signed up to the Competition & Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code. The code sets out six clear criteria, including be truthful and accurate and be clear and unambiguous. Essentially it requires companies to be honest and transparent. We embedded the Green Claims Code into our Code of Practice three years ago. 

The companies that demystify sustainability and work collaboratively with their customers will be the ones who succeed for the long term. Those grabbing a quick headline with a seductive but unsubstantiated claim will fall by the wayside. To help buyers differentiate between the two, we are hosting a panel discussion at the Cleaning Show – Sustainability: Why Regulations Matter. The panel of experts will cover the latest regulations and guide buyers on what to look for.

Innovation in the market

In a mature market, where price is a key factor, innovation is the lifeblood. It’s not surprising it’s at the forefront for our members. Whether it is new dosing systems or formulations in the cleaning chemicals, new manufacturing techniques and materials in soft tissue and in plastic sacks, innovation is taking place everywhere. 

To be really successful, innovation needs to happen across the business, not just in product and service development. Our members are investing in new technologies such as distribution routing software to innovate their business processes. Getting this right is just as much a plus for sustainability as it is for customer satisfaction. 

Artificial intelligence

The industrial revolution transformed and mechanised manual jobs. It is now widely argued that artificial intelligence is set to transform jobs dependent on human intelligence. 

We are at the very beginning of the AI revolution, a revolution that may be about to be catalysed by DeepSeek, the low-cost Chinese AI model that requires far less processing power. New tasks are likely to be automated, productivity increased and smart factories, using intelligent machines and networks, may be able to significantly accelerate improvement. There is also plenty of potential to exploit AI in relation to sustainability and product innovation. A smarter industry will sit hand-in-hand with a more sustainable one. Capitalising on the potential is going to require a good understanding of current technologies and the vision to see how they can impact and transform our industry.

There are exciting times ahead for our industry, with some big opportunities for us all in 2025. To make the most of them companies will need to be informed, open-minded. They will also need to build substantive long-term relationships based on trust and transparency.

@CHSACleaning 
For more information, visit: www.CHSA.co.uk 

Tel: 0800 243 919