CEO Mark Jankovich has tripled his production capabilities in order to meet demand and ensure emergency supplies are available to fulfil orders across washrooms in the Restaurant and Hotel sectors.  

He said: “The World Health Organization has declared the virus ‘public enemy number one’. People are worried, businesses are worried - and hotels and restaurants are taking the situation very seriously. It’s not just the out of home market – retail sales are going through the roof too for domestic use. We have upped production by more than 300% in order to meet current demand.

“Whilst the evidence seen so far indicates that the coronavirus spreads through close contact with individuals who are infected, personal hygiene is at the forefront of peoples’ minds who want to take precautionary measures.  Anti-bacterial hand-soap, and good hand hygiene are key to this.”

www.delphiseco.com

Hard on the heels of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of the 26th session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), we now all understand more about what will be tackled at this summit, and indeed what this means for the cleaning industry, as a whole.

COP26 is due to take place in Glasgow in November 2020 and is arguably the most important UN climate change yet. There are exactly 10 years left until 2030 – the year identified in The Paris Agreement to achieve keeping global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. 

The Paris Agreement was the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate change agreement and so marked a step-change in how the global crisis is being approached. It’s not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s now legally binding!  This climate crisis will quite literally have an unfathomable impact on the future for generations to come. 

Sir David Attenborough joined PM Boris Johnson when he launched COP26, where the importance of the event was made perfectly clear – unless we do something now, the climate crisis becomes insoluble. 

The UK has committed to the target of net zero emissions by 2050 – an ambitious target but a do’able and important one – and PM Boris Johnson set out various plans to help achieve this, such as bringing the ban of petrol, diesel or hybrid cars forward from 2040 to 2035.

So, what does this critical year in climate change mean for the cleaning industry? And more importantly, what can we do to play our part and help achieve these targets outlined?

We, as an industry have the potential to make a big difference. Nearly all cleaning products come in some form of plastic packaging – bottles of bleach, detergents, anti-bacterial sprays and so on. 300 million tons of plastic is produced annually and the world only recycles 9% of the plastic it makes annually meaning a minimum of 91% goes into landfill, the ocean or is incinerated. Needless to say, this has a material impact on climate change through waste processes.

We need to find ways to reduce the amount of virgin plastic produced and what gets discarded – and there are ways. For example, using recycled plastic so we aren’t adding to this number. In fact, using recycled plastic as an alternative to virgin plastic achieves a 70% reduction in carbon; a huge improvement.

There are often businesses – big, global organisations – who say that achieving 100% recycled plastic in their products is too difficult or too hard to achieve. We don’t accept that. It is possible. It is achievable. We know this because we did it. Our products at Delphis Eco are packaged in material made from 100% recycled plastic. It wasn’t an overnight achievement; in fact it took six years and a lot of patience, determination and sheer grit – but we did it!  And if we – as an SME – can do it then there is no excuse for anyone else in the cleaning sector to not do the same.

We do it by using recycled plastic bottles sourced from local authorities – diverting thousands of tonnes of plastic from going to landfill or the ocean. It’s this approach – i.e. a focus on bringing innovation and eco-friendly solutions to products – that closes the loop on single-use plastics. 

Of course it’s not just about the cleaning industry producing the ‘right’ products; it’s also about ensuring that consumers and businesses know what we’re doing and therefore making the right purchasing decisions. And change is starting to happen – for example, we worked with The Shaftesbury Estate, owners of Carnaby Street in London’s West End, on their Blue Turtle collaboration with ocean conservation organisation Project Zero, which inspires restaurant, bar and café community of Carnaby Street to take action to protect the ocean. Their ‘Blue Turtle’ scheme aims to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic products and encourages businesses to adopt more sustainable business practises.

However, for many there is still genuine confusion around what products and packaging are the kindest to our environment. There are over 28 different marks on what is, and what is not, recyclable. 

In research we conducted last year, 60% of people said they are confused about which types of plastic packaging are the most harmful to the environment and a further eight of out 10 said they would support clearer labelling of plastic packaging to help them determine its impact on the environment. It would certainly make it much easier if there was one definitive mark that clearly stated a product’s plastic credentials. 

This is why we launched a new Recycled Plastic Rating (RPR) mark in 2019; a rating scheme which instantly shows consumers the amount of recycled plastic content used in the packaging of the products they are buying. This radically simplifies the 28 possible options to just one industry standard. This will give the cleaning industry the ability to vote with their purchasing power and choose packaging that is diverting plastic from landfill; not adding to it.

The RPR enables all who work in the cleaning industry to see, at a glance, the exact plastic credentials of products they are using – and make necessary changes to other, more eco-friendly brands, if needs be. 

In order to turn this ‘plastic crisis’ on its head we need to all align our choices. We need to align on only using products with packaging that has been recycled. We need to align on only working with suppliers who package products responsibly – that way the suppliers that don’t, have no option but to bring to market products that are made from recycled plastic or risk going out of business. If we don’t buy their plastic products, they can’t sell them – it’s simple.

It’s largely about collaboration. If each professional reading this decided that today they would take action and make today the day they committed to using products with 100% recycled packaging they would reduce their carbon by 70% and change would happen.

The task is a mammoth one – but it’s not a solo endeavour.  At the risk of being repetitive,  it’s about collaboration. It’s about each and every person in the industry making changes. It’s about cleaning companies changing suppliers. It’s about suppliers changing manufacturers. And so on. Each change will result in another, and another, and another, until, collectively, it becomes a big change. It’s action that we take together, as a united cleaning industry that will have the real power behind it. We urge everyone in the industry to stand together, with ‘one voice, one vision’, and work together to make this happen.”

www.delphiseco.com

CEO Mark Jankovich has tripled his production capabilities in order to meet demand and ensure emergency supplies are available to fulfil orders across washrooms in the Restaurant and Hotel sectors.

Mark said: “The World Health Organization has declared the virus ‘public enemy number one’. People are worried, businesses are worried - and hotels and restaurants are taking the situation very seriously.  

"It’s not just the out of home market – retail sales are going through the roof too for domestic use.  We have upped production by more than 300% in order to meet current demand.

“Whilst the evidence seen so far indicates that the coronavirus spreads through close contact with individuals who are infected, personal hygiene is at the forefront of peoples’ minds who want to take precautionary measures.  Anti-bacterial hand-soap, and good hand hygiene are key to this”.

www.delphiseco.com

This campaign sees the launch of a new trust mark enabling us to take back control of what plastic actually gets recycled, versus what gets dumped into the oceans.  

There is total confusion amongst operators and consumers with over 28 different marks on what is, and what is not, recyclable. And, a total breakdown in trust in what is segregated at home for recycling yet gets chucked into the same dump truck and, we now know, lands up in a foreign land and most likely the sea.

A first of its kind, the move to launch the new RPR, follows research that reveals that 79% of people support clearer labelling of plastic packaging to help them determine its impact on the environment and allow them to vote with their pockets when it comes to purchasing behaviour.  

The entrepreneur and philanthropist who is behind the RPR, Mark Jankovich, said: “There is more micro plastic in the ocean than stars believed to be in the galaxy!  Eight million tons of plastic, a dump truck a minute, ends up in our oceans each year, (and has a material impact on climate change through waste processes and new production of single life plastic).  We’ve got to stop this.

“Having a rating which shows the amount of recycled plastic content in the packaging we buy will instantly give caterers, retailers and consumers the power to vote with their wallets and chose packaging that is fundamentally diverting plastic from landfill. The RPR will enable everyone to see, at a glance, the exact plastic credentials of products they are purchasing."

Jankovich is the driving force behind the campaign alongside his eco-cleaning product company Delphis Eco, which was the first to pioneer the use of 100% recycled HDPE plastic packaging from single use plastic in 2017 across all its products.  

He continues: “We make the UK’s most eco-friendly cleaning products, which are also highly effective. Clearly, I buy a significant amount of plastic and it was inconceivable that I couldn’t buy UK collected and reprocessed single use plastic for my packaging. There wasn’t enough in the market to buy!

“The fact that the world only recycles 9% of the plastic it makes annually means that 91% goes into landfill, the ocean or is incinerated. This is horrendous and the days of sending our rubbish to a far away land and forgetting about it are over.

“We need to turn this completely on its head and not talk about what might or might not be recyclable, but what percentage of the packaging we are buying HAS been recycled. When consumers do this, manufacturers will have no choice but to package their products in more responsible packaging, resulting in the waste collectors, recyclers and Government fixing the woefully under-invested infrastructure and behaving more responsibly. This will divert millions of tons of single use plastic from going into the environment and circle it back as a totally new product.  

“There’s a 70% carbon reduction in recycling plastic versus creating virgin material. Recycling a single plastic bottle saves enough energy to light a 60w light bulb for 6 hours.  

“We’ve spoken to a number of companies, academic bodies and NGO’s and they all agree that there needs to be much more clarity and focus around what is recycled, and that we should unite behind one mark that consumers can trust. Like the successful Fairtrade and sustainably sourced fish marks, this will empower consumers to force shops to adopt better social and environmental behaviour.

“We are a proudly British SME which has broken the mould by proving that single-use plastic can be 100% recycled and in the UK. This process took over 6 years to perfect, with many difficulties. If we really want to try save our planet we need to collaborate with other businesses as fast as possible and ask professional businesses and consumers to insist that they will only buy products which have packaging made from recycled plastic content.

“The overall aim of the campaign is to radically simplify, from 28 possible options to just 1 industry standard, the Recycled Plastic Rating which consumers need to look out for when buying goods. Giving them total control at the point of purchase – rather than relying on a third party to do the right thing. We hope the Government will take action and make the new RPR mandatory on all packaging; encourage the acceleration of how single use plastic can be given a second life; and increase scrutiny of exactly HOW plastic is recycled in the UK."

www.delphiseco.com                

Retail products went live on the shelf from the first week in June, whilst also being available online at https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/  

“We’re delighted to be launching the Delphis range online and in our 94 stores,” Robert Dyas’ cleaning buyer Charlotte Potter said. 

“As a retail company we’re constantly striving to offer as wide a range as possible of high-quality products, so it’s extremely exciting to be stocking some of the very best on the market for both cleaning power and green credentials. We’re confident our customers will be as enthusiastic about this range as we are.”

Potter continued: “We like to make our products as accessible as possible, so for customers who are keen to stock up but don’t have a Robert Dyas store near them, they can always order online or use our Click & Collect service for free delivery to their local Ryman store.”

The range is highly effective, all non-toxic and produced in Britain from biodegradable sustainable plant-based chemicals with an initial line-up that includes Delphis Hand Soap, Washing Up Liquid, Kitchen Sanitiser & Cleaner, Glass & Stainless Steel Cleaner, Toilet & Limescale Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, Multi-Purpose Cleaner, and X-Factor Cleaner.  

It is anticipated that a further eight new product SKUs will be added to the range later in 2019 further boosting the category. All Delphis products are packaged in its 100% recycled single-use plastic-free bottles, with fun, eye-catching visualisation and giving ‘second life’ to ‘single life’ plastic bottles.

Founder and CEO of Delphis, Mark Jankovich said:  “After 10 years of working in some of the toughest professional cleaning environments and constant customer pressure to offer a household range, I’m hugely excited to launch our first ever range exclusively on the high street with Robert Dyas.  

“For over 100 years Robert Dyas has led innovation in the home hardware sector and is the perfect partner for us to launch with. The Robert Dyas team has embraced the eco opportunity and is keen to grow us across their business, hence taken the unusual step to launch across all 94 stores as well as online.   

“As a business, we originally cut our teeth in the harsh and demanding professional markets proving that Delphis products did exactly what they said on the tin and were highly effective, dispelling any remaining myths that eco-friendly cleaning products may be nice to have, but are less effective!  

“We want consumers to know that this is absolutely not the case! Our products have proven to be the number 1 most effective non-toxic and environmentally friendly option against any eco-competitive set that means there is absolutely no need for consumers to use the alternatives which could be harmful, to ensure cleanliness. 

“We’re proud to now bring cleaning solutions to the domestic market which has been long-awaited and have been under development for the past five years.”

Robert Dyas is the respected UK hardware retailer founded in London in 1872 promising value and innovation to meet consumer need.  

In turn, Delphis has made its name in the professional markets, securing two Royal Warrants and ensuring the highest environmental pedigree – its labels are printed with vegetable ink, its boxes are 100% recycled cardboard (even the liner is recycled), and 18 months ago, it led the UK with the launch of its 100% recycled plastic bottles. All its products are plant-based, ecological and readily biodegradable whilst remaining 98% more effective than competitors, according to the company.

As a British brand Delphis Eco is produced in the UK. The brand that has been awarded two Royal Warrants has gone from strength to strength in trade markets, and will now soon be launching its long-awaited retail range that consumers can use in safety but still enjoy great results.  

Jankovich formed Delphis Eco some eight years ago in a determination to make a difference to the cleaning chemical market and the environmental impact that both chemicals and plastic packaging have on our world.    

Today, the full range of Delphis products includes washroom cleaning products, (including, anti-bacterial hand-wash, anti-bacterial hand-sanitiser, toilet cleaner, cabinet glass wash, disinfectant, bio washroom cleaner, lime scale remover, bio urinal blocks etc.), kitchen cleaning products (including combi oven cleaner, floor maintainer, heavy duty degreaser, de-scaler, cream cleanser, ceramic hob cleanser, dish washer liquid, foaming oven cleaner, cabinet glass wash and many more), general cleaning products (including multi-purpose products, cream cleaner, floor maintainer, glass and stainless steel cleaner etc.) and laundry products (washing powder). To complement the wide range of super concentrated products, Delphis Eco also offers refill systems.

The extensive range offered to cleaners is phosphate free and contain no or very little VOC’s, which are some of the most damaging contents historically found in cleaning chemicals. All the company’s products are plant based, ecological and readily biodegradable, yet Delphis Eco says they are proven in tests to remain 98% more effective than their competitors.

Every product has been developed for its environmental properties, but with no loss in effectiveness when it comes to doing the job in hand.

CEO Mark Jankovich said: “Purchasing decisions are vital if we are to make a real difference to the environmental legacy that we are leaving behind.  

“That’s why we have looked to not only create a range of highly effective cleaning products that are made from all-natural products and will biodegrade, but we have led the industry and addressed the packaging that cleaning chemicals come housed in. All our casing is now made from 100% plastic recycled material. We believe this is 8 years ahead of the big corporates and is first to lead the way as the ‘here and now’."

He added: “Each day over 35 million bottles of single use plastic are consumed and disposed of in the UK alone and only between 7- 9 % are recycled. Over 8 million tonnes are dumped in the ocean and the Ellen McArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.

“We hope that cleaning operators will quickly embrace not just environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals but start to ask questions of the packaging that their suppliers are using."

www.delphiseco.com

“Harmful cleaning chemicals are increasingly coming under scrutiny in the media for the unintentional consequences to health and environment, and there is irony in the fact it is the private sector which has led the way in developing new and innovative technologies to ensure the highest standards of cleaning.

“Sustainability and ecologically sound cleaning products have never been so important across the NHS.   Products that work and deliver their promise in supporting cleanliness and hygiene factors, yet without being harmful to those on, or working around, the premises.

“Such products do exist.  Take our own range of washroom, floor and kitchen products which are made from all-natural products and more-over produced here in Britain.  Not only are they sustainable in their use (no caustic abrasives) but the sustainability piece has moved a step further on and all Delphis Eco products are packaged using 100% HDPE recycled plastic – which is believed to be a ‘UK’s first’ and several years’ ahead of all competitors.   

“Increasingly, it’s not just about the cleaning products themselves, it also about how we use plastic and packaging and how we bring products to market.  It has never been so important to ‘close the loop’ and encourage procurement in the public sector to vote from the ground with their buying decisions.

“The extensive range offered to cleaners is phosphate free and contain no or very little VOC’s, which are some of the most damaging contents historically found in cleaning chemicals.  All the company’s products are plant based, ecological and readily biodegradable, yet proved in tests remain 98% more effective than their competitors.

“Every product has been developed for its environmental properties, but with no loss in effectiveness when it comes to doing the job in hand.

“We would ask why a hospital would want to use caustic and harmful chemicals in their cleaning (whether in house or outsourced) delivered in single use plastic containers when for the same cost point, they can use all-natural products which can help reduce skin irritation and other potential medical issues, delivered in containers that are helping our environment not causing further damage.

“Trusts may be aware of the facts.  There are more than eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the sea every year.  And, according to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050, and 99 per cent of the planet’s seabirds has already eaten plastic.

“And what better place for the NHS and local trusts to lead by example.  Today, the NHS can go clean and green – supporting its quest to improve cleanliness and hygiene on a day to day level.”

Commenting on the initiative which is set to change the face of how manufacturers approach and produce their packaging, Mr Sobel said that what Delphis Eco has achieved in launching food grade packaging made from 100% recycled milk bottles, is a prime example of how British innovation is leading in terms of environmental safety and responsibility. 

He said: “Both Government and business have a big responsibility when it comes to how food and FMCG products are packaged. Here we have a British company that is not only producing cleaning chemicals that are highly effective without the inclusion of toxic ingredients but also packaging those products in a way that is responsible, sustainable and progressive.”

“The company holds two Royal Warrants for good reason – and I will be using my position on Environmental Audit Committee to raise awareness and pressure the Government to take action to bring manufacturers and producers into line with higher environmental standards. As a Labour and Co-operative MP, I will be pushing for products like that of Delphic Eco to be stocked in Co-operative stores.”

CEO for Delphis Eco, Mark Jankovich believes the UK is about to undergo a paradigm shift both in the use of toxic and potentially harmful chemicals across work and home, and in how products are packaged:

“The technology exists to recycle plastic waste and make food grade quality packaging.  The sooner consumers expect and demand their favourite brands to adopt best quality, the better.”

“Consumer awareness is increasing alongside media exposure to ocean plastic and the associated damage to marine life and the environment.  We welcome Mr Sobel’s visit and any assistance he is able to provide in putting pressure on Government and businesses to do more and encourage them to ‘walk the walk’ on what is an exciting and increasingly important journey in how we use and re-purpose single life plastics.”

Plastic waste continues to dominate media headlines and corporate sustainability policy across the cleaning trade in a bid to enhance best practice. Our screens are increasingly filled with distressing pictures of ocean plastic and the destruction this has caused to the environment and to marine wildlife, (which inadvertently consumes plastic and subsequently returns it into the food chain).  

Cleaning operators and procurement departments are becoming increasingly aware of the unpalatable facts that the world is indeed, awash with plastic. What is less commonly known is that only 5% to 7% of virgin plastic is recycled, which means that at least 93% goes to landfill, gets burned or lands up in the sea where it takes over 450 years to biodegrade. It is estimated that over 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the ocean each year – that’s a dumper truck's worth per minute. The problem is mounting and collectively, we have to take responsibility.

That is why, it is now more important than ever for us all to challenge suppliers, manufacturers, facilities managers, consultants and government to show willing, if not demand – even through legislative purpose if necessary – that more plastic is recycled and repurposed. Our sector, the cleaning and hygiene industry, has a pivotal role to play.  

Recycling used HDPE plastic

Although many said it couldn’t be done, we have spent five years working with specialist waste collectors to recycle used HDPE plastic, in the UK, into granules, which we ourselves now use to create packaging – in 100% pure form across all our packaging needs.

We’ve created a down-stream demand for used HDPE plastic and proved that our 100% PCR Plastic – a world’ first – is fit for purpose and can be extended to many more applications. For example, bin bags, polymers, chemical packaging and so much more. The process has been arduous and hit many challenges along the way, but represents a long awaited ‘closing the loop’ breakthrough in the use of HDPE plastics.  

The magic word in this is the application of 100% PCR plastic. Yes, some cleaning chemical manufacturers are incorporating PCR into their packaging, but this continues to be at very small levels, below 10%, with pledges being made for a decade or more ahead, which still only reflect small levels of PCR use.  

Right now – corporates and government are behind the curve. The issue needs to be embedded high on their agendas to realise that consumers want recycled / up-cycle plastics, and to drive, through legislation if necessary, a shift in the manufacturing approach to ensure a closed loop supply cycle. Cleaning operators need to be calling on their suppliers to act NOW to make a difference and reduce the damage that is being done before it becomes irreversible.

We, as a company have reduced our carbon emissions by 500 tonnes in the first year alone based on trading projections. Just imagine what a large global brand could achieve by following suit in addition to the reduction in plastic waste.

The journey is just beginning when it comes to creating a movement to increase the world’s level of recycling from between 5% - 7%, to 10% and beyond. Our breakthrough is showing the world that there can be a second life for single use plastic.

We would ask the cleaning sector to join together to embrace this key issue in line with high profile campaigns to drive awareness and change across consumers themselves – who in turn will be increasing their expectation of operators in delivering best practice and sustainable options.

If we all work together – we are stronger!  Remember the old adage “it takes many raindrops to make an ocean”...

During an era that sees our world awash with plastic waste, Delphis Eco has challenged international manufacturing's status quo and worked with the UK’s leading waste collectors to produce recycled plastic granules from HDPE plastic from which to form its new 100% PCR packaging.   

Additionally, the company has partnered with specialist producers to blow its bottles to achieve the 100% food grade quality PCR level. According to the company, the result is "a long-awaited closing the loop breakthrough in the use of HDPE recycled waste, signalling the onset of a new era where manufacturers and consumers can expect to see a shift in how waste is recycled and importantly, how it subsequently re-enters the supply chain". 

The new Delphis Eco’ packaging also looks good, is totally robust and has been declared entirely ‘fit for purpose’ following rigorous tests to ensure its suitability and durability.

CEO Mark Jankovich said: “By driving this change to our packaging – which incidentally, many people said couldn’t be done - we have taken 500 tonnes of carbon emissions out of the equation. Just imagine if the large, international brands followed suit? Waste plastic is a huge issue and we are still only scratching the surface at finding a solution of how to get rid of it."