"We are absolutely confident that the market wants to and has to 'go green' "

Businesses and organisations in the UK are desperate to "go green"in their cleaning methods but are frequently being denied access to greener ranges, according to a manufacturer of ecological cleaning products which is gaining ground in the notoriously competitive cleaning market.

Speaking to Cleaning Matters "We are absolutely confident that the market wants to and has to 'go green' " at the Prince of Wales's sustainability awareness initiative 'A Garden Party To Make A Difference', ex city banker and managing director of Delphis Eco, Mark Jankovich, said breaking into "the most competitive market on the planet" has not been easy and compares the company's success so far to "jumping into a pool of sharks and swimming." According to Jankovich there is a tendency for suppliers in the cleaning market to continue to supply the same products they have traditionally delivered despite the demand for and availability of greener ranges.

In Delphis Eco's experience historically, customers have been conditioned to buy more chemicals than they need and many wrongly believe that greener products are more expensive and don't work.

Delphis Eco's approach is to turn this model on its head; the company aims to supply less chemicals, while reducing and simplifying inventories with products that are non-toxic, nonflammable, non-carcinogenic and non-harmful to marine and aquatic life.Delphis Eco also says companies have reported savings of up to 50% by switching to its range which includes 9 DEFRA accredited products.

The European Ecolabel Flower DEFRA accreditation is given to goods and services that meet strict criteria limiting the impacts of consumer products on the environment. Products which claim to be green vary significantly in their green credentials and many people are still cautious about their cleaning abilities so the accreditation gives users confidence in what they are buying. Jankovich also advises customers to look out for the DEFRA label because people sometimes wrongly assume products are ecologically friendly.

For example a product could be labelled 'Eco'because it is 'Economical' rather than 'Ecological,' says Jankovich.

"Delphis Eco is solely driven by supplying environmentally responsible cleaning products," he adds. "Our products are extremely effective and competitively priced when compared to other Eco and Non- Eco chemical cleaning products in the category.We educate customers to be green at every stage: spoken, thought and action, this has been a hard process for the last two and a half years but we are really delighted to see the step changes in customer buying behaviour that are now well under way.

"We are absolutely confident that the market wants to and