Hospitals can be clean and green

“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.”