Issue Date: 21 February 2019
Ref: DIV18/51
Simple Steps Promote Sustainable Cleaning
The cleaning industry has been through significant changes in the past 10 years, not least the accelerating trend towards sustainability. Diversey’s promotion of sustainable cleaning and environmental awareness goes back even further – its track record of achievement is demonstrated through its leadership with the Carbon Disclosure Project, assistance with the Alliance for Water Stewardship, the Asean Corporate Sustainability Award, and many other achievements.
A quick and simple way to improve the sustainability of almost any cleaning operation is through adoption of ultra-concentrates. Diversey offers these across a wide range of applications so that cleaning teams can quickly, easily and economically prepare solutions for equipment such as spray and toilet bottles, sinks, buckets or cleaning machines. The result is safe, simple and consistent high-performance cleaning while minimising wastage, packaging and chemical miles.
One of the main reasons ultra concentrates deliver reduced cost in use is that solutions are prepared at the optimum dilution for superior and consistent performance. This reduces the need for repeat cleaning which cuts wasted time, delivering an immediate productivity and efficiency gain. Considering the product contributes far less to the overall cost than the person doing the cleaning it makes sense to use products that maximum performance and productivity. Ultra concentrates also reduce the amount of product wastage because, unlike old-fashioned “pour-and-glug”, there is no guesswork involved in preparing solutions. Costs are reduced and predictable.
Ultra-concentrates also use less packaging than comparable bulk or ready-to-use products. This is because water is added at the point of use rather than the place of manufacture. A business using 100 cases of six 750ml single-use spray bottles could reduce plastic waste by up to 125.6kg (99.6% reduction) and up to 26.6kg less cardboard (98.9% reduction) by switching to Diversey's ultra concentrates and re-usable bottles. Changes like these also reduce supply chain burdens because fewer cases need to be bought, transported and stored to support any given operation. Transportation costs can be up to 20 times less and warehouse and on-site storage requirements up to 22 times lower.
As with any cleaning product it is important to select the right platform for each site and application to achieve optimum performance, efficiency and economy. Diversey offers its ultra-concentrates for building care in a selection of platforms, including SmartDose, QuattroSelect, J-Flex and Exact, suitable for different sizes and type of site. It can advise on the best choice or combination for any cleaning operation.
Another simple step any cleaning team can take to improve sustainability is to adopt chemical-free floorcare. Twister by Diversey is an innovative set of thirteen floor care pads made from 100 per cent recycled PET. These deliver exceptional results with water lone when used with the company’s advanced TASKI swingo scrubber driers and rotary-disc machines.
Each pad contains the recycled PET fibres from just over two and a half plastic water bottles and is impregnated with billions of microscopic diamonds. Pads for different applications are manufactured by changing the size and combination of the microscopic diamonds. The pads are less abrasive than the corresponding conventional alternative which helps to protect the floor while giving a smoother and improved appearance. Moreover, the resulting micro-polished finish of the floor is more resistant to soiling.
The pads can be used with water alone, last three times longer than traditional products, and significantly reduce the need for periodic maintenance, all of which improves sustainability and reduces the overall cost. Used this way these pads reduce chemical usage by 100%, floor pad costs by 66%, and weight of consumables by 98% (which also saves transport and handling) compared with traditional products. Working without chemicals also simplifies cleaning processes, creates a healthier environment for cleaners and bystanders, and reduces routine machine maintenance burdens.
Twister by Diversey is ideal for daily maintenance to clean and polish unprotected stone floors. There are different pads in the range for almost every type of hard floor. Using just four in sequence - red, white, yellow, green - on old, dull and worn floors can rejuvenate and transform floors with clean, uniform, shiny and polished results. The diamond impregnated side of the pad is coloured and works as a wear indicator.
For the very best results the pads should be used with TASKI’s range of scrubber driers and rotary-disc machines which themselves are designed to use less energy, water and product than traditional machines. Many TASKI machines are certified under the UK government’s Water Technology List which shows they successfully meet stringent sustainability criteria and use less water. This means they qualify for an Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) so that customers can claim 100 per cent of the cost against their tax during the same year.
Despite their many advantages there can still be occasions when scrubber driers are impractical. In these situations, microfibre represents an efficient and ergonomic alternative to mop-and-bucket cleaning. It enables new ways of cleaning floors with better results, improved hygiene and reduced reliance on chemicals to promote simpler and sustainable processes. These benefits mean that microfibre cloths are also widely used for cleaning all hard surfaces, not just floors, with water alone.
Diversey offers a wide range of microfibre cloths, mops, tools and accessories in various shapes, sizes and colour for cleaning teams to specify the ideal combination for their specific application. TASKI MyMicro knitted microfibre cleaning cloths, for example, are designed for spray & wipe and pre-wetted cleaning where high performance, convenience and value are demanded. They have been independently tested according to the EN16615:2015 standard.
Changing cleaning processes to improve sustainability does not need to be difficult. Diversey has a unique ability to support cleaning teams with a complete set of products, tools, machines and services for every aspect of their cleaning operation. This means it can work with customers to devise, configure and implement a fully-integrated solution that is fine-tuned to business and operational requirements and delivers enhanced performance, value and sustainability.