Better Places

Looking at how cleaning companies can support the Net Zero targets of your business.

In this blog we’ll look at some of the ways that commercial cleaning companies can support the sustainability of the spaces they operate in. From reducing energy use and waste streams, to measuring carbon and introducing chemical-free cleaning, the environmental initiatives of cleaning companies can affect how successfully sustainability targets are met. This article will detail just how significant service providers can be in supporting their clients to reach Net Zero targets.

Environmental sustainability should be at the forefront of most business priorities today. Many companies are increasingly making efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and reach Net Zero to combat climate change, knowing that there are progressively more legal obligations related to this. Thinking long-term, means knowing that it’s more responsible to be a sustainable business, and therefore to work with sustainable service providers.

Commercial cleaning companies can support the environmental initiatives of the businesses they work with in several ways. In order to contribute to sustainability targets and Net Zero ambitions, service providers should be aligned to their client’s sustainability commitments, and able to support these. We’re going to look at how the right cleaning company can help your business to reach Net Zero and what we’re currently doing to support our own clients.

How does a cleaning company’s operations impact carbon emissions? 

As an industry that relies on using energy, water, labour, and often chemicals to perform cleaning tasks, a cleaning company’s operations can impact carbon emissions on many levels. While cleaning doesn’t create waste, there is an implied responsibility for cleaners and cleaning companies to deal with the waste of the spaces they clean in an efficient and responsible way. The traditionally high labour and colleague turnover in the cleaning industry, sometimes as a result of low colleague care, also presents a problem to the clients striving to lead a sustainable and socially responsible business.

There is still a lot of uncertainty around sustainability, and even big businesses can struggle with when to set a realistic net zero target. Many companies are now facing the very real and specific challenge of how to limit carbon emissions and when it’s the right time to act. We’re looking at how a sustainable cleaning company can help to tackle some of these challenges, by gathering data, having an existing path to net zero of their own, and a realistic strategy of how to meet this.

The reality is that no business can reach net zero alone. Companies rely on the behaviour of employees, environment, service partners, and external factors, but the right service providers can help. Businesses will need to work together to achieve net zero targets, and working with a cleaning company that acts responsibly, and can provide data on the sustainability of your business, is a valuable partnership to have.

What sort of approach would help a client with their Net Zero journey? 

Commercial cleaning companies should be demonstrating leadership in sustainability. The cleaning industry on the whole is doing a lot to affect climate change, and companies should therefore be doing everything they can to support the environmental initiatives of the businesses they work with. It’s important to look for service providers that champion sustainability and can align with the sustainable initiatives of your business to collaboratively reduce carbon footprint together.

Products and Equipment

A simple way a cleaning company can contribute towards the sustainability of your business is through the products they use. Things to look out for are products that chemical-free, reduce water and energy use, minimise operator fatigue and eliminate single-use plastic. By considering this level of detail in their delivery and proactively using products which reduce harm or emissions, your cleaning company help to protect the sustainability of your business in the long-term.

Chemical-Free Cleaning Products – A common assumption is that we need chemicals to effectively clean. Often harmful to people and the planet, these types of cleaning products can also rely on one-use plastic and lack environmentally-friendly options for disposal. Sustainable cleaning companies are busting this myth by using innovative products that kill germs without the nasty chemicals. These are better for the environment and reduce the risk of harm to cleaners and those interacting with your spaces.

Reducing Water Usage – A good first step in lowering your business’s carbon footprint is reducing water and energy use. Your cleaning company can help with this by utilising equipment that conserves resources and only uses the energy amount needed. This means considering the finer details during an equipment selection process. Careful selection of environmentally friendly tools that deliver excellent results without waste supports your environmental goals while maintaining high standards.

Minimising Energy Usage – When choosing equipment, your cleaning company should prioritise operator fatigue, colleague wellbeing, and cleaning efficiency. By selecting intelligent, automated, and lightweight tools, they can enhance productivity, improve wellbeing, and reduce health and safety risks. This approach saves time, money, and labor while supporting sustainability. Not only does this contribute to your environmental targets, but it provides peace of mind for your business. This highlights the importance of a structured equipment selection process.

Recycling Equipment – Selecting the right equipment isn’t all that your cleaning company can do. It’s crucial to think long-term, and more businesses are taking responsibility for their impact by considering equipment from ‘cradle to grave’. When a service provider considers the whole lifecycle of equipment they use, it is more likely that your service will be tackled in an ethical and thoughtful way.

Processes to Reduce Emissions

Introducing sustainable initiatives, like waste streams, recycling, and ways to reduce energy and water use, can support the sustainability of your spaces. By reducing the emissions of your business through proactive processes, your cleaning company can support your business’s net zero ambitions.

Responsible Attitudes to Waste – Responsible attitudes and training around waste management are essential. A cleaning company with existing initiatives to target waste can help a business to implement its own waste schemes. A cleaning service should also utilise products that reduce single-use plastics and prevent excessive waste to landfill. By using less wasteful products, a company can reduce the number of deliveries required to transport them, and therefore reduce carbon emissions. This minimises the fuel, energy and manpower needed to move cleaning products around, plus the space needed to store them.

Partnerships, Reporting and Knowledge-Sharing

Education and Training – A training strategy that underscores a commitment to sustainability is essential. This means offering comprehensive modules on Net Zero and investing in courses that raise awareness about business-related environmental issues. When your cleaning company invests in upskilling its workers, you can trust that their services will align with your environmental goals and objectives.

Effective Emissions Reporting

Sustainable Certification Providers: Working with cleaning companies that are certified by recognised sustainability bodies demonstrates a commitment to environmental practices. This collaboration significantly supports your Net Zero goals by providing validated emissions data from credible sources. When your cleaning company are on their own sustainability journey, they are better equipped to support your business’s environmental objectives.

Certification providers offer detailed carbon emissions information, enabling businesses to effectively measure their Net Zero progress. By analysing the sustainability of operations and their environmental impact, companies can track and improve their efforts. Investing in certification from a reputable sustainability body ensures that your cleaning company is dedicated to your environmental goals and will prioritise sustainability in their work.

Planet Mark – Sustainability certification providers help businesses to track their Net Zero journeys and implement strategies to reduce carbon emissions. Understanding your environmental impact is the first step in any Net Zero journey. This highlights the types of changes a company needs to make to become more sustainable. By working with environmental accreditations, Net Zero targets become a reality and the journey towards Net Zero begins.

Planet Mark helps to ‘eliminate green washing’ by implementing a realistic and effective carbon reduction strategy. They do this by using data to identify carbon emissions and input meaningful steps to reduce these. This reporting ensures transparency around a business’s carbon footprint and translates this into clear and comprehensible data. By also looking at social value, Planet Mark provides a certification that shows social value contribution as a measurement.

So what are we doing to support our clients?

At Regular Cleaning, we’re supporting our clients’ long-term sustainable aspirations by working with them to help make their businesses more sustainable for the future. We do this by introducing innovative environmental practices that enhance the sustainability of their buildings or portfolios.

Our environmental initiatives and ongoing efforts to enhance our clients’ sustainability are what makes us market-leaders in our industry. We know that many of our clients work with us for this very reason. Here are some of the things we’re doing:

We use chemical-free products, like the Toucan Centrago Kettle and Tersano Lotus Dispenser which kill up to 99.999% of germs. These eco-friendly products are safer for our teams and for those that interact with our client’s spaces. Technologies like iMop help reduce water and energy use while improving cleaning efficiency. The iMop also supports global water projects through the Made Blue Foundation. Through using this model, we have donated 500,000 litres of clean water to developing areas globally. Our equipment choices increase efficiency and reduce operator fatigue, despite achieving superior results in all professional deep cleaning. These include cleaning Cobotics and lightweight machines like the Orbot SLiM which save time, money, and labour for our clients.

Our ‘zero to landfill’ approach ensures a responsible attitude to recycling and waste. We limit single-use plastics across our operations and use planet-kind products in our service. Using innovative products like Solupak in our service prevents thousands of plastic bottles from ending up in landfills. We also participate in recycling and waste management schemes for equipment, uniforms, and consumables. All redundant equipment is recycled through a circular economy scheme to reduce waste to landfill and ensure responsible disposal. We also promote plastic free initiatives, use biodegradable gloves, recycled micro fibre cloths, and favor products that have recyclable packaging.

Since our 2021 Planet Mark Certification, we’ve monitored, measured and reported on the environmental and ecological impacts of our operations. Our enhanced ESG reporting makes us stand out as a company that engages our supply chain and advances sustainability standards. We’re also investing in the future to affect change, including our office refurbishment and our growing electric fleet. These projects aimed to enhance the sustainability of our operations so that we lead a planet focused business long-term. We’re also investing in partnerships and reporting. In July 2024 we sent our very first Sustainability Report to our clients. This showcased our many efforts, achievements, and future commitments to create a more sustainable future. Detailing our journey, the report highlights how we can support our client’s own sustainability goals. 

We provide education and training on sustainability to colleagues, clients, and partners, including our in-house IOSH training. This improves understanding around how businesses affect the environment, and how the environment can also affect businesses, emphasising the importance of minimising environmental risks and maximising opportunities. This ensures alignment on environmental initiatives that directly translate into having a positive impact. Employee engagement is also important to us, and we look after our employees as a sustainable resource. We know that by empowering them with knowledge, they become active participants of our Better Places initiative. Through events, education, and a comprehensive communication plan, we engage our colleagues to be aware, committed and passionate about sustainability.

We’re serious about taking climate action and have a robust plan in place to achieve our Net Zero targets. Our commitment to Protecting Our World pushes us to remain open and transparent about our Net Zero journey. Get in touch to hear more about our market-leading sustainable business or work together to create a brighter future.