Monthly Archives: December 2019

Sustainable workplace ideas that save you money 

There was a time when choices about workplace supplies often meant choosing between sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Now, more than ever, however as innovative eco-friendly products are produced at increasingly competitive prices, there are many ways in which being kind to the planet can also improve profit margins.  Here are some ideas…

Concentrate solutions

A growing trend in the cleaning product industry is to provide concentrated cleaning products. If you look at the ingredients of many cleaning products, a large percentage of the product is actually water. Reducing the water in the original product which is sold not only reduces the carbon footprint of the product in terms of shipping, as products take up less space and weigh less as they are transported, it also means that packaging is reduced. All of this, of course, has an impact on price.

All you need to do in the workplace is replace your cleaning products with concentrated versions ( concentrated liquid or tablet versions) and ensure that staff are well trained and equipped to simply add the right quantity of tap water.

We have a range of spray guns and accessories in which you can use the concentrate solutions, see page 19 of our brochure: https://cisafety.com/pdfs/CIS%20Cleaning-Hygiene%202015.pdf

Aqua dosing 

If you need to wash down areas frequently, installing dosing pumps which mix the correct amount of chemicals with the water flow can be an effective way to avoid using too much cleaning or sterilizing product. The systems can also be used to ensure waste water is clean and decontaminated before it leaves the plant. Using pumps can also help you to use less water.

Switch to reusable transport packaging

Using crates or other reusable transport packaging can dramatically cut packaging costs. Click here to find out more about reusable packaging.

Go paperless

Whatever type of business you're in, the preparation and storage of documents not only involves using paper but printers, printer ink as well as storage space and the cabinets and boxes required to hold and file the documents. This adds up to a much larger carbon footprint than if you move to an online system of storing documents.

Not only will you save money on paper, printer ink and storage equipment and space, you will also increase productivity. Files can be stored in such a way that it is simpler to search for and locate key documents. Using invoicing software can also mean that you can automate some tasks such as sending out recurring invoices and even recording payments and sending out reminders.

Click here to see invoicing apps that could help reduce costs and paper in your office. 

Label switches: Labeling switches is a simple way to ensure the employees don’t switch on unnecessary lights and appliances or turn off ones that should be left on and it also acts as a constant reminder.

Remove personal bins: If staff have to walk to bins to dispose of rubbish they will be more mindful of waste. Invest in quality bins and waste containers that last a long time and place them centrally. If you use this system you can also use colour-coded bins so that waste can be sorted into the right bins for recycling.

See page 15 of our brochure for recycling bins: https://cisafety.com/pdfs/CIS%20Cleaning-Hygiene%202015.pdf

If you would like more information about any of these products or ideas, our team are happy to help and suggest options that would suit your business needs. Call us on 01726 74264 or email sales@cisafety.com

In an age where sustainability is important for the planet and the bottom line, the choice of disposable wipes or reusable cloths, is not straight forward.

Here is a guide to help you choose the best option for your business…

Disposable wipes

The pros…

• Disposable wipes are sterile when first used and using them can reduce the risk of cross-contamination and help you to meet hygiene standards.
• There is an increasing number of more eco-friendly disposable wipes now available, including biodegradable or compostable wipes, which means that they can be disposed of with fewer concerns regarding environmental damage.
• Although cloths are reusable, the cost of laundering and monitoring hygienic use and storage of cloths means that disposable wipes can be a cost-effective choice.
• Nowadays stronger disposable wipes are available which are more durable and effective for cleaning surfaces such as floors or rough worktops.

The cons…

• Basically, they cause environmental damage. Many disposable wipes are not biodegradable and end up being washed into oceans and watercourses. They often contain plastic and can remain as litter and pollutants for hundreds of years.
• Even disposable wipes which are labelled as flushable can cause problems as many brands still adhere to standards set by the European industry body Edana allowing products to be labelled as “flushable” even though they do not break down quickly when they enter the sewer system.
• Some wipes labelled as flushable simply break down into microplastics which contaminate marine eco-systems causing damage to marine life and even entering the human food chain.
• In 2017, an investigation of sewer blockages in the UK estimated that non-flushable wet wipes account for about 93% of the material causing blockages.
• Even if wipes are eco-friendly, they often come in plastic packaging.
• The government has mentioned plans to ban disposable wipes as part of proposals to ban single-use plastics, so it is worth considering alternatives in case the ban is brought into force in the near future.
• When used in industry, to clean chemicals and other hazardous substances, disposable wipes can actually be classified as industrial waste which is costly to process. (Find out more about the classification of industrial waste here www.solidwastemag.com/blog/industrial-and-hazardous-waste-a-classification).
• Disposable wipes which are infused with alcohol can cause skin irritation and dryness.

Reusable cloths

The pros…

• A good quality cloth can be washed and reused for around 50 times, in comparison to one disposable wipe
• They are considered a sustainable, plastic-free option

The cons…

• The Food Standards Agency says they can be one of the top causes of cross contamination in kitchens and food preparation areas.

Click here for the FSA guide to meeting hygiene standards when using cloths

• Reusable cloths will need to be washed at high temperatures, using detergents in order to keep them clean. This can be time-consuming, costly and uses energy, which means it is not an entirely eco-friendly choice.
• If using reusable cloths, it is important to have written and clear procedures to store, disinfect and replenish cloths, and to ensure staff are aware of and using these procedures.

As we all try to find balance in what we do, it may be that certain tasks, such as cleaning highly contaminated areas or areas where food is prepared, demand disposable wipes, while in other circumstances, such as floor cleaning, reusable wipes which are frequently cleaned and disinfected are the better option.

Products to consider:

For food preparation areas:

STANDARD J- CLOTHS, BLUE, £4.41

J cloths are strong enough for scrubbing, absorbent enough for spills and soft enough for cleaning glass and other shiny surfaces. Machine washable and reusable.

For floors, furniture and equipment

MICROFIBRE CLOTHS, 40CM SQ RED, £8.32

Microfiber cloths are perfect for cleaning multiple surfaces including glass, mirrors and shiny surfaces, including metal.  They are highly absorbent, can be washed and reused hundreds of times and also come in differently coloured options to allow for colour coding systems to be used to prevent cross-contamination.

If you would like more information about wipes or other cleaning products, our sales team are happy to help and suggest options that would suit your business needs. Call us on 01726 74264 or email sales@cisafety.com