An article published in The Times on July 27th, 2021 revealed that: ‘Air pollution created by everyday items including cleaning fluids, grooming products, paints, glues, wood stoves and pesticides causes up to 450,000 premature deaths worldwide in cities including London’.
This was not the first article of its kind. In February of 2018, The Guardian published the findings of a State-side study concluding that synthetic “volatile organic compounds”, or VOCs, in roadside air in Los Angeles originating from industrial and household products refined from petroleum were just as prevalent as VOCs emitted from exhaust pipes.
These volatile organic compounds often found in cleaning product chemicals are an extremely important contributor to air pollution as they react with other chemicals in the atmosphere producing harmful ozone or other polluting substances.
These articles shine a light on a somewhat ignored fact: the cleaning industry has an important part to play when it comes to reducing pollution and improving air quality.
The cleaning industry and its role in pollution
Figures released by the British Cleaning Council in their 2021 report reveal the true scale of the British cleaning industry. Their estimates show that there are 957,000 people in the UK directly employed within the industry, with workers whose jobs include cleaning functions (such as in the hospitality and service sectors) bringing this total up to 1.47 million, or approximately 5% of the UK workforce.
When faced with these figures, it’s easy to see how careless practice in the use of cleaning products can result in important levels of cleaning product pollution.
If we add to this the domestic use of cleaning products, we begin to grasp the full magnitude of the problem.
The cleaning industry doesn’t just have the issue of pollution from cleaning products to worry about. A number of other services that are provided or mediated by cleaning service providers are also concerning.
Waste management is often mediated by cleaning services. Incorrect waste management can result in low levels of recycling and much of a household or company’s waste ending up in landfills.
Cleaning service providers also need to move their workers between sites and, in large cities that suffer from low air quality due to vehicle emissions, this additional movement of vehicles must get factored into the levels of air pollution.
Finding environmentally friendly cleaning services
In this day and age, with businesses becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of all of their practices, implementing environmentally friendly cleaning solutions is a necessity.
When searching for service providers, it is definitely worth looking for an environmentally friendly cleaning service who have examined the impact of their business practices and applied ethical and sustainable practices across their activities.
Some companies offer a complete range of environmentally friendly practises which include:
- The use of chemical-free cleaning products
- The use of reusable cleaning product containers to reduce plastic waste
- The reduction of the use of HEPA filters in machinery to reduce particle emissions
- Banning or reducing the use of aerosol sprays
- The reduction of vehicle emissions
- The maximisation of waste recycling
- The use of innovative modern technologies: such as robotics for floor cleaning,
- ‘Smart cleaning’ software to improve efficiency and reduce costs, intelligent washroom systems to monitor service visits or quieter vacuum cleaners to reduce noise pollution.
Cleanology: environmentally friendly cleaners
If you would like to work with a cleaning service provider who has the environment at the heart of their business, speak to Cleanology. Cleanology offers chemical-free cleaning and green solutions and have won multiple awards for innovation and leadership on sustainability, both in the UK and across Europe. Some of the things that set us apart from the competition include:
- Cleanology’s multi-award-winning range of cleaning sachets that contain a pre-dosed amount of biotechnological cleaning fluid that includes friendly bacteria which literally eats dirt and bad bacteria. The fluid inside the sachets is chemical-free and continues to work for days after application.
- We operate a ‘zero-to-landfill’ waste management policy, sending all non-recyclable waste to generate electricity.
- Cleanology operates a fully electric and hybrid vehicle fleet whilst, although the use of public transport is made wherever possible.
- As an ethical employer, we are an accredited Real Living Wage service provider. Our highly trained staff enjoy industry-leading benefits and career progression.
Cleanology has over 20 years of experience providing cutting edge cleaning services in London, Manchester and Leeds. If you are looking for a sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly cleaning company, please call us on 020 7582 8111 or contact us for a free quote.
