How one optician has introduced a sustainable cleaning system to help combat COVID-19
ESS, the Defence, Energy and Government Services sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has completed the roll out of chemical free cleaning across its Defence and Government Services estate, providing safety benefits for colleagues and clients and decreasing the environmental impact of the service.
Sustainable cleaning products
The company has partnered with suppliers Toucan Eco and Tersano to deliver the project. The selected systems create powerful cleaning agents from tap water; Toucan Eco using table salt and Tersano using oxygen. Both produce fast-acting antibacterial multi-surface cleaners that kills up to 99.999% of bacteria and microorganisms, including enveloped viruses like Covid-19.
The cleaning solutions generated are non-toxic, non-hazardous, and non-allergenic to humans and animals. They cut exposure to chemicals for cleaners and building users and reduce the need to store hazardous substances on site.
Saving chemical & packaging waste
ESS cleans over 21 million square metres a week for its clients. Introducing chemical free cleaning has removed 1.5m litres of chemical cleaning products and 50 tonnes of packaging waste from the business annually, delivering substantial environmental benefits.
As well as chemical and single use plastics reductions, there is a decreased carbon footprint from deliveries. As the cleaning solutions revert to water after use, no harmful substances are disposed of into the water system.
Following successful trials in a variety of settings, the technology has been introduced at 90 ESS locations and is a key element in a suite of systems designed to deliver the best results for clients. Chemical free cleaning now forms a standard part of ESS cleaning offer and will be implemented in any new contracts where it is a good fit for the infrastructure.
“Toucan Eco only requires tap water and table salt; it’s a proven solution that will last up to seven days once activated, so it’s ideal to make in batches for use across the large sites that ESS manages.”
Chemical free cleaning
Mark Webster, Managing Director of ESS Defence, Energy and Government Services, commented: “It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to partner with Tersano and Toucan Eco to deliver chemical free cleaning across our estate.
“This is a great example of innovation that delivers multiple benefits – the systems are highly effective for our clients and customers, safer for our people to use and support us in reducing the environmental impact of our services in our drive towards Net Zero.”
Steve Courtney, Toucan Eco Specialist at Robert Scott, concluded “Working with ESS to introduce a robust chemical free cleaning system across its defence and government estate has been a privilege and we’re delighted with the feedback from the business so far.”