Category Archives: Cleaning & Facilities Management

Cardiff, Cardiff News, Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

Cardiff’s Genesis Biosciences appoints IMCD as global distributor

Cardiff-based microbial and anti-microbial product developer, Genesis Biosciences, has appointed IMCD Group, a leading distributor of speciality chemicals and ingredients, as a distribution partner for sustainable microbial and biological concentrates across EMEA.

Genesis specialises in beneficial bacteria fermentation, and is the first company in the world to develop, manufacture and offer both microbial and antimicrobial eco-benign® technology to customers. Its unique offering is used across a host of sectors including cleaning, industrial wastewater, drain maintenance, pond and water management and odour control.

The ideally suited partnership will see IMCD specifically showcase Genesis’ branded Evogen and Evozyme biological concentrates to the Home Care and I&I Cleaning markets across EMEA. IMCD will also look to strengthen Genesis’ sales channels across the EU and overcome the significant logistical challenges posed by BREXIT.

Evogen ‘fully formulated’ concentrates, which have been developed to ensure highly-efficacious long-term performance, are used for hard surface cleaning, soft surface cleaning and exterior cleaning and odour control, while the concentrated probiotic Evozyme additives can be used in a wide range of Home Care and I&I applications to produce high performing cleaning, odour control and FOG prevention products.  Both solutions have been designed using application-specific Bacil-lus strains and reduce the need for harsh chemicals.

 

Conrad Mielcuszny, Genesis Biosciences CEO, said: “The partnership with IMCD is a very exciting step for Genesis and opens doors on a global level post-COVID and post-BREXIT. The collaboration follows our recent commitment to establish new manufacturing partners across mainland Europe and will allow us to expand our audience and provide high level technical and commercial support to customers across EMEA.

“Our Evogen and Evozyme technologies are the result of years of scientific research and development to create more effective and ecological cleaning solutions while protecting the environment and we’re looking forward to introducing these solutions to new prospective clients.”

 

Paul Hanbury, IMCD Group Home Care and I&I Director, said: “We are seeing a growing demand for sustainable microbial ingredients across the entire Home Care and I&I sector. Our customers are looking for solutions that can deliver high levels of performance across all applications, without the need for harsh chemicals.

“The addition of a world-leading developer like Genesis, and its comprehensive range of microbial concentrates and additives, will enable us to deliver an unprecedented new level of sustainable material choice to our global network of customers and we are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

 

For more information, please visit www.genesisbiosciences.co.uk.

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Image Caption: Genesis Biosciences and IMCD at IMCD’s Technical Centre, Cologne Germany. From left to right:  Peter Wallbank- Genesis Biosciences Sales Manager, Stuart Hunter- IMCD Business Development Director EMEA, Claudia Sturm- IMCD Manager of Application Development, Emma Saunders- Genesis Biosciences General Manager and Fanelie Jaegle- IMCD Technical & Marketing Director Home care and I&I 

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

Sybron launches first own brand with new biotechnology cleaning range – SyBio

Sybron, a leading UK supplier of cleaning, hygiene, and catering products to some of the largest names in hospitality, has launched its first own brand with SyBio, a range of biotechnology-based cleaning products. Partnering with BioVate Hygienics, Sybron has developed a range of products that have replaced harmful, non-renewable chemicals with adaptive biotechnology that cleans, disinfects, and protects.

SyBio is a range of biotechnology-based products that combines probiotic, enzyme and plant-based ingredients to maximise performance with minimal environmental impact. The SyBio products consist of concentrated cleaners, sanitisers and detergents delivered through wall mounted dispensers for optimal dosage control.

“BioVate Hygienics has pioneered the evolution of biotechnology-based cleaning products and share our passion and forward thinking for sustainable cleaning and development of green cleaning methods,” explains George Mason, sales and marketing director at Sybron, which is based in Harlow, Essex. “Our objectives for the range are to deliver environmentally friendly products that provide safer applications and improved performance along with reduced costs.”

“Our partnership with BioVate Hygienics provides the expertise and innovation that has enabled us to develop an extensive and diverse range to our clients,” continues George Mason. “Developing our own range has given us more control to deliver specialist products for every cleaning requirement,” adds George Mason. “It also gave us the opportunity to offer a superior cleaning performance that is cost effective and with minimal impact on the environment. All products are highly concentrated formulas, which based on cost in use figures provides a 15-20% saving against other ranges.”

SyBio uses plant-based & bio-based surfactants, utilising the latest biotechnology that mixes natural enzymes and bacteria, which has 30 times more actives than any other biotechnology-based cleaning range. What is more, using SyBio provides long term protection for surfaces through a residual clean. After use, SyBio leaves a layer of good bacteria that protects surfaces against dirt and pathogens for up to 30 days.

“The more you use SyBio, the cleaner and safer your environments become,” explains George. “Using naturally derived ingredients reduces toxicity compared to traditional chemical-based cleaning products. Using science-based biotechnology increases performance and sustainability across your cleaning protocol. SyBio’s concentrated formula brings the cost efficiencies we all need at this time along with a huge reduction in plastic.”

Our biotechnology products are non-hazardous in their ready to use format, and are UK manufactured in line with Sybron’s core values of moving traditional cleaning forwards to be more effective, safer and sustainable.

“Our dedicated teams work with customers to offer the best cleaning products specific to their business, including complete installation of dispensers and ongoing support,” concludes George Mason.

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

Keysource To Support International Broadcast Company

Timeline TV, the leading provider of broadcast technology and services, has awarded Keysource, the data centre services specialist, a critical facilities management contract. Under the terms of the deal Keysource will provide maintenance and operational management support for the company’s data centre which is based at its Ealing Broadcast Centre (EBC), a 9,700 sq ft state-of-the-art broadcast facility which provides a wide range of services such as virtual studios, remote production, playout and post-production.

The data centre is central to Timeline TV’s ability to deliver HDR outside broadcasts, post-production, studios, RF and satellite, managed services and systems integration to the international TV market. With resilience a key driver, Keysource will deliver a fully comprehensive, self-delivered preventative maintenance solution across all M&E equipment. This will be backed up by 24/7 support from the field engineering team who will provide emergency response utilising back office technical analysis to reduce mean time to recovery.

Timeline TV will also have access to Keysource’s 24/7 helpdesk which is available 365 days a year based at its highly secure Data Centre Operations Centre at the Keysource HQ – just outside London where 24/7 remote monitoring of any BMS alerts will also be provided.

Luke Brimelow, Operations Manager at Keysource, said: “Due to the criticality of this facility where any unplanned downtime could result in TV programmes going off air, our aim is to achieve optimum performance. By identifying and managing issues that affect all aspects for the facility before they become critical, this joined-up approach to fault finding and resolution maximises critical availability, efficiency and resilience.
Bradley Woollett, Head of Engineering at Timeline TV, said: “We provide broadcast facilities for events ranging from the Football World Cup to political debates and corporate conferences. Reliable power and cooling infrastructure is vital to delivering these events successfully, with the technical power system supporting all data racks and control rooms. We have critical services and events 24 hours a day, in the broadcast industry less than a second of downtime is visible to the viewer so having the preventative maintenance and the 24/7 support from Keysource reassures us that we have minimised the risk from a critical facilities issue as far as possible.”

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

Rawlins’ Kaivac’s AutoVac Stretch™ hard floorcare machine has earned Green Seal’s Certification of Environmental Innovation

Rawlins’ Kaivac’s AutoVac Stretch™ hard floorcare machine has earned Green Seal’s Certification of Environmental Innovation. The certification has been awarded based on reduced environmental toxicity, waste minimisation, use of verified environmentally preferable products, and conservation of energy and water. To earn this four-year certification, Kaivac’s AutoVac Stretch met a rigorous standard for transformative product innovation.

“Kaivac systems empower green cleaning efforts with high production rates and verifiable results,” says Rawlins Managing Director Werner du Plessis. “With a high-flow fluid extraction method, Kaivac’s AutoVac Stretch uses at least 65% per cent less water and cleaning solution than competitors. The machine’s unique recycling function filters and reuses cleaning solution up to seven times, conserving water and reducing pollution without compromising cleaning performance. For example, AutoVac Stretch cleans up to 1,000 square feet per litre of water, while most floor scrubbers and scrubber driers clean only roughly 150 square feet per litre.”

Green Seal CEO Doug Gatlin says: “Modern environmental challenges demand modern solutions, including commercial cleaning equipment that is better for the planet while delivering the highest performance in cleaning and user ergonomics. That’s why Green Seal’s Environmental Innovation Standard measures improved health and environmental outcomes, not just material inputs. Kaivac, from Rawlins, has raised the bar for what buyers should expect about the sustainability of high-performance cleaning equipment in the marketplace.”

The AutoVac Stretch delivers cleaner, shinier floors. It features extreme soil removal technology, combined with a quick-change Lithium-ion Power Pack and unique single-fill recycling option. This enables an unprecedented cleaning range in a walk-behind machine, without loss of cleaning effectiveness.

Low cost of ownership

“Kaivac’s AutoVac Stretch offers autoscrubber performance at around one fifth of the cost of a typical 32” riding autoscrubber, and delivers considerably greater cleaning range between fill-ups,” says Werner du Plessis. “Kaivac’s extreme soil removal technology enables users to reuse or recycle the cleaning solution without loss of cleaning effectiveness, conserving water by 75% or more, while reducing chemical usage by 66% or more. So you can see why AutoVac Stretch™ represents a real breakthrough in sustainable floor cleaning.”

Kaivac’s AutoVac Stretch™ is ideal for daily cleaning but can also be used for stripping and finishing floors. It ensures faster cleaning, and due to its unique one-fill process, independent performance tests show that users can clean more than 25,000 square feet per hour by eliminating unnecessary trips to refill. Plus, most users can skip dust mopping and trail mopping for even greater productivity.

In tests performed by a major university, the AutoVac™ system removed up to 99.8 per cent of targeted soil. This was slightly better than an autoscrubber, which removed up to 99.4 per cent. A brand-new microfibre mop only removed 50.9 per cent. Plus, in gloss meter testing, the system’s gentle, non-abrasive cleansing action resulted in approximately 25 per cent shinier floors.

“Another huge benefit is that the AutoVac™ Stretch™ is really easy to use and features the KaiTutor™ onboard video training system,” says Werner du Plessis. “And for me, the best part is the machine’s extremely low cost of ownership. For starters, the initial purchase price is about 70-80 per cent less than an equivalently sized autoscrubber, and in many cases it is less than an autoscrubber’s average annual maintenance cost. Add to that greatly improved productivity, major chemical saving and 65 per cent lower maintenance costs all make for a very quick return on investment.

“With so few moving parts, there is little that can go wrong, and if it does, it’s so easy to troubleshoot and fix, unlike most cleaning equipment. Even better, the system doesn’t require a technician to maintain or fix. In most cases, an entire unit can be reconditioned in minutes for less than the cost of a single service call.”

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

Biovate Hygienics launches training academy to champion high standards in cleaning and hygiene

Innovative manufacturer of next generation biological and ecological cleaning products, Biovate Hygienics, has introduced its Biovate Training Academy to encourage industry ‘best practice’ and ensure the correct and safe use of its portfolio of products.

It provides both standard industry COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) training and short, sharp videos with the relevant product data in under a minute a product, followed by a short quiz.

Chat support is available for the free courses on an information-packed App linked to the academy with embedded support via WhatsApp and Snapchat.

Learners can brush up on products by studying flashcards and watching training videos hosted by Vimeo. They can also access technical and safety data sheets.

One of the first available courses is in kitchen hygiene and modules include:
• Floor and wall degreaser product training
• Cleaner and sanitiser product training
• How to dispense products safely
• COSHH training

Another course in front of house training is also available with more expected to be rolled out shortly. Training packages also include colour coded wall charts and signage.

Current courses are expertly tailored to the job roles of chefs, back of house and kitchen porters, dishwashers, front of house and waiting staff and housekeepers.

The Biovate Training Academy also features training for the sales team at foodservice wholesale giant Bidfood and Biovate’s other distribution partners with modules in product presentation, sell sheets and product USPs. Biovate Hygienics launched its catering ranges with Bidfood as its national catering distribution partner in July, along with leading regional partners in the South.

Once learners have successfully completed their training – which includes online quizzes – they receive a certificate from Biovate Training Academy.

Biovate Hygienics launched this year with a pledge to become the country’s best sustainable and carbon neutral cleaning product brand. The go-ahead company was co-founded by experienced environmental entrepreneur Nick Winstone with a vision to adopt cutting edge innovation to deliver the next generation of biological cleaning products with the lowest environmental impact packaging.

Based in Towcester, Northants, Biovate Hygienics specialises in providing a service to housekeeping, hospitality, care and general cleaning sectors.

Nick Winstone explained that the training academy has been launched to champion ‘best practice’ in the sector, and with an emphasis on the training being enjoyable.

He said: “The Biovate Training Academy is an ideal platform to develop a real understanding of best practice in cleaning and hygiene.
“We wanted to focus on making the training interactive and user-friendly and, most of all, fun”.

Awards, Cleaning & Facilities Management, News, Sustainability

Ecoserv Group wins Gold at Green Apple Awards

Ecoserv Group, the largest family-owned provider of sustainable FM in the UK, was a gold winner at the Green Apple Awards for Environment Best Practice 2022. The company was recognised for its commitment to sustainability and environmental improvement when the winners were announced at a presentation ceremony in the Houses of Parliament.

“Having been a bronze winner in 2021, this latest award shows the progress we have made in the past 12 months, which has accelerated our carbon reduction and ensured we remain at the forefront of sustainability.” explains Sally-Ann van Blerk, Group Sustainability Director at Ecoserv Group. “We are on an ambitious journey towards Net Zero, and before we meet this goal, we are committed to offsetting what we cannot reduce every year in line with carbon neutral certification. This requires us to closely with customers, partners and staff to achieve meaningful change and minimise the eco impact of the built environment.”

Ecoserv was amongst more than 500 entries in this year’s Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice and was successful in the Property Management category. The company received the gold award because of the steps taken to measure, monitor and reduce waste and carbon footprint, as well as its efforts to support and consult customers within the facilities management sector on sustainability.

Having engaged with environmental consultancy, RSK, in 2021 to annually measure its exact carbon footprint, Ecoserv has set science-based emission reduction targets and developed an effective strategy to achieve Net Zero in scope 1&2 by 2030. The company also implemented multiple initiatives that contributed a 28.5% year-on-year reduction in these emissions in 2021, far exceeding its targets.

““This is fantastic recognition for all the hard work that is taking place within the business to drive our environmental, social and community goals. The Green Apple Awards celebrate the greenest individuals, companies, councils and communities within the UK and internationally, so we are delighted to be selected alongside these sustainability leaders,” concludes van Blerk.

Launched in 1994, The Green Apple Awards are organised by The Green Organisation – an independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice both in the UK and internationally. The awards are supported by the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management, REHIS and other independent bodies.

Awards, Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

A Stellar Award Year for Fabulosa

Celebrations are afoot at Fabulosa, as the fragrance-led home and lifestyle brand, marks the close of 2022 with a much-coveted roll call of 12 highly prestigious winner and finalist awards, presented to the company and its highly entrepreneurial management team.

The very many accolades are in recognition of the company’s unprecedented journey to date, and its meteoric rise following its launch only 3 years ago. These include:-

• Winner – ‘Disruptor of the Year’ in the North West Business Masters Awards – TheBusinessDesk.com
• Finalist – ‘Family Business of the Year’ in the North West Business Masters Awards – TheBusinessDesk.com
• Winner of The North Region – EY UK Entrepreneur of The Year™ – Entrepreneur of The Year™ Awards
• UK National Finalist – EY UK Entrepreneur of The Year™ – Entrepreneur of The Year™ Awards
• Placed on Insider Media North West 42under42 List – Insider Media
• Finalist – Entrepreneur of the Year Award – British Business Awards
• Finalist – Disruptor of the Year – Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022
• Finalist – Entrepreneur of the Year – Growing Business Awards
• Placed on FEBE Growth Watch List 2022 – FEBE
• Finalist – The Grocer Gold Awards Household Goods Brand of the Year – The Grocer Magazine
• Finalist – The Grocer Gold Awards SME Brand of the Year – The Grocer Magazine
• Highly Commended – Manufacturer of the Year (Over £25m) – Insider Media, Made in the North West

James Sharpe, Co-founder and MD at Fabulosa comments: “Reflecting on 2022, it has been a monumental year for the company. We have continued to push the boundaries, by investing heavily in our purpose built, state of the art production facilities and prolific, highly innovative NPD programme, and we are extremely thankful to receive such major recognition from the very many highly esteemed awarding bodies.”

Elaborating further, Adam Burnett, Group Marketing Director says: “Three years ago Fabulosa was still in its infancy, and considered a ‘best kept secret’ amongst a growing army of Fabulosa fans. We can categorically say that the secret is now firmly out of the bag, with consumers’ insatiable appetite for new fragrances unabating, and a roll-call of prestigious awards behind us. We are now looking forward to achieving greater things next year, as Fabulosa enters even more product categories, and makes further inroads into Europe and beyond.”

Following its entry into the FMCG market in 2019, through an expertly executed, fast-moving schedule of exciting category-leading new product development, together with highly effective marketing campaigns, Fabulosa changed the perception of cleaning, and has rapidly taken value and volume share from well-established iconic household brands.

Fabulosa has since leveraged its strategic positioning and focus to bring fragrance to alternative lifestyle sectors, widening reach and disrupting not only the cleaning sector but also other FMCG categories outside of this category including home fragrance (candles, wax melts and diffusers), shoe and trainer care, and personal (bath and body), whilst it continues to grow and innovate with prolific NPD ongoing in Surface Care, Air Care, Laundry Care and Task Specific ranges including car care and garden care.

The brand is also making significant inroads into the export market. With its sights set firmly on international expansion, the brand has a presence in leading European retail chains representing 3,000 locations across the continent and Fabulosa collections are now available throughout Europe including France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, The Czech Republic, Austria and Italy.

For more info on Fabulosa, please visit: https://myfabulosa.co.uk/

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

The incredibly dirty (and potentially dangerous) world of hoarder clean ups

If one of your friends or loved ones suffers from hoarding, it can be tempting to help them clear out their possessions. But a hoarder clean-up is not a spring clean. It is often a dangerous process that can result in injury and illness without the correct equipment and experience.

ICE Cleaning is a specialist provider of hoarding clean up services nationwide, and can safely and effectively complete a clean-up. Its high-quality, discreet service can minimise the stress of a hoarder scenario, and help with decontamination and odour removal as well.

In this article, the experts explain the dangers of hoarding clean ups without professionals.

You’re at risk of injury

Hoarder homes are dangerous due to the sheer volume of items in the property, including unstable piles of objects. If you try to dislodge materials without knowing how best to approach them, they could topple onto you and others.  Often the contamination is indoors and out.

In some extreme cases, the property may have structural damage, too. One wrong move and you could do further damage to the property and risk a wall collapsing onto someone.

There is also likely to be a number of trip hazards which you might not be able to see and avoid if you’re removing objects.

You’re putting your health in danger

In extreme cases, hoarders have rotting food, faecal matter, urine, and even dead animals in their home. This can lead to poor air quality, making being in the home a danger to their health and those helping with the clean-up.

These conditions are also a perfect breeding ground for mould which can produce allergens, irritants, and even toxic substances. Exposure to mould could trigger allergies and more acutely impact those with pre-existing conditions, like asthma.

If the items block air vents and airways, this can increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the environment. This might put you at risk of more respiratory problems.

The large number of ossessions can also increase the chances of a fire igniting and quickly spreading, such as piles of old newspapers. If a fire does break out, escaping it is not easy in a hoarder home as escape routes are often blocked by debris.

Rodent and pest infestations are common

Rotting food can lead to infestations of pests like maggots, cockroaches, rats, and mice. Cleaning out the debris brings you in close contact with them and puts your health at risk.

There are number of dangers to you and the hoarder if you attempt a clean-up yourself. Instead, bring in a team of professionals who are experienced in tackling a hoarding clean up. They will have the right protective gear and equipment to effectively treat the issue, and can remove pest infestations and lingering odours from the property to make your home safe again.

To find out more about the hoarder cleaning services ICE Cleaning offers, click here.

Awards, Cleaning & Facilities Management, News, Sustainability

Ecoserv Group Wins At Scale-Up Awards For Industry-Leading Focus On Sustainability

Ecoserv Group, the largest family-owned provider of sustainable FM in the UK, has won a prestigious Scale-Up Award. The company scooped the Sustainable Scale-up Business of the Year category in recognition of its Net Zero strategy and a commitment to minimising the eco impact of the built environment.

“This is fantastic recognition for all the hard work that is taking place within the business to accelerate carbon reduction and remain at the forefront of sustainability,” explains Sally-Ann Van Blerk, Group Sustainability Director at Ecoserv Group. “We have implemented a clear strategy that continually looks to reinforce our focus on environmental, social and ethical responsibility, as we believe that playing our part in tackling the climate crisis is the right thing to do.”

The Scale-Up Awards ceremony took place at Tobacco Dock in Wapping, London, and brought together 450 business leaders, entrepreneurs and VIPs from across the UK. More than 500 businesses entered the 15 categories, which celebrate high-growth companies and the entrepreneurs that run them. The event was hosted by comedian Russell Kane and high-profile attendees included Theo Paphitis, Touker Suleyman, Alpesh Patel OBE, Josh Robson and Emma Sayle.

Jean-Henri Beukes, CEO of Ecoserv Group added: “We are very proud to receive this prestigious award, because sustainability has been part of our DNA since the company was founded and is central to our growth ambitions. The climate crisis is something very personal for me and the business as a whole, so we need to make a stand before it is too late. This is about our children and their future, and unless we make radical change, they will miss out on what we have taken for granted.”

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News, Sustainability

Fabulosa Celebrates International Sustainable Cleaning Certification

Fragrance-led home and lifestyle brand Fabulosa has been certified for its commitment to the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning, a flagship initiative led by the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.) which is dedicated to driving improvement in sustainability across the cleaning and hygiene industry.

To achieve the coveted certification, the firm has undergone rigorous checks by an external verifier, demonstrating its effective implementation of Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs) and commitment to creating sustainably manufactured household cleaning products.

All products across Fabulosa’s extensive range will now carry the Charter conformity mark, signifying the brand’s compliance with the Charter requirements to stakeholders, retailers and consumers, as well as its dedication to continuous improvement in its environmental practices and impact.

Launched in 2005, the Charter is the A.I.S.E.’s comprehensive sustainability assurance scheme, fostering high-level industry standards and facilitating a common industry approach. It is open to all businesses, including manufacturing companies placing products directly on the market and distributors who wish to apply the Charter to private label products.

Adam Burnett, Group Marketing Director at Fabulosa, comments: “The Charter for Sustainable Cleaning plays a critical role in driving sustainable progress in the industry, delivering tangible benefits to society and we are immensely proud to be able to say that Fabulosa is a part of this, striving to make a difference.”

Adam continued, “Led by our Quality Manager, James Lomax, the team has worked incredibly hard to achieve this certification, demonstrating not only our compliance with the highest industry sustainability standards but that we will also continuously seek further improvement of our sustainability profile.”

Established just over three years ago, Fabulosa has had a meteoric rise. First launching into the mature household cleaning category in 2019, Fabulosa has been rapidly taking market share. It’s not only achieving more liquid volume share than all other liquid disinfectants brands, but with its unique prolific new product development (NPD) drive, the business has recently become the UK’s number one privately-owned brand in the entire cleaning market, by volume and value. (Kantar 52 w/e December 26th 2021).

Fabulosa’s vast range includes Surface Care, Air Care, Laundry Care, Personal Care, Shoe Care and Task Specific ranges including car care and garden care.

For more info on Fabulosa, please visit: https://myfabulosa.co.uk/