Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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New national standard to support sustainable cleaning & hygiene supplies used across Pinnacle's FM portfolio
Pinnacle Group, together with Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Services (BCHS), have launched Project Switch - a new national sustainability standard for commercial cleaning and hygiene supplies.
Project Switch is a new set of standards designed by Pinnacle Group and BCHS, to ensure that sustainably produced and packaged cleaning chemicals, plus hygiene consumables, are prioritised across Pinnacle Group's soft facilities services portfolio - in homes, educational facilities and public buildings.
As part of the collaborative sustainability initiative, BCHS has committed to offsetting carbon emissions associated with Pinnacle cleaning supplies’ delivery management, so they are carbon neutral.
The 'Responsible Procurement Policy' feeds into Pinnacle Group's ESG framework and includes a new supply chain management system and set of values to develop meaningful socio-economic partnerships. As part of this, 10% of Project Switch's annual spend will be allocated with approved local SME, VCSE and micro suppliers.
Furthermore, ongoing measurement of the policy will be used to keep reducing the number of post-consumer recycled (PCR) bottles being put back into the circular supply chain, working towards 100% by 2025.
“Over the next two years, Pinnacle Group and BCHS intend to roll out and embed the new purchasing practices outlined within the policy, to reduce our carbon emissions and improve the impact we have on the communities we work within as well as the wider environment,” says Sarah Russell, procurement manager for Pinnacle Group (pictured, top left).
"Taking visible and accountable steps like this is important, as while we recognise it is not always possible to have products meet the requirements of this standard, we are striving towards this by ensuring that there are no products in use that fall below our minimum product standard, which goes above and beyond compliance.
“A number of reporting systems and metrics have also been developed internally that will allow us to measure our performance and identify areas of opportunity as we move towards 100% use of sustainable products."
Anna McArdle, sustainability manager for BCHS (pictured, right), says: "BCHS is proud to work collaboratively with Pinnacle Group on improving the impact we both have on local communities and the wider environment. Supported by the BCHS Sustainable Solutions initiative, the sustainability policy and carbon offsetting commitment together ensure products are sourced sustainably and have a limited impact on the environment."
Pinnacle Group provides people-first, integrated services across a range of community-facing assets and infrastructure - including multi-tenure housing, schools, open spaces, public buildings, utilities and broadband networks - as well as a range of complementary employment and wellbeing outcomes.
Across the UK, Pinnacle supports over 300,000 homes, 200 schools and 80 public buildings creating value, providing stewardship, and generating positive outcome for customers, partners and clients.
10th March 2022