Constant innovation is vital to achieve goals, says Duncan Fishwick, director ofcommercial cleaning manufacturers Shorrock Trichem
Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen a focus from the government on sustainability.
There has been the introduction of clean air zones, the 2030 production ban of petrol and diesel cars, COP26, and most recently, the introduction of the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) which is due this April. This will apply to any plastic packaging that doesn’t contain at least 30% recycled plastic.
Anyone who imports plastic packaging to the UK faces a tax of £200 per metric tonne, and as a result we are already seeing an increase in the demand for sustainable products and services to reduce that financial burden. In fact, we have seen more innovation in the cleaning and hygiene industry in the past two years than we have in the past two decades.
Driving innovation through sustainability
As it was with many other sectors, COVID-19 provided a great opportunity for us at Shorrock Trichem to take stock of where the business was positioned in the market. We understood that sustainability was going to continue to grow in importance – it’s crucial that we continue to look at ways we can support our customer’s sustainability objectives.
We used this time to develop and invest £250,000 into our EnviroShot range, which is a selection of eco-friendly commercial cleaning products launched in December 2020.
Because the products in the range use soluble powdered capsule technology, they are much lighter than traditional, ready-to-use-products shipped in liquid form. As a result, EnviroShot uses up to 95% less fuel in transportation compared to liquid products. This reduces the carbon footprint throughout the supply chain, which ties into the goals of clean air zones.
The industry’s reaction to PPT
It’s in the manufacturer’s best interests to inform the government if they are importing Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) recycled plastics, as the assumption from the government will be that most importers are using 100% virgin plastics, otherwise they will be required to pay the flat rate of tax.
We are seeing much apprehension in the industry at the moment. Many packaging manufacturers are delaying making changes for as long as possible and are waiting for the new tax law to come into effect. Those who are ahead of the game are already working hard to improve sustainability – many manufacturers have ‘sustainability calculators’, which distributors can use to find out whether a product is sustainable long term based on its weight and plastic percentage.
A great example of a business launched with a mission of strong sustainability is Soap2O, who set up in the middle of 2021 selling sustainable hand soap. In just four months of trading, they saved 250,000 soap cartridges from being sent to landfill. We are delighted to be working with them as part of our new EnviroShot range to enhance this innovation.
We may see an increase in the price of plastic products
We’re already seeing an increase in demand for PET, and certain products are already becoming more difficult to get hold of as the system needs to catch up to the demand.
Products using 30% PET to comply with tax rules are going to increase in cost for a period of time, as the effect of prices is passed down from manufacturer to distributor to customer.
Pressure from consumers is driving change
The needs of the customer is driving change. People are embracing sustainability with open arms, and businesses that don’t meet this demand will fall behind. Market pressures have always driven innovation.
Manufacturers tend not to innovate in a static market. However, the consumer is now driving this. As energy costs go up, combined with a rise in business overheads, prices naturally increase and it is hard for companies to differentiate themselves in the market. Sustainability is a way to do just that. The end result is that everyone wins; customers get what they want, the business is successful, and sustainability improves organically.
For us at Shorrock Trichem, it is about maintaining good communication with suppliers and customers. We want to work with customers and suppliers that are as equally invested in the environment as we are.
An example of where we have been able to do this is through our work with Chester Zoo. They have been a client of ours for over 15 years. We provide them with all their packaging and cleaning chemicals/products. As huge proprietors of sustainability, they are an excellent acid-test for us to see what new products may work.
Investing in ‘circular economies’ is key to the planet’s preservation
We already have enough raw materials on the Earth to make everything we could ever need already. However, we just don’t have the systems fit for purpose to ensure that everything is able to be broken down and converted into materials for new products.
For truly sustainable product production, our advice to consumers would be to try to find products that rely on ‘circular economies’. This is the most long-term, sustainable way for companies to work. The Ellen Macarther Foundation, set up to promote this idea, says that a circular economy is based on three principles:
Eliminate waste and pollution
Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
Regenerate nature
It is underpinned by a transition to renewable energy and materials and is a resilient system that is good for business, people and the environment.
They believe, as do we, that if we can implement these principles, they will be the saviour of our planet.
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