Vickie Hacking, Principal Advisor, Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), reports.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, local authority soft FM services had started to implement measures to increase environmental sustainability and reduce carbon emissions. However, the upheaval caused by the pandemic meant local authorities quickly re-focused on the unprecedented challenges it posed – as a result, environmental sustainability became less of a priority.
In the post-pandemic era, local authority building cleaning and catering services have returned to previous delivery models, with managers' priorities turning back to ensuring their services are resilient and sustainable. To achieve this, clear policies, strategies, and leadership are required – alongside data and targets to measure the outcomes being achieved.
The Environmental Sustainability and Carbon Reduction in Local Authority Soft FM Survey recently carried out by APSE found that only 35.71 percent of building cleaning services have an environmental sustainability policy or strategy – with 33.33 per cent of respondents stating that the cost of sustainable products and supplies is the greatest barrier to improving sustainability.
However, despite most building cleaning services not having an official sustainability strategy, there is clear evidence of these concerns being addressed, with 60 per cent of respondents reporting that they have reduced the number of chemicals used and 53.33 per cent reducing the use of single-use plastics.
It is clear from the survey that there are barriers to services achieving environmental sustainability, including the additional cost to the service and the effectiveness of products to meet the requirements of the service – reflecting the financial pressures facing frontline services.
Although these barriers pose a challenge, managers continue to trial and adopt approaches to improve environmental sustainability in their services. Examples of successful sustainability measures include new cleaning equipment made from 75 oer cent recyclable plastics, replacing hand towels with hand dryers, using bio-degradable bottles and bio-hygiene chemicals, and using products with less packaging.
Going forward, APSE will be carrying out this survey on an annual basis to gain a snapshot of the progress that Soft FM services are making to improve environmental sustainability and reduce carbon output in the sector. You can read the full survey analysis on the APSE website.
In addition, the APSE Facilities, Catering and Cleaning Management Seminar 2025 scheduled on 30 and 31 January 2025, will bring together expert speakers that will explore the challenges facing soft FM services and the innovative approaches local authorities are adopting to ensure the service is fit for the future and delivering for their communities.
www.apse.org.uk
About the contributor
Vickie Hacking
Principal Advisor
Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)