JohnsonDiversey, one of the biggest companies in the world of cleaning, hygiene and sanitation, is committed to sustainable cleaning performance. That’s one reason why it’s sponsoring the 2009 Kimberly-Clark Professional and CSSA Golden Service Awards - and in particular the ‘Environmental Awareness’ award.
“Supporting the Golden Service Awards with the JohnsonDiversey Environmental Awareness Award is just one example of this commitment,” said Deborah Bland, market manager at JohnsonDiversey. “It’s our goal to practice sustainability in all aspects of our business and to help our customers do the same. In practical terms, that means delivering solutions that are simple and safe to use and based around excellence and innovation at every stage of the cleaning lifecycle. The result is sustainably lower levels of raw materials, packaging, waste and energy consumption with reduced lifetime costs.”
JohnsonDiversey has a well established record in sustainable environmental awareness since the company was founded in 1886. Although many people believe that sustainability is a 21st century phenomenon, it’s been a key consideration throughout the company’s history. In 1935, H.F. Johnson organised and participated in the Johnson Carnauba Expedition to northeast Brazil to find a sustainable source of carnauba wax. In 1975 JohnsonDiversey banned the use of CFC’s, making it one of the first cleaning products companies to eliminate CFCs from its aerosol products - many years before the Montreal Protocol of 1987 which legally restricted their use. In 1993 JohnsonDiversey phased out APEOs (alkylphenol ethoxylates) in Europe. The Marketing & Use Directive 2003/53/EC did not outlaw these materials until 2003.
JohnsonDiversey was a founder member of the Marine Stewardship Council with the WWF. It was the first business-to-business chemical manufacturer awarded the AISE (International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products) Charter for Sustainable Cleaning, and in 2008 the company joined the WWF’s Climate Savers programme which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This longterm commitment is also reflected throughout solutions and manufacturing processes that continue to deliver leadership and innovation. Cleaning machines such as the popular TASKI swingo XP scrubber drier promote productivity, reduce overall costs and use less energy and water than conventional equipment.
Its Jonmaster range of ultra microfibre products supports high performance hard surface cleaning and infection control without chemicals, presenting customers with a highly sustainable option. Cleaning products in the J-Flex and Exact ranges enable the safety, ease of use and accurate dosing and dilution of concentrates that empower users with consistent high performance cleaning but with reduced packaging, energy consumption, waste and chemical miles.
Many JohnsonDiversey products are supplied as concentrates for use with a controlled dosing system. With these each refill of a spray bottle or sink for dishwashing is always prepared at the optimum dilution for best performance and there is no wasted product, which helps control costs. Research has shown that when staff are allowed to dilute by pouring from a container they over-dose by as much as 66% which is very wasteful.
Basic dosing equipment is relatively inexpensive and a spray bottle of hard surface sanitiser, for example, prepared using concentrates costs around 12p whereas the equivalent ready-to-use product is a pound or more from a cash-and-carry or wholesaler.
Concentrates are also good for improving sustainability with reduced waste and related disposal costs. This is because more chemical is stored in smaller containers and water is only added at the point of use. Over time fewer containers are used and the amount of packaging to recycle or throw away is reduced. The need for transport, what’s known as the chemical miles, is reduced dramatically.
Other recent innovations from JohnsonDiversey include products designed to work at lower temperatures, further cutting costs and reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.
“More and more of our customers are stressing the need to work more sustainably and in a way which protects the environment,” continued Deborah Bland. “We’re able to point to a long track record of best practice on every aspect of sustainability.”
Graham Landi, UK and Ireland country manager for Kimberly-Clark Professional, said: “We’re very pleased that JohnsonDiversey has decided to continue its sponsorship of the 2009 Golden Service Awards. The backing of one of the most important global companies in the cleaning sector is a fantastic endorsement of the importance and prestige of these awards, which we believe truly recognise some of the very best achievements in the cleaning sector. JohnsonDiversey uses its sponsorship to highlight the need for sustainability. We believe they are quite right to do that. It’s an issue which is increasingly important to every part of the cleaning sector. By picking the best environmental performers, we’re able to provide a lead which is valuable to everyone in the industry, to all our customers and to society as a whole.”