We’ve only got one planet.
It can be upsetting to read reports of how human activities are upsetting the delicate ecological balance of the earth, and the damage we are causing to our natural environment
At MCS, we’re committed to making sure our business activities are environmentally friendly and don’t have a negative impact on the planet.
But when it comes to choosing environmentally friendly cleaning products, there are a lot of buzzwords that can make choosing the right products harder than it should be.
It can get easier when you cut through the jargon.
In this guide, we’ll demystify some of the terminology used for cleaning products and explain how we deliver commercial cleaning services that are environmentally friendly without sacrificing on quality.
Green
We hear a lot about products being ‘green’, but what exactly does this mean?
It’s confusing. And probably not helpful for consumers or businesses wanting to make conscious choices.
Broadly speaking, a green product is one that is designed to reduce the environmental impact that it has at all stages of its life cycle – through manufacturing, distribution and in its final intended use.
What can still cause confusion for a lot of businesses, is that there is no widely accepted criteria or set of requirements for a product to be labelled ‘green’.
So just because a product or service is labelled as ‘green’ doesn’t mean that it doesn’t harm the environment – just that its environmental impact has been reduced.
Plant-based and Vegan
Plant-based products have a similar definition to ‘natural’ products but prioritise ingredients that are derived from plant based sources.
However, even if a product is marked as ‘plant-based’ it doesn’t mean that animal products haven’t been used to produce it. It just means that plant-based sources have been prioritised.
For businesses and consumers that want to make a truly animal-free choice, the cleaning products they choose should be labelled as ‘Vegan’. This means that it contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Natural
A natural product is one that doesn’t use any artificial ingredients and uses only natural ingredients from living things found in nature.
So, if a product is labelled as ‘natural’ you wouldn’t expect to see any synthetic ingredients or chemicals.
Where we find many products fall down when classed as ‘natural’ is that although their ingredients are from natural sources, their packaging may contain plastics and synthetic materials. So it’s one to watch out for.
It’s also worth noting that natural products can contain ingredients from both plants and animals and may not be suitable for vegans.
Eco-friendly
The definition of an eco-friendly product is one that doesn’t cause harm to the environment or disrupt the sensitive ecological balance.
This includes the product, the production and the packaging.
Being classed as eco-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean that no chemicals are used in the product or production processes, just that the chemicals that are used aren’t damaging to our planet.
Sustainable
A product can be described as sustainable if it doesn’t
deplete natural, non-renewable resources and doesn’t directly harm the
environment.
For example, a sustainable product might be made from
recycled materials so that no new resources are used in its production.
Or it might be produced from materials that are easily
renewable within nature – such as cloths made from bamboo that is quick to grow
without the use of pesticides or fertilisers.
Why do some other cleaning companies still use cleaning products with harsh
chemicals?
We don’t believe that any business intentionally wants to
cause harm to our natural environment.
A lot of the time, cleaning companies that are still using
harsh chemicals to provide their services have an incorrect belief that they deliver
better results. That simply isn’t true.
In our own transition to becoming more environmentally
friendly, we did a lot (and we mean a LOT!) of testing to make sure that the
quality of our cleaning wasn’t impacted by our switch to products that don’t
have a negative influence on our planet.
For other cleaning companies, it may be a case that they
‘use what they’ve always used’ and aren’t aware of the range high-quality,
effective, environmentally friendly alternatives for cleaning products that are
now available.
How do MCS choose their environmentally friendly cleaning products?
Over the past couple of years, we have sourced environmentally
friendly alternatives for any cleaning products that contained chemicals like
bleach, ammonia, and chlorine.
We evaluated the new range of products we use in our
commercial cleaning services based on a variety of factors: the raw materials
they contain, their impact on the environment, their pH, their environmental
hazard classification, the amount of energy they take to manufacture – and
their ability to deliver a high-quality clean.
Our commitment to the environment doesn’t stop at our choice
of cleaning products. We’re in the process of moving to a fully electric fleet
of vehicles, and we include training on the importance of using environmentally
friendly cleaning products to all our team members.
Choose MCS as your environmentally friendly cleaning partner
At MCS we take our commitment to the environment seriously.
We aim to use eco-friendly, sustainable and plant-based cleaning products that
are safe for the environment.
If you’re looking to save time and money by outsourcing your
commercial cleaning to a business that truly cares about the environment, choose
MCS Cleaning.
We provide domestic cleaning and commercial cleaning services in Loughborough, Birmingham,
Nottingham, Berkshire and the whole of the East Midlands.
Ready to get started? Let’s talk.
Give our friendly team a call on 01530 382006 or send us an
email.
Need a bit more information before you make your decision?
Download our brochure. It’s got all the information you need to help assure you
that MCS is the right choice for your business.
