Sustainability is a popular buzzword these days, but what does it truly mean when seeking a dependable chemical supplier? More importantly, how can you ensure your supplier is genuinely committed to sustainability practices?
At Assured Solutions, sustainability isn’t just an afterthought, it’s front and centre of everything we do. We work tirelessly to reduce our impact and carbon footprint on the planet, providing outdoor products that are kinder to the environment and adopting sustainable practices at every stage.
Here’s what you need to know to make sure your supplier is eco-friendly and sustainable.
Accreditations
Accreditations are one of the first things that indicate whether a supplier takes sustainability seriously. A chemical supplier who wants to demonstrate their practices are sustainable will usually have ISO 14001 and 9001.
ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organisations improve their environmental performance and reduce their impact through the reduction of waste and efficient use of resources.
ISO 9001 is the international standard for global quality management. It sets out policies and procedures companies should follow to enhance customer satisfaction and meet customer requirements.
Becoming certified can be challenging, taking between six months and two years. Companies are required to develop their own environmental management system, conduct a rigorous impact assessment, set environmental targets, and implement regular monitoring, reviews, and performance management.
But the benefits of being certified are numerous:
- Enhanced reputation for the organisation and reassurance for customers their supplier has environmentally protective practices in place
- Improved business performance and greater efficiency from your supplier
- Compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Clear Environmental Practices
Sustainable suppliers will have clear, working environmental policies in place when creating cleaning products for your company whether it’s an environmentally friendly patio cleaner or products used for professional cleaning in the automotive industry.
They should be able to demonstrate throughout the process how they implement sustainable practices to minimise or eliminate environmental harm. They will have a waste hierarchy structure to reduce or eliminate waste and a zero waste to landfill policy which aims to reduce or re-use substances first before landfill is considered. They may make use of solar energy or use less harmful substances during production, plant trees to offset their carbon footprint, compost food waste, or use approved sustainable materials.
Product Environmental Impact
As well as broad-based sustainable practices, responsible chemical suppliers will also have practices that deal specifically with the environmental impact of their products.
They will be able to tell you about a product’s specific usage, the chemicals contained in it, whether it has any hazardous substances, and what waste is created during manufacture. They’ll also be able to tell you about the amount of packaging it uses.
How We Work
At Assured Solutions we treat all effluent on site recycling water wherever possible, removing waste, and reusing it. All water is filtered and treated. We have implemented various energy-saving practices in our factory including switching factory lights to LED lighting. And waste reduction is an integral part of our daily operations with all plastic and cardboard bailed on site for recycling off-site.
We are both ISO 14001 and 9001 certified with 30+ years of experience, which enables us to produce sustainable cleaning products in the UK and beyond. As well as producing environmentally friendly products we are committed to minimising our impact and reducing our carbon footprint in every area of our business. We are committed to long-term environmental protection and making a difference.
For more information about our environmental practices check out our Environmental Impacts Page.
If you want to know more about what we do and how we can supply you with sustainable cleaning products get in touch.
Image Source: Canva