New National Standard To Support Sustainable Cleaning And Hygiene Supplies Used Across Pinnacle’s FM Portfolio

A cleaning wiping down handrails Pinnacle Group, together with Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Services (BCHS), have launched Project Switch – a new national sustainability standard for commercial cleaning and hygiene supplies.

Project Switch is a new set of standards designed by Pinnacle Group and BCHS, to ensure that sustainably produced and packaged cleaning chemicals, plus hygiene consumables, are prioritised across Pinnacle Group’s soft facilities services portfolio – in homes, educational facilities, and public buildings. As part of the collaborative sustainability initiative, BCHS has committed to offsetting carbon emissions associated with Pinnacle cleaning supplies delivery management, so they are carbon neutral.

The ‘Responsible Procurement Policy’ feeds into Pinnacle Group’s ESG framework and includes a new supply chain management system and set of values to develop meaningful socio-economic partnerships. As part of this, 10 per cent of Project Switch’s annual spend will be allocated with approved local SME, VCSE and micro suppliers. Furthermore, ongoing measurement of the policy will be used to keep reducing the number of post-consumer recycled (PCR) bottles being put back into the circular supply chain, working towards 100 per cent by 2025.

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Sarah Russell, procurement manager for Pinnacle Group Sarah Russell, procurement manager for Pinnacle Group, said: “Over the next two years, Pinnacle Group and BCHS intend to roll out and embed the new purchasing practices outlined within the policy, in order to reduce our carbon emissions and improve the impact we have on the communities we work within as well as the wider environment.

“Taking visible and accountable steps like this is important, as while we recognise it is not always possible to have products meet the requirements of this standard, we are striving towards this by ensuring that there are no products in use that fall below our minimum product standard, which goes above and beyond compliance. A number of reporting systems and metrics have also been developed internally that will allow us to measure our performance and identify areas of opportunity as we move towards 100 per cent use of sustainable products.”

Anna McArdle, sustainability manager for BCHS, said: “BCHS is proud to work collaboratively with Pinnacle Group on improving the impact we both have on local communities and the wider environment. Supported by the BCHS Sustainable Solutions initiative, the sustainability policy and carbon offsetting commitment together ensure products are sourced sustainably and have a limited impact on the environment.”