Emma Saunders, the general manager of Genesis Biosciences, has explored the many benefits of using bacterial solutions to clean school facilities. She has also looked at changing the way the school stores their equipment and resources such as garage shelving found at links like https://www.garage-shelving.co.uk. This will keep the schools paper work safe to and away from any possible contamination.
Time for a change
She says that our era is marked by changeability, with any industry able to evolve with the right catalyst. The BBC’s Blue Planet series alerted the public’s attention to plastic polluting the seas and facilitated the growth of a trend in using plastic responsibly.
The facility management sector awaits its own lightbulb moment, with products that have the capability to harm individuals and the environment still being used excessively. Ms Saunders notes that this particularly applies to school cleaning, with children’s developing respiratory systems at risk.
Asthma UK study results
Schools often need chemical cleaners; however, alternative solutions can have beneficial results for both children’s health and the environment. As evidence continues to grow that traditional cleaning products can be health hazards, an Asthma UK study found a link between cleaners using concentrated chemicals and the development of asthma in adulthood. The research concluded that up to one in six cases of adult-onset asthma might be the result of occupational exposure.
In February 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a warning that drug-resistant bacteria (superbugs) are a global health threat. Ms Saunders says that widespread use of chemical cleaners has left biocidal residues on surfaces after wiping, resulting in resistant bacteria; however, evidence suggests that probiotic cleaners can reduce bacterial resistance. Cleaning agents with beneficial bacteria can produce bio-surfactants with a powerful anti-microbial effect.
Broadly speaking, using biological cleaning agents supports the goal of reducing contamination of water sources around the world and there is no longer the need to dispose of toxic chemicals.
Dealing with grease
Preventing the discharge of grease into the sewers can now be managed with biological ingredients that work with grease traps to drain away food waste. Schools may use stainless steel grease traps.
The HSE offers lots of official healthy and safety advice for the cleaning industry.
Ms Saunders says that eco-benign products such as the Evogen Professional cleaning range are not only environmentally friendly but also deliver financial returns. With demand for bioscientific products growing, manufacturers make efficiency savings through increased production and the cost-benefit analysis becomes more and more in favour of bacterial products.