West Lothian Council, a proactive public body, has been on a mission to not only meet but also exceed the national climate change and sustainability targets set by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Recognising the need for comprehensive sustainability efforts, the Council has diligently integrated climate action into all aspects of its corporate and business planning. Their Climate Change Strategy (CCS) outlines six key outcomes to reduce the Council's carbon footprint, promote sustainability, and embed environmental consciousness into their operational framework.
Acknowledging that achieving these ambitious targets required sustainable chemical alternatives, the Council required innovative partnerships to enhance their environmental initiatives.
Partnership with Biological Preparations
To address the scale of its sustainability mission, West Lothian Council, through an introduction from their Cleaning & Hygiene Partner, Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene, partnered with Biological Preparations.
This collaboration led to the adoption of BioHygiene, our Biotech cleaning brand, and GreaseBeta, our grease management service. The partnership was driven by the Council's need for effective, sustainable cleaning solutions that could meet stringent health and safety standards, while unifying cleaning standards across their sites. Biological Preparations was selected for its ability to deliver specialised, eco-friendly solutions, being a UK manufacturer with a reliable and local supply chain that could address the Council’s unique and ever-evolving cleaning challenges.
Achieving Goals with BioHygiene
BioHygiene's innovative product range has been instrumental in helping West Lothian Council achieve its sustainability objectives. After meeting with the West Lothian team, our team gained first-hand knowledge about the challenges, objectives, and specific requirements of the Council's sites. Following trial periods and consultations, our team recommended the following core cleaning products:
- BioHygiene All Surfaces & Floor Cleaner
- BioHygiene All Purpose Sanitiser (Fragranced and Unfragranced)
- BioHygiene Kitchen Cleaner and Degreaser
- BioHygiene Complete Washroom Cleaner
- Problem solvers including Gum, Mark and Graffiti, Urinal and Toilet Cleaner and Organic Acid descaler.
Before the full rollout of BioHygiene across their estate, samples were given to their staff to try and provide feedback. Representatives of both BioHygiene and West Lothian went to their different sites, supporting them through training and presentations so their team would feel confident with the new products.
Various sites were given product to trial as buy-in from staff and building users was crucial to us. Feedback was very positive in relation to effectiveness, dosing control, reduced packaging and fragrance.
- Jamie Fisher, Facilities and Service Manager at West Lothian Council
The cleaning products addressed the objectives of West Lothian:
- Reduction of Waste: The highly concentrated cleaning products reduce transport and packaging needs.
- Recyclable Packaging: All product-packaging are made from non-virgin plastics and FSC-certified paper.
- Reduction of Scope 3 Emissions: The naturally derived ingredients in these products, with no petrochemicals, ensure a significant reduction in CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle.
- Protection of Biodiversity: The Council protects and encourages biodiversity. Using biotech cleaning products means no harmful chemicals negatively affect aquatic and native life.
- Limiting Water Waste: The biotech continues to work on surfaces long after application, eliminating the need for rinsing.
- Unified Cleaning: Being a public body and following the guidance of Public Health Scotland, they wanted cleaning products that their team would be confident using across sites and were compatible with one another if the products were used in conjunction with another. This is a health and safety risk with many traditional cleaning products.
- Protecting Health: With low hazard classifications when diluted, and none once diluted, BioHygiene’s cleaning products safeguard the health and wellbeing of users without compromising on effective and stringent cleaning.
- Streamlining Cleaning: Not only did West Lothian seek to have one cleaning product manufacturer to support them across their estate but having multi-use products helped them enhance operations from a streamlined cleaning portfolio.
Beyond BioHygiene’s sustainability credentials, West Lothian also needed cleaning products that worked well, and as a public body, West Lothian also needed their cleaning products to have an EN accreditation.
The next-generation Biotech products offer both instant cleaning and deep, long-lasting cleaning capabilities. Our Biotech and Ecotech ingredients contain proprietary bacteria that colonise surfaces, degrading organic residues and ensuring a thorough, low-maintenance cleaning. A deep clean is achieved without causing damage to their surfaces. Moreover, BioHygiene products provide residual cleaning effects, with microbes continuing to break down organic matter, ensuring a thorough and lasting clean. This provides West Lothian Council with better cleaning performance, operational efficiency, and progress towards its sustainability targets.
GreaseBeta Implementation
Building on the successful integration of BioHygiene products, West Lothian Council needed a better and standardised solution for their grease management across their estate, including 72 schools. We introduced GreaseBeta, an environmentally friendly grease management system.
GreaseBeta uses biological treatment methods to break down fats, oils, and greases, preventing blockages and maintaining efficient waste management systems. The system utilises naturally occurring bacteria to degrade grease, significantly reducing the environmental impact compared to traditional chemical treatments.
After a thorough consultation, the team worked to tight deadlines set by West Lothian, who wanted to ensure minimal disruption to their schools by requesting the rollout be completed during the summer holidays.
The team of technicians worked around the clock at multiple sites to meet this deadline, highlighting the Council’s commitment to operational efficiency and environmental responsibility.
West Lothian now benefits from one standardised grease management service operating across all sites, where they can contact one manufacturer about cleaning and grease management needs.
Climate Initiative Award Winners
West Lothian Council’s innovative approach to sustainability, particularly using BioHygiene products, earned them the Climate Initiative Award at the ASSIST FM 2023. This award underscores the Council's dedication to embedding sustainable practices across its operations and successfully reducing its environmental footprint. The collaborative efforts between the Council and Biological Preparations have set a high standard for other public bodies aiming to enhance its sustainability initiatives.
BioHygiene introduced to West Lothian Council a range of accredited, compatible, effective and sustainable products which cover all our cleaning requirements and are always on hand for advice on specific situations
- Jamie Fisher, Facilities and Service Manager at West Lothian Council
