New projects, positive momentum

27th of January 2021
New projects, positive momentum

As 2020 drew to a close and a new year began, the German cleaning industry has been taking stock, reports Katja Scholz.

In April of last year the contract cleaning association BIV commissioned Forsa, an independent German market and opinion research institute, to do a survey regarding the popularity of the contract cleaning trade. The results showed people’s appreciation of contract cleaning has increased significantly since the spring.

In April, so in the middle of the first wave of coronavirus, 96 per cent regarded contact cleaning work either as very important (67 per cent) or important (29 per cent). Of these, the younger respondents in particular saw the sector as very important – 78 per cent of the 18- to 29-year-olds gave it top ranking.

“During the coronavirus crisis, every fourth person holds the contract cleaning business in higher regard than before.  Admittedly, and this we also view very positively, 71 per cent of respondents considered the profession to be important even before the crisis”, says Christopher Lück, BIV director of policy and communications. And some people have even changed their attitude to hygiene in their private lives: 57 per cent of respondents reported paying more attention now.

A campaign #Support the BIV is currently underway. This began in the middle of spring and arose as a direct consequence of Covid-19. The aim is to highlight the challenges faced by the trade with the largest number of employees in Germany, symbolising the systemic importance of the sector.

“We are rolling out the campaign via video messages on social media.  At the same time, we are initiating continuous press and PR campaigns, with exclusive coverage in the national media. This includes a nationwide, awareness-raising light projection on the Berlin Reichstag, Cologne cathedral and the Siegestor in Munich. The campaign will run at least until the end of 2020.”

A third project for BIV at the moment is schools cleaning. Hygiene shortcomings in schools are not new but have assumed greater importance. This is why it turned to federal education minister Anja Karliczek with the suggestion that a so-called “Hygiene Summit” should be held at national level. The aim was to encourage a constructive discussion of targeted proposals for improvement and to make recommendations for action. “Poor hygiene has long been recognised and criticised by all sides but nevertheless still remains a virulent problem.

“Underlying it all is the fundamental wish of those responsible to cut the cost of cleaning. Those who order less and reduce cleaning plans to a barely justifiable minimum will receive a lower level of service. Coronavirus gives us the perfect tipping point to highlight this issue at the highest political level with a view to raising school hygiene to a position of greater prominence,” explains Thomas Dietrich, chairman of BIV.

And how was the BIV positioned at the end of a very challenging year? “People’s awareness of hygiene and cleanliness has been intensified. Their appreciation and understanding of our work has been significantly increased.  Let us adopt a positive attitude to face the coming year together, “ concluded Christopher Lück.

 

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