ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

ECJ celebrates its 20th birthday this month. To celebrate our birthday we look back at the key trends affecting the industry over the last 20 years, with the help of some of the best-known names in the industry. Today, Sergio Pupkin of Diversey.

The most significant developments have been those that have helped manufacturers and end users improve their operational efficiency:

• Dosing and dispensing technology, allowing for increased concentration and an improved cost in use of chemical products, plus a significant increase in user safety.

• High productivity methods like microfibres and increased mechanisation.

All these things have helped our industry optimise financial resources and improve profitability in order to remain competitive.

There have been many positive changes:

• The development and commercialisation of new disinfection compounds several times safer and more sustainable, like quats and oxygen peroxide, allow mankind to better fight pandemics.

• Food safety is one of the key developments for the away-from-home business. With all the kitchen hygiene methods, HACCP processes and training available, the world is a  safer place thanks to our industry.

• People (customer and employee) safety. According to the International Labour Organisation, cutting, fractures, burns and other personnel, work-related injuries take more than 180 million people away from their workplace annually. However, today our industry is safer than ever thanks to fewer hazards from chemicals, ergonomics, machines and better training to improve personnel performance and well-being.

Daytime cleaning is a significant change, not only because it allows cleaning professionals to have a daytime life, but also because it reduces energy use and it is more sustainable.

There have been some areas lacking:

• Addressing the needs of developing economies with affordable products, and mass market educational efforts for cleaning and hygiene standards.

• More consistent global regulatory frameworks. More consistent environmental standards.

What I would like to see in the future:

• Sustainability, caring for the environment, reducing the footprint of cleaning operations.

• Leverage ubiquitous Internet and communication to continue increasing productivity methods.

• Automation to reduce effort and continuing the professionalisation of cleaning.

• Equalisation of infection control and food safety across different geographies, helping reduce food waste, and cleaning for health to reduce infections.

• Addressing the needs of developing nations, future engine of global population and economy. Prepare the industry for a massively populated world.

www.diversey.com