Chatha Hygiene, based in Medway City Estate, provide professional hygiene services within Medway and across southeast England. They are committed to reducing their impact on the planet and supporting their clients to do so too.
Efficient water management
One method of support they offer is to install more efficient water management systems in toilets, in particular for urinals. This is because many urinals are on self-flushing timers, and so often flush without any need to do so, wasting water. A study conducted in a school showed that by controlling the flush on urinals, 861,840 litres of water and £1,042.83 could be saved a year.
By installing a management system that flushes only when a user is detected by the sensor, companies across Medway and beyond could reduce their water consumption by 90%, improving their carbon footprint.
Sourcing from sustainable suppliers
Another way they support their clients and reduce their own impact is by sourcing from sustainable suppliers where possible. They source many paper products, such as toilet roll, paper towels and blue roll, directly from a local paper mill, which produces recycled paper. Not only is this paper produced in a more environmentally friendly way, but it also causes less blockages in the system, improving the efficiency of the sometimes-antiquated drain systems.
Chatha Hygiene reported that clients have started to require transparency with what happens to their waste and where their supplies are sourced from, as consumers are starting to demand this information. This need for transparency will incentivise companies to choose more sustainable options, and Chatha Hygiene are well placed to help clients meet these demands.
Can crushing
Chatha Hygiene previously struggled to find any company that would be willing to recycle their canisters, which are mostly air fresheners, due to the perfume left within. Therefore, urged by their clients to show they were recycling the metal canisters, they set out to find a machine that would crush the canisters on site, to release the remaining product. When they realised that there was nothing available on the market to do this, they invested in having a machine built specially for them. This now allows them to crush and recycle around 2,000 cans a month.
Watch the can crushing machine in action.
Dealing with waste
Dealing with waste is a huge aspect of Chatha Hygiene’s services, and they take it extremely seriously. They comply with all laws, making sure to incinerate any products that are legally required to be. However, when there are more sustainable options available to them, they aim to use these disposal methods, such as with sanitary waste.
From the cradle to the grave the human race produces natural waste that has to be dealt with. Since the introduction of disposable nappies, the usage of traditional nappies has declined dramatically and therefore the problem of how to dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way has become greater. The female population on average produces 40 years of menstrual waste.
We at Chatha Hygiene always look to work with others, especially locally, who are forward thinking and are researching more ways to improve the overall footprint.
We want to hear from you
Have you been taking action to reduce your emissions and environmental footprint? Tell us all about your efforts by emailing climatechange@medway.gov.uk.