In a sustainability conscious world, strategic sourcing can carry weight far beyond the bottom line. For housekeeping service providers ahs hospitality, ESG is not just a strategy; it’s a non-negotiable. The company recently partnered with Bunzl to streamline operations and source a more sustainable disposable glove. By switching to lightweight nitrile gloves, they managed to reduce the business’s waste to landfill by a whopping 56% – equalling an estimated 5400-kilo reduction.
“Our initial strategy was to look at how we can report on our emissions based on stock deliveries. From there, our focus became how to transition products as they come to market,” explains Justin Jones, General Manager of Sales & Marketing at ahs hospitality. “With gloves being the most utilised product of our cleaning ranges, it was a no-brainer to find a more sustainable solution.”
The impact of the swap was farreaching: as well as the sustainable benefits, there’s ease of access through online ordering and the ability to consolidate to one product across over 120 sites. “It’s also been noted that these gloves are far more durable than some of the previous brands we’ve used, tried and tested – which again feeds into the ability to avoid unnecessary consumption and additional waste,” adds Jones.
So, how difficult was the big swap to implement? “Internally, we had subject matter specialists outline everything from cost implications to the operational impact of the boxes; even through to testing how the material is affected by the chemicals we use across our sites,” says Jones. “We also worked with Bunzl Account Managers on the consolidation of product and loading for purchase through the e-store.”
In 16 weeks from review to implementation, ahs hospitality had the new gloves in the hands of every team member. A win for both the environment and the bottom line.
