Nine of the cleaning industry’s most exciting innovations have been selected from 31 submissions to go forward to the Cleaning Support Services Association’s (CSSA) Innovation Showcase 2020 by a panel of industry experts. Each entrant had ten minutes to pitch their innovation to the panel.
Taking place at the iconic London Stadium on Thursday 19 March, the Innovation Showcase is the perfect opportunity to explore the ideas, initiatives and products likely to shape the future of the cleaning industry. A biennial event, it is backed by the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), which is sponsoring the event. To book your ticket to the event, email CSSA Chief Executive, John Findlater at John@cssa-uk.co.uk.
The industry experts on the panel were given the difficult task of evaluating the submissions. They examined the products, services and initiatives submitted by companies throughout the cleaning and hygiene supply chain and interviewed the teams behind them. The criteria for selection were simple:
– The product, service or initiative must have innovation at its heart.
– It must have been launched since the 1 January 2018 (i.e. since the inaugural Innovation Showcase).
– It must add value to the cleaning and hygiene industry.
The innovations going forward to the Innovation Showcase are:
– Cheeky Panda: Bamboo Tissue Range
– Essity: Tork EasyCube
– Infraspeak: NFC Technology
– iRecycle: Waste Management
– Jangro: Virtual Room Experience
– One Spray: Zoono Products Range
– Spotta: Smart Pest Control Systems
– uComply: Employment Challenge
– WhiffAway: Smart Washrooms
CSSA Chief Executive Officer, John Findlater, explained: “Innovation is the lifeblood of the cleaning and hygiene industry. Determined to champion it, we established an Innovations Executive, which is responsible for the Innovation Showcase. The Inaugural Showcase in 2018 was a huge success, celebrating innovation in the widest sense, whether it was a new method, idea, approach or product. The same is true for the 2020 Innovation Showcase. Entries have been judged in terms of their impact and, in our experience, even something small can have a very big impact.”
With a history of innovation, sponsoring the Innovation Showcase was a natural step for the CHSA. Over 20 years ago the Association transformed standards in the sector by creating the first of its Accreditation Schemes – the Manufacturing Standards Accreditation Scheme for Soft Tissue. Underpinned by a rigorous auditing process conducted by the Scheme’s Independent Inspector, it was launched in 1997 and followed by Accreditation Schemes for Plastic Refuse Sacks in 2000 and Industrial Cotton Mops in 2007. In January 2017, the Association innovated again, launching the Accreditation Scheme for Distributors. As of 1 January 2020, every distributor member of the CHSA was audited and formally Accredited. The Schemes guarantee ‘what’s on the box is what’s in the box’. Our Standards, Your Guarantee.
Lorcan Mekitarian, Chairman of the CHSA, said: “Our industry faces some tough and complex challenges – from the urgent need for environmental sustainability to responding to disrupters entering the market and the never-ending pressure on margins. Being able to adapt and evolve is necessary if we’re going to address these big issues facing the sector, so it’s no surprise our members have a track record of introducing new products and approaches. It’s a natural step for us to support the CSSA’s 2020 Innovation Showcase. We are both supporting our members and amplifying the existing culture that says continual innovation is essential.”