New National Standard to Drive Sustainability in New Hygiene Procurement Management Partnership

Pinnacle Group, together with Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Services (BCHS) have launched Project Switch – a new national sustainability standard for commercial cleaning and hygiene supplies.  

The new Project Switch procurement policy, designed by Pinnacle Group and BCHS, utilises Pinnacle Group’s strategic position in the upward supply chain via its buying behaviours.  It will prioritise sustainably sourced cleaning chemicals and hygiene consumables, for   use across Pinnacle Group’s soft facilities services portfolio in homes, educational facilities, and public buildings.

As part of the partnership, BCHS has committed to offsetting carbon emissions associated with Pinnacle Group deliveries, so they are carbon neutral, resulting in reduction of Scope 3 Emissions. The ‘Responsible Procurement Policy’ also feeds into Pinnacle Group’s ESG framework. It includes a new supply chain management system and set of supply chain values to develop meaningful socio-economic partnerships. As part of this, 10 per cent of Project Switch’s annual spend will be allocated with approved local SME, VCSE and micro suppliers.

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Furthermore, ongoing measurement of the policy will be used to keep reducing the number of post-consumer recycled (PCR) bottles being put back into the circular supply chain, working towards 100 per cent by 2025.

Sarah Russell, Procurement Manager, PinnacleGroup, said: “Over the next two years, Pinnacle Group and BCHS intend to roll out and embed the new purchasing practices outlined within the policy, in order to reduce our carbon emissions and improve the impact we have on the communities we work within as well as the wider environment.  

“Sustainable procurement requires a high degree of accountability between buyers and suppliers, and this is at the heart of our supply chain management relationship with BCHS. Taking visible and accountable steps like this is important, as while we recognise it is not always possible to have products meet the requirements of this standard, we are striving towards this by ensuring that there are no products in use that fall below our minimum product standard, which goes above and beyond compliance. A number of reporting systems and metrics have also been developed internally that will allow us to measure our performance and identify areas of opportunity as we move towards 100 per cent use of sustainable procurement.”

Anna McArdle, Sustainability Manager, BCHS, said: “BCHS is proud to work collaboratively with Pinnacle Group on improving the impact we both have on local communities and the wider environment. Supported by the BCHS Sustainable Solutions initiative, the sustainability procurement policy and carbon offsetting commitment together ensure products are sourced sustainably and have a limited impact on the environment.”

Image credit: PinnacleGroup

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