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As humans continue to impact our planet, global warming and urbanisation are combining to create environments where bacteria can breed and spread more easily, increasing risks to public health and business operations.
At Initial, we help businesses to provide hygienic environments that support the health and wellbeing of their people and customers. As one of the world’s leading hygiene services providers, we know we have a responsibility to take action across our business, help our customers deliver on their own sustainability goals with confidence and drive change towards more eco-friendly solutions in our industry.
By innovating across our supply chain and product pipelines, we deliver more environmentally-friendly hygiene solutions to more businesses globally. We’re taking the necessary steps – such as recycling about 4.2 tonnes of plastic scraps in 2023 – to help our customers tackle their environmental impact while working towards our own goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040.
We’ve got sustainability firmly in mind in our product development process. That’s why we’re using more sustainable materials from the very beginning of product life and across entire product life cycles.
From consumables containing no harmful chemicals or microplastics to products with sustainability accreditation, we’re doing our bit to create hygiene solutions that benefit the environment as well as our customers.
At Initial Hygiene, we are committed to sustainability in every aspect of our operations, especially in sourcing our paper products. Our 100% paper products are not only environmentally friendly but also adhere to the highest standards of responsible forestry practices. Each product is sourced from suppliers who hold certifications from both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Singapore Green Label, guaranteeing that they come from forests managed with conservation and sustainability in mind. This means that when you choose Initial Hygiene's paper products, you're making a conscious choice to support sustainable practices and contribute to a healthier planet for future generations.
Our sensitive foam soap contains 98.5% natural ingredients, making it kind to the environment and your skin. All soaps are dermatologically and toxicology tested, and we only use environmentally friendly, recyclable and collapsible refill containers to reduce soap wastage.
Initial Hygiene aimed for a 94% on-site servicing performance in 2023 but achieved 93.4%. Our On-Site Servicing (OSS) method cleans feminine hygiene units directly on-site, offering a more comprehensive and discreet solution compared to off-site cleaning.
We’re analysing all aspects of our operations, workplaces and supply chain, working with our people to build a culture of sustainability throughout the company and ensure we’re proactively taking measures to reduce our environmental impact.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Whether it’s transitioning to electric vehicles across our fleet, switching to green energy tariffs across our properties or choosing to source from sustainable suppliers, we’re taking steps to deliver on our net-zero commitments.
In 2023, Initial Hygiene deployed 5 electric vans (EVs) for service, replacing older diesel vans. These EVs save 855 liters of diesel per year, which is equivalent to preventing 2.1 tonnes of CO2e emissions from entering the atmosphere annually.
In 2021, our new, dedicated Research and Development centre opened to drive our leadership in sustainable innovation and product development. Our expert teams are 100% focused on projects led by sustainability and the building itself received the BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability performance.
In 2023, Rentokil Initial implemented energy-saving labels across all its premises to encourage efficient energy usage. The Property Energy Consumption for that year was 228,000 kWh, marking a 17% reduction from 2022. The Property Energy Intensity up to December 2023 stood at 6.01 kWh '000 per million GBP revenue, showing a significant 22% improvement compared to 2022.
Furthermore, Rentokil Initial completed property consolidation in Singapore, and as part of this initiative, motion sensor lights were installed in all staircases at the Head Office. These efforts reflect our commitment to sustainable practices and reducing our environmental footprint.
Our aim is to measure and reduce the waste we generate as a business to zero landfill and incineration while increasing the use of recycled materials in our products and across our operations.
We’re committed to reducing the environmental impact of our waste. Our goal is for 100% of our waste material to be reused, recycled or repurposed for conversion into energy by 2035.
In 2023, Rentokil Initial set a goal to reduce metal Air Freshener can waste by 10%. Through extending the usage of 6,000 aerosol cans from 1 month to 2 months, we exceeded our target and achieved a remarkable 39% reduction in waste compared to 2022. This achievement underscores our commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management.
Following successful trials, we've removed two grams of virgin plastic from every soap and UltraProtect™ bottle, saving an estimated four tonnes of plastic waste annually from going to landfill. By switching to using 30% recycled plastic in all medical waste bags, we're saving an estimated 80 tonnes of virgin plastic annually.
In 2023, Rentokil Initial took significant steps to enhance battery and plastic recycling efforts. We diverted 16.8 tonnes of batteries from landfills to recycling facilities, contributing to environmental sustainability. Additionally, we recycled approximately 4.2 tonnes of plastic scraps during the same period, further demonstrating our commitment to responsible waste management and conservation.
We build long-term partnerships that support greater biodiversity and benefit the environment for future generations.
As leaders in global hygiene facilities, we recognise the importance of acting responsibly and consider the ethical, environmental and social impact of our ongoing partnerships. Moving forward, we’ve pledged to only work with suppliers that align with our environmental values and will continue to establish strong relationships with environmental charities and communities across the world to support their work in fighting the climate crisis.
Rentokil Initial Cares is our global charity and community programme supporting colleagues’ charitable efforts locally alongside national and global initiatives. We support a wide range of initiatives in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Through our partnership with environmental charity Cool Earth, we’re supporting communities in Papua New Guinea, Mozambique and Cameroon, to protect 42,000 hectares of rainforest, equivalent to 8 million tonnes of stored carbon.
We’ve funded the installation of seven 9,000-litre rainwater-harvesting tanks to provide clean drinking water during droughts. We’ve also supported Cool Earth’s biodiversity officers in Wabumari to help community members keep an eye on forest wildlife.
We seek accreditation and certification by independent organisations covering a wide range of our business operations so we can verify our efforts at sustainability. These include:
We provide the most comprehensive range of hygiene solutions to deliver the service that meets your individual needs.