The integration project of ecological cleaning solutions, established in 2014 and coordinated by the Supply Chain, has changed the ways of doing in depth in the company. Without the involvement and commitment of people who believed in the possibilities of biotechnology, this improvement project could not have been realized.
Recall that InnuScience’s products, a quebec-based company in Sainte-Julie, are Ecologo certified and meet stringent requirements for quality and environmental performance. These products fit perfectly into a sustainable development approach. The basic principle is simple: the “good” bacteria in products “biodegrade” the organic matter in the soil and their action extend beyond the cleaning.
Unlike the majority of chemicals, ecological solutions are not harmful to health and have less impact on the environment: they are fully biodegradable in less than 14 days, without volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hypoallergenic, multipurpose, concentrated and used in cold water.
Positive employee testimonials
These odorless products, which have to be applied at a precise dosage and which in some cases require a time to pose to act effectively, were initially welcomed with a certain skepticism among our employees. When you always use corrosive products that clean quickly, changing habits can be difficult!
However, as soon as eco-friendly products were introduced, some employees noted positive changes. Maintenance workers at TC Stinson Anne Marie Lemay and Julie Richard, as well as the steam assistant at Villeray Phalavuth Sok, confirm that their health has improved. Since the introduction of the new soaps, respiratory problems, chronic cough, headaches, dizziness and tingling of the skin and eyes have been eliminated. According to them, the soaps are effective but it is necessary to read the instructions of use and when there is a problem, the supplier is listening to the requests. Manon Laflamme, a maintenance worker at Lionel-Groulx, is also satisfied with the performance of environmentally friendly products. She especially noted the disappearance of aerosol products, harmful to the environment. The Supply Chain team provided support throughout the project and facilitated the linkage between the transaction requests and the supplier. While some non-environmentally friendly products are still used to clean heavily soiled or dielectric parts, technology is constantly evolving and the replacement of non-ecological products is proceeding gradually.
A significant improvement
The STM can be proud of these results, with supporting figures:
- Decrease of 17,500 aerosol containers per year
- Recurring savings of 33%
- 37% reduction of packaging materials and 62% of the CO2 emitted during the transport of products
- Elimination of 16 tons of air pollutants, 136 tons of products harmful to the aquatic environment and 14 tons of VOCs
To ensure the sustainability of the green, the good will of all users is required! To this end, the Supply Chain will continue to work closely with the relevant maintenance departments.
