CSR Report - Doing The Right Thing

CSR Report - Doing the right thing

phs Group provides washroom, healthcare and floorcare hygieneservices to 122,000 customers across 300,000 locations nationwide.Wherever we’re needed, we’re on your doorstep.What makes phs different? It’s our commitment to do the right thing.We’re helping clean up the ocean from plastic by using ghost fishing netsto create ECONYL floor mats. Our patented products deliver significantwater and cost savings. Our air purifiers help to improve employee well-being.By using phs, organisations can make a difference to the environment andtheir bottom line as well as telling a good news story.It’s all about doing the right thing.2

Doing theright thingWe’re cleaning up theocean from plastic wasteDiscarded fishing nets account for a shocking 46% of theocean’s plastic pollution. Known as ghost nets, they risktrapping and drowning mammals such as turtles, dolphinsand whales. These nets take 600 years to degrade and,when they do, shed micro plastics which make their wayinto the food chain.But volunteer divers are rescuing sea animals andcollecting these ghost nets which is turned into durablenylon yarn called ECONYL , used by phs to create floormats. And once its served its purpose as a floor mat, it isrecycled again either as Equestrian or turned into a refusederived fuel to create energy; giving it life after life.So everyone who steps into a business, retailer, officeor school with a floor mat from phs is contributing to theclean-up of ghost fishing nets, simply by wiping their feet.From the sea to your floor1Fishing netsare recovered 2Nylon 6 waste isregenerated 3The mats areinstalled 4Keepingyou safe!DID YOU KNOW?Discarded fishing netsaccount for a shocking46% of the ocean’splastic pollutionCSR REPORT - Doing the right thing3

We’re creating period equalityOne in 10 young women are unable to afford period products,according to research from children’s charity Plan International UK.What’s more, nearly 140,000 girlshave missed school because theycouldn’t afford sanitary wear.The campaign to tackle periodequality is growing nationally withScotland being the first governmentto announce a directive for freesanitary products in schools,colleges and universities. Localauthorities in England and Walesare also offering similar strategies.The purpose-designed free-venddispenser was created in responseto the growing period equalityagenda and rise in demand fromour customers.Free-vend machines area real solution in tackling periodequality. Installing these withinwashrooms gives females whoneed it instant and discreet accessto sanitary products without theembarrassment or inconvenienceof having to visit an office or schoolnurse. The products are also storedappropriately so they are kept cleanand dry, dispensing one itemat a time as needed.The phs slim line free-vendmachines stock individuallywrapped sanitary productsand can be accessed withoutthe use of a coin.Not dispensed through the vendingmachine, we also provide a choiceof environmentally friendly sanitaryproducts including organic andreusable options. As we striveto help overcome period equality,phs free-vend machines offer adiscreet and convenient solutionto our customers, enabling youto offer products to young girlswho cannot afford them.The University of St Andrewsprovides 15 free-vend machinesfor students within its washrooms,including within student residences,the student association building,the library and sports centre.Providing a range of sanitaryproducts in educationalestablishments gives girls choiceand less worry around their periods,particularly if they have a lowincome. We collectively decided thatfree-vend was the most discreetway of doing this and they are nowin place in the most appropriate andbusiest buildings to ensure productsare available for girls who needthem. The feedback fromstudents has been positive.Gillian JordanEstates Cleaning Manager at the University of St Andrews4CSR REPORT - Doing the right thing

Period Poverty Taskforcephs are proud to be contributing to a newly formed Period PovertyTaskforce, chaired by Minister for Women and Equalities, Plan InternationalUK and Procter & Gamble. The taskforce will focus on tackling periodpoverty and stigma around menstruation, providing a joined-up approach,working with experts from all sectors and learning from and buildingon existing initiatives.The taskforce will form three sub groups, with phs leading the ‘Access’sub group to understand how sanitary products can become moreaccessible to women in the wider yphsperiodequalityAlong with aiming to end all stigma and taboo around periods,other key objectives of the taskforce include making the UK worldleading in understanding the causes of period poverty, ensuring nogirl has to miss school because of lack of access to period products,and eradicating period poverty in the UK by 2025.CSR REPORT - Doing the right thing5

We are.converting flushers into binnersHalf of UK women are believed to flush sanitaryproducts down the toilet – despite the fact theyshould not be flushed.It’s estimated that up totwo billion sanitary items areflushed down Britain’s toiletseach year. This contributes toblockages which can be messy,unhygienic and expensive to fix;nationally, it costs 88m a yearto unblock sewers. And theseflushed products can also endup strewn across beachesand in the sea.6But the result of the exclusivepartnership between phs andFabLittleBag aims to make adifference. FabLittleBag is adiscrete, purpose-designed bagfor users to dispose of theirsanitary waste. With businessesplacing a greater emphasis onenvironmental objectives, it ishoped they can be inspired tohelp clean-up tampon pollutionand encourage people tobecome binners, not flushers.CSR REPORT - Doing the right thing

.improving our carbon footprintEach day, phs employees undertake 20,000service visits to our customers’ sites, performingessential services. This is why 75% of ourorganisational carbon footprint is down tothe fuel used in our vehicles. To tackle this,our efforts are focused on choosing efficientvehicles that are the best-fit for our needs,taking practical steps to reduce fuel use andlooking to the future to understand how wecan transition to low carbon transport solutions.We have invested 16m in new vehicles,downsizing vehicles and consolidating routeswherever possible. We’re also working closelywith manufacturers to identify new solutionsand plan to trial electric vans in urban areasin the future. And we also engage a driverbehaviour training programme, an investmentof over 1.2m, which has resulted in animprovement in our average driver mpgof 15% over three years.The measures we’veundertaken have helped us. reduce gas used to wash our mats by 9% r educe electricity consumption at ourhead office by 22% r educe air travel by 9% and increase rail use by 7%.In three years, we havereduced our organisationalcarbon footprint by 30%,a reduction of 12,000tonnes of carbon.enhancinguser experiencephs’ products and services make washroomsnicer places to visit, giving users a morepositive experience and ensuring theirneeds are being met. Whether it’s providingsanitary bins, baby changers and nappybins, toilet roll, soap dispensers, papertowels, hand dryers or washroom vendingmachines; phs has a full product range.And for organisations wanting to offer thatlittle bit more, you’ll find air purifiers and airfragrances, the FabLittleBag sanitary bags,sanitiser for hands or toilet seats, first aidkits and child safety seats; with everythingserviced and maintained by a phs expert.CSR REPORT - Doing the right thing7

We’re improving air qualityWe spend 90% of our timeindoors and around nine hoursevery day sharing spaces withothers. We breathe in 10,000litres of air every day and,when we are indoors, we arebreathing in air which is fivetimes more polluted thanoutdoor air. It can also createthe perfect environment forgerms and allergens to spreadquickly – significant whenyou consider that sicknessabsence costs UK businesses 14bn a year.phs air purifiers are designedto improve indoor air qualityand clean the air free fromcontaminants and odours.Tests show that the filtrationunits within AERAMAX airpurifiers remove 99.9% ofharmful germs, allergensand particulates.It is believed that improving airquality improves productivity,reduces absenteeism andcommon complaints such asodours, and creates a morepositive and health-focusedenvironment.The benefits of clean airextend to everyone in a workand leisure environmentwhether within the workplace,school, reception area,washroom or kitchen.We’re highlighting the problemof indoor air pollutionA study has shown that airpollution is worse insideLondon classrooms thanoutside – due to outdoorpollution penetrating buildings.Dangerous levels of fineparticulate pollution have beenfound within classrooms; someexceeding WHO guidelines.We already know that youngchildren are more vulnerable toairborne pollutants than adultsand the study also showed thatchildren living or attendingschools nearer high-trafficdensity roads were exposed tohigher levels of motor vehicleexhaust gases and had higherincidence and prevalence ofchildhood asthma and wheeze.To help raise awareness of this issues, phs has partnered with Fellowesto offer free AERAMAX air purifiers to urban nurseries for a whole year.In a competition, we’re asking for nurseries to be nominated to receivetwo air purifiers and we’ll test the air quality before they are installedand subsequently to see what difference they make. In total,five nurseries will be chosen for this free trial.8

AERAMAX airpurifiers remove99.9% of harmfulgerms, allergens andparticulates.AERAMAX PROFESSIONAL IVWe breathe in10,000 litres ofair every day.when we are indoors,we are breathing inair which is five timesmore polluted thanoutdoor air.CSR REPORT - Doing the right thing9

We’re helping organisationssave millions of litres of waterIn an average office based-business, toilet and urinal flushingand washing account for 90% of water usage. A typical full-timeemployee uses 50 litres of water a day in the office.These products can save up to70% of water usage.phs has a range of innovativeand patented productswhich can save organisationsthousands of litres of water– and cut the cost of waterand energy bills too. Fromflush and water managementcontrols, urinal sleeves to cisternsanitisers, our products helpprevent blockages, eliminateodour and reduce running costs.These products can saveup to 70% of water usage.For instance, FLOWSAVERis a simple device, easy to installon to a tap, which reducesaverage flow from an averageof 6-10 litres per minutedown to 1.7 litres per minute.Meanwhile, the award-winningFLOWSAVER URINAL systemis an intelligent flush controlsystem which only flushesthe right amount of waterfor the footfall – preventingunnecessary flushing.We estimate that our washroom water products saveour customers in excess of 2.6 million cubic metres ofwater each year.10CSR REPORT - Doing the right thing