May 15, 2023

Handling the challenges of cleaning, hand hygiene and waste management in the education sector

The myriad of departments and venues that make up higher education facilities present their own set of unique challenges when it comes to cleaning, hand hygiene and waste solutions. From preventing the spread of illness, to protecting against staff injury whilst managing costs and supporting productivity - all backed by a drive to act more sustainably - there are various complexities for schools, colleges and universities to juggle.

Hand hygiene solutions for staff and students

Over recent years, the world’s expectations around hygiene have heightened, and education facilities face scrutiny over hygiene standards like never before.  

Prioritise effective, visible and easily accessible hand hygiene to enhance their welfare.  It’s no longer sufficient to simply provide hand washing products in the washroom - there needs to be an ongoing focus on high-traffic areas. Offering both adults and students suitable solutions, as well as providing different areas of the facility with products suited to people’s needs at that moment, shows that users’ health and safety is an utmost priority.

When it comes to hand hygiene at your education facility it’s worth considering that 92% of people² say they would prefer to use a touch-free dispenser. It makes them feel safer and also reduces the risk of contact with bacteria. The solution? Opt for a touch-free solution like the high-quality AutoFoam Dispenser. Not only is this soap and sanitiser dispenser touch-free, but its hygienically sealed refills with concentrated dosing offer more applications per refill, keeping your staff and students safe while offering better cost in use.   

How to win in waste management

Show your staff and students that sustainability is top of the agenda, and build trust and reassurance by opting for bins that separate waste, minimise contact and which look good in their environment. Encourage front-of-house food waste recycling with Configure™ Recycling Stations which come with a 5-year warranty or the Slim Jim® Recycling Stations which come with a 10-year warranty. Both options have a modern, premium finish, so they look great, whilst making disposal of waste easy, embedding good habits in pupils from an early age.

Maximise productivity, minimise injury risk

With multiple buildings on site and large quantities of goods to move – from waste and laundry to cleaning materials – maximising productivity for your cleaning and maintenance teams while protecting them against injury is a must.

Choose solutions that have been designed with ergonomic features, such as the Wheeled BRUTE®. With the famed durability and robustness of the iconic BRUTE®, the waste container helps users move loads up to five times more easily while maintaining healthy posture.

When it comes to saving time, being able to shift large quantities easily and safely is important. That’s where our Mega BRUTE® and Tilt Trucks come into play, allowing your teams to collect, move and sort materials, supplies and waste with ease.

And for your cleaning teams, our multifunctioning cleaning carts are manoeuvrable, flexible and make waste collection and transportation of cleaning equipment easy and efficient.

Your material handling products need to do the job day in, day out and are put through their paces for long periods of time so it’s essential to prioritise durability. Look for long warranties on products for the reassurance you need. 

Protecting the planet, and your bottom line

With pressure mounting on education facilities to be doing their part for the planet in terms of waste management, it’s time for schools, colleges and universities to ramp up on the implementation of greener practices. Continue the momentum by introducing simple initiatives such as recycling that could help you win big. Investing in products that stand of the test of time will significantly reduce the amount of waste produced by a facility, as well as the budget wasted on unsustainable solutions. 

Shout about your systems

Clear communication of your procedures for hand hygiene, recycling and waste management to staff and students drives compliance and supports lasting behaviour change, and as a result, keeps everyone safe and supports the environment.

Book a meeting with one our experts

If you’d like to have a chat with one of our team about how RCP can help your education facility control the complexities you face, please fill in our contact form.

Sources:

1. “Statistics on School Cleanliness,” The Edvocate.Org, 2015.
2. Preferred to manual pump dispensers, based on 415 RCP Facebook survey responses.
3. Love Recycling - The Changing Face of Commercial Recycling in European Education