Sustainable soap – a new solution to an old problem

The Q3 team at the Alhambra Centre in Barnsley has recently introduced a new, environmentally friendly soap system to the public loos in the shopping centre. The soap solution, called Soap2O is made from biodegradable materials and its unique design eliminates the use of single-use plastics, as well as drastically reducing packaging and waste.

Individual sachets, about the size of a small conventional bar of soap, contain the soap in a powder form. These are dropped into the reservoirs of the dispensers in the washroom and dissolved in water which is readily available from the washroom. The sachets are water soluble and break down as the solution is mixed, leaving only the outer carboard packaging to be recycled. So, there is no waste product, container, or cartridge, as one has come to expect with traditional hand-soap dispensers.

Each dispenser has a capacity of 1,500 shots so there is no pressure on our service teams to constantly replenish them. The soap is dispensed as a hygienic foam with a pomegranate and cranberry fragrance, and we really think they will be a hit with the shopping centre visitors.

Sustainability is an important part of Q3’s approach to its cleaning service and we are always keen to explore innovative alternatives that help reduce our carbon footprint and remove toxic chemicals and waste from our operations. Apart from the obvious advantages of this soap system, there are also additional benefits from shipping product in concentrate, in the form of reduced transportation cost and less storage space, which both contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions.

Alex Gavrilovic explains how Covid19 changed our approach to cleaning

Cleaning used to be straightforward in office and retail environments. Companies cleaned surfaces using whatever products they thought were effective and cheap, and then used visual, subjective, methods of assessing what was clean. There was never a demand, or even an expectation to go beyond that.

Then, in response to growing environmental awareness and a desire for more sustainable, less dangerous chemicals, alternative products started to appear. Non-toxic, less harmful and with a neutral pH, these products solved one challenge, whilst not really addressing the question of whether these products actually worked, because quality and effectiveness were still being assessed subjectively.

Covid19 fundamentally changed this overnight, because cleaning became more about creating confidence for clients and reassurance for employees. Areas had to be technically, certifiably clean, not just visually clean.

At the start of the pandemic, a flurry of new “fogging” products emerged together with cleaning products claiming to counteract Covid and maintain surfaces Covid-free for periods of up to ninety days. Sadly, we found many of these claims were spurious. Q3 embarked on a programme to establish which of these new chemicals were working and which weren’t. To be sure, we test-trialled and measured their effectiveness using onsite ATP (adenosine triphosphate) device swab tests, to determine the subsequent bacteria count, post-clean. We then compared this against benchmarks for other environments to ensure the cleanliness meets safe acceptable standards for offices, washrooms, catering areas etc. From this, we were able to select the best-in-class chemical that could be used for all daily floor and surface cleaning.

Our cleaners now check and record the ATP count after each clean.

If you want to understand the efficacy of anti-bacterial cleaning products, you can’t do it by reading the label – you need to measure it and have the data evidence to back it up.

Extract from an article originally published by PfM Magazine in May 2022

New Chairman Paul Baker to advise on growth strategy

Q3 is delighted to announce that Paul Baker has been appointed Chair of the Q3 group of companies, effective May 1st, 2022.

Paul retired from a 40-year career in banking in 2014 where he served as Group Procurement Director, Group Operations Director and finally Group Property Director, before becoming a Q3 shareholder and original director of the company, at its formation in 2018.

Paul’s considerable FM sector experience will prove extremely valuable in the role of Chair. He has been a strong advocate of the company’s desire to create an alternative FM delivery model in the UK, and considerable progress has been made during the last four years as a result of his direction.

Paul will now be advising the management team on the next steps in the company’s growth strategy, in its ambition to become a major player in the sector.

Alex Lawrence has been appointed as Q3’s Business Development Director

We are delighted to welcome Alexander Lawrence into the Q3 family as Business Development Director.

Alex has a wealth of experience in the service industry having initially sold soft services for 5 years, winning key contracts including one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks. Most recently, Alex worked for CBRE where he enjoyed three successful years specialising in hard services and Integrated FM solutions. Alex will focus on supporting Newtons Group in strategically expanding their business as well as developing our Q3 Waste Management offering.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Q3 family and creating solutions centred on our customers’ needs with a core offering focused on ESG and innovation, supported by the latest technology.”

New contract win with Brighton and Hove schools

Q3 Services is pleased to announce that it has secured a new contract with Brighton and Hove City Council.

The four-year contract will see Q3 deliver cleaning services across 17 of the Council’s schools and is currently being mobilised for a start on May 1st.

The Council made the award based on Q3’s commitment to introducing innovation to service delivery, plus confidence in the company’s core values, which place a strong emphasis on people and quality.

Commenting on the contract, CEO Martyn Freeman said, “We are creating an excellent reputation within the education sector and look forward to building a strong, future relationship with Brighton and Hove City Council, as the contract goes live.”

Planet Mark certification is the springboard for Net Zero

In recent months, Q3 has worked closely with the Planet Mark organisation to measure and establish its carbon footprint and was awarded the Planet Mark certification in March 2022.

Building on this data analysis, Q3 has now developed its carbon reduction plan, designed to reduce our CO₂ impact progressively in the coming years. The objective is to reach Net Zero by 2035, based on a strategy which sees the company maximising its efforts to physically remove CO₂ from its operations, and not relying on carbon offsetting as a short cut to achieving the target.

Q3 was established in 2018 and from the outset, established an agile business model that pre-dated the now widely adopted, dispersed or flexible working approach. As a consequence, the Q3 property portfolio is not extensive, and this gives the company a significant advantage because building emissions are relatively small. Travel and transport remain the immediate priority for the next phases of the plan.

Commenting on the achievement, Martyn Freeman CEO said, “Having a sustainability strategy is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for businesses. It is becoming an imperative, in conjunction with a commitment to, and a plan for achieving Net Zero.”

Details of the Planet Mark certification and the carbon reduction plan may be found on our website:

Lotus Landscapes Ltd rebrands as Q3 Grounds Services Ltd

Q3 has rebranded its Lotus Landscapes business as Q3 Grounds Services. The new name has been registered with Companies House, although the company registration number remains unchanged.

Lotus landscapes became part of the group in 2019 and has evolved considerably in the three years since then, becoming part of the integrated FM offering from Q3, and now sharing many of the same clients.

It seemed like the right time to embrace the business completely under the Q3 brand, as we look to grow the business organically (no pun intended) in the next few years.

Staff and clients will notice subtle changes in the form of new uniforms, changing emails and re-liveried vehicles. Separate communications will be sent to clients and suppliers updating them on purchasing and invoicing changes. Phone numbers are unaffected.

Why not check out the updated web page to find out about the wide range of grounds maintenance services we now provide? https://www.q3services.co.uk/grounds

Q3’s commitment to Net Zero confirmed with Planet Mark certification

Having a sustainability strategy is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for businesses. It is becoming an imperative, in conjunction with a commitment to, and a plan for achieving Net Zero.

Q3 chose to work with the Planet Mark organisation to ensure a rigorous analysis of our carbon producing activities, the establishment of our carbon footprint benchmark and development of plans for attaining a carbon neutral status. Certification was confirmed in March.

It is a credit to the Q3 organisation that through our early adoption of agile working, the impact of our corporate buildings is small, and the challenge now lies with addressing travel and scope 3 supply chain CO2 reduction. Our plan will be published shortly with a target date for Net Zero by 2035.

Commenting on the certification, CEO Martyn Freeman said, “This is a great step forward for Q3. The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges of our time and FM companies need to lead by example, given that so much of our CO2 emissions are generated by the buildings which we look after and maintain.”

Successful contract expansion with leading retail optometrist

 

Q3 Services has recently been awarded a contract for two additional corporate buildings on the portfolio of the UK’s leading retail optometrists.

From an original relationship that started over four years ago, Q3’s has expanded its involvement with the well-known High Street brand to now service a number of UK office sites. This latest award also incorporates the renewal of the previous 3-year contract for the offshore head office and the main UK office in Hampshire.

This new, multi-site contract will see Q3 delivering a range of cleaning services, plus housekeeping, janitorial services and periodics.

Commenting on the win, Stuart Bellew Chief Operating Officer at Q3 said, “We are delighted that our previous delivery record has allowed us to build on the existing relationship and we look forward to mobilising the contract in the coming weeks.”

Newtons Group brings complementary hard services expertise to Q3

Q3 is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Newtons Group Ltd, a London and south-east based company delivering M&E and associated hard building services.

The acquisition of the Newtons Group introduces a technical services offering that is highly complementary to Q3’s existing, soft-service expertise. The company believes that this will enable Q3 to provide an enhanced and more complete range of self-delivered FM services to the clients of both organisations.

Newtons Group Ltd will retain their trading name within the Q3 Group and Harry Leeson will continue to run the operation as Managing Director.

Commenting on the move, Martyn Freeman CEO of Q3 said, “This is a major strategic step in our progress to becoming a significant player in the FM sector, strengthening our range of service lines and capabilities, and moving us up to the next level where we want to be.”

Harry Leeson said, “We are looking forward to embracing the values of the Q3 organisation and working with the team to help realise the company’s future ambitions.”