Sustainable cleaning goals - Fimap's journey.
Over the past year, Fimap has reached a number of new milestones in its quest for sustainability, with both the company and the products achieving recognition.
From ISO 14064-1:2018 certification to the EcoVadis Gold Medal and the ReMade in Italy recycled plastic certification, Fimap has demonstrated clear intentions with regard to how the company will pursue the directives set out in the 2030 Agenda.
These achievements, along with the previous goals and certifications attained, cannot be improvised: rather, they are results that are reached over time, through the adoption of a method that starts upstream, taking all possible consequences for the environment into consideration.
SUSTAINABILITY BEGINS WITH THE IDEA
The impact of the products manufactured is largely dependent on decisions made at the design stage. This is where we establish how to make a durable product that is easy to maintain and repair. This is where the materials are chosen, where any recycled parts are integrated, and where disposal is facilitated. And it is also the moment at which we look at not only how to make a product easy to use, but above all, how to make it easy to use in an efficient manner, whilst saving resources.All of these assessments are essential, because peak improvement can only be achieved if the entire life cycle of the machine is taken into account; as such, it is a process that involves all parties, from the suppliers to the end users.
CERTIFIED RECYCLED PLASTICS
Fimap has worked with its suppliers to implement a project designed to recover plastic waste and turn it into a valuable resource. This led to the creation of our recycled plastics, which have subsequently received ReMade in Italy certification.Meanwhile, in order to involve the end users of the machine, it is necessary to focus on the activity phases, which include both use and maintenance. The support of technology which is both accessible and dynamic enables users to draw maximum benefit, taking advantage of the machine's features and changing their behaviours, and as a result, their cleaning style. Accordingly, users are drawn to make more responsible choices, facilitated by Fimap. All it takes is the push of a button to reduce the use of resources, recycle these and activate complete work programmes that prevent waste. Proper maintenance is all it takes to keep the machine in optimal condition and extend its working life. In order to avoid mistakes, the user can also access on-board video tutorials.
Having analysed the life cycle and identified the areas for improvement, Fimap has succeeded in designing an environmentally-friendly product and developing upstream solutions that ensure that it continues to be sustainable during use once in the hands of the customer.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
It is therefore clear that buying a Fimap product also signifies accepting a new way of working, rendered more efficient by technology, which anyone can put into practice, precisely because it is so simple: the touch of a button is all that is required. Throughout its history, Fimap has always sought to go above and beyond, offering technological solutions designed to protect the environment and resources. This year, the company's innovations are focused on water, with AQUÆ® technology, and air, with Safe Air technology.
AQUÆ® FOR DETERGENT-FREE CLEANING
AQUÆ® aims to eliminate the use of detergents. A cleaning and sanitising solution with a long-lasting effect is obtained simply by activating the chlorine in softened tap water. This prevents all of the pollution generated by the use of detergents, from the plastic used to contain it to its transportation and the surfactants released in waste water. The sheer breadth of application makes this technology even more extraordinary: it is perfect for the daily and maintenance cleaning of buildings, which constitutes around 90% of operations in the professional cleaning sector.
SAFE AIR, BETTER QUALITY OF THE AIR RETURNED TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Meanwhile, the Safe Air technology is designed for sweeping machines, with a view to improving the quality of the air in the spaces being cleaned, so that they are safer for the people who spend time in these environments. Once sucked into the system, the air passes through several types of filter, which retain increasingly small dust particles, right down to 0.3 µm: these are captured by the Hepa filter, which has a filtration efficiency of 99.9%. FFM - FIMAP FLEET MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CONTROL
One element that Fimap has never underestimated is control. Since its introduction, the FFM - Fimap Fleet Management system has provided customers with the ability to remotely monitor cleaning operations, enabling them to see how these are being performed without needing to be present. It is the most accurate tool for obtaining detailed information on the machines, from the way they are used to their consumption of resources and the CO2 produced by each operation. These data constitute an essential foundation for creating strategies for improvement, and in the specific case of CO2, to implement steps to offset and neutralise this.Today, the system is even more advanced, with two new functions: INDOOR TRACKING and MISSION CONTROL PART PROGRAM. The first function tracks the movements of the machine within buildings, so that supervisors can see which spaces have already been cleaned and which are still to be completed, as well as staying up-to-date on the progress of the cleaning plan. Meanwhile, the Mission Control Part Program enables a weekly cleaning schedule to be set and sent to the machine. Any operator tasked with carrying out the cleaning operation simply needs to press the button that lights up on the display in order to start the machine with the set parameters. It prevents incorrect settings as well as the misuse and waste of resources. It also avoids the need for training, with the associated time and costs.
CERTIFYING THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PRODUCT
Carbon Footprint of the Product, CFP 14067:2018 Systematic Approach
In the life cycle analysis, the use phase has always been the most difficult to ascertain, due to the wide range of variables. The synergy between environmental technologies and the FFM system has made it possible to recover this piece of the puzzle, completing the analysis with scientific, verifiable data. This has led to the achievement of CFP - Carbon Footprint of Product Systematic Approach certification for scrubbing machines, used to calculate the amount of CO2 produced by the individual machine per hour of work, obtaining a certified figure in line with ISO 14067:2018.
CERTIFYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES
Carbon Footprint of the Organisation, 14064-1:2018
Certifications enable internal progress to be communicated externally using a shared language. Customers are increasingly focused on the environmental value of a given product and company, and seek certifications as tangible evidence. These certifications link the efforts of bodies, companies, suppliers and end users, as they work together to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Fimap's unwavering focus on these issues over the years has led to the company being awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal, which recognises the excellent performance across the company, as well as the CFO - Carbon Footprint of Organisation evaluation, which certifies greenhouse gas reporting in accordance with ISO 14064-1:2018.
