Olivia Cleaning Solutions — Recycling and Sustainability Commitment

At Olivia Cleaning Solutions we place recycling and sustainability at the heart of our operations. Our approach to sustainable recycling and environmental stewardship is practical, measurable and locally focused. We set ambitious targets to reduce waste to landfill, increase material recovery and cut our carbon footprint across every service we deliver. This page explains our recycling & sustainability goals, partnerships with local organisations, and the everyday steps we take to support borough waste separation schemes and community reuse.

We have a clear recycling percentage target: by the end of the next financial year our aim is to achieve a minimum of 85% diversion from landfill across all commercial cleaning contracts. That target covers materials captured through on-site separation, glass and paper collections, textile reuse via charity partnerships, and the careful segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Our teams are trained to follow local borough guidance on waste streams — including separate food caddy collections, paper and card, rigid plastics, and glass — to ensure the highest recovery rates.

In line with local authority policies, our operations reflect borough-level approaches to waste separation: many boroughs now require clear-sack or two-bin separation for recyclables and organics, simple signage for tenants, and scheduled collection windows that we coordinate with. We work closely with building managers to ensure our on-site bins align with municipal rules and that staff understand where each item belongs. This reduces contamination and increases the value of materials sent for recycling.

We partner with several local transfer stations and material recovery facilities (MRFs) to keep collections moving efficiently and transparently. Our preferred transfer stations are selected for proximity, strong environmental credentials and traceable reporting of tonnages processed. These transfer stations provide detailed waste streams, so we can track progress against our recycling targets and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.

Olivia Cleaning Solutions also maintains active partnerships with charities and social enterprises. Soft furnishings and uniforms that are reusable are diverted to local charities for refurbishment and resale, supporting community causes while extending the life of items that would otherwise become waste. We also support reuse projects that convert surplus cleaning supplies and small serviceable equipment to community centres and training programmes, underlining our commitment to circular-economy thinking.

We recognise that successful recycling requires practical tools on the road as well as on-site. All service crews operate with clear labelling for recyclable streams, colour-coded receptacles and compacting solutions to reduce carriage volume. We provide regular refresher training and performance incentives to maintain high compliance with recycling procedures and avoid contamination — a key factor in reaching our recycling percentage commitments.

Our fleet is an important element of our sustainability strategy. Olivia Cleaning Solutions has invested in low-carbon vans, including electric and hybrid vehicles, to reduce emissions associated with collections, drop-offs to transfer stations and charity partners, and client visits. By optimising routes and using low-emission vehicles, we cut both fuel use and operational carbon, contributing to cleaner air across the boroughs we serve.

We also work with clients to establish bespoke recycling solutions for specific waste streams generated by cleaning operations. These include separate recycling for disinfectant containers and small plastic bottles, return-to-supplier schemes for bulk containers, and controlled disposal of aerosols and chemical wastes through licensed hazardous waste handlers. For textiles, carpets and difficult-to-recycle items we pursue reuse or specialist recycling routes to ensure materials are given a second life wherever feasible.

Transparency is central to our approach. Clients receive quarterly sustainability reports that outline tonnages diverted, recycling percentage achieved, and the carbon savings associated with low-carbon transport and consolidated collections. We use this data to refine processes, set new targets and invest in innovations that improve material recovery. Our reporting shows progress against our 85% diversion target and provides the evidence needed for sustainability assessments and compliance with local environmental standards.

Practical Recycling Activities We Carry Out Locally

Across the boroughs we operate in, our recycling activities include:

• Separate collection and baling of paper and card for local MRFs
• Glass-only collection streams to avoid contamination
• Rigid plastic segregation, compacting and transfer to plastic reprocessing facilities
• Textile recovery and donation programmes with charity partners
• Safe management of hazardous cleaning chemicals through licensed handlers

These actions reflect both the varied waste separation rules across boroughs and our commitment to adapt to local recycling initiatives.

How We Measure Success and What's Next

We measure success not just by the recycling percentage target but also by the social and carbon benefits that arise from our activities. Key performance indicators include diversion rate, contamination rate, charity partnership volumes and fleet emissions reductions. We set interim milestones, review performance monthly, and adjust operational practices to maintain continuous improvement.

Our future plans include expanding electric vehicle coverage in the fleet, piloting on-site material compactors to reduce transport loads, and deepening partnerships with borough councils to support local reuse hubs. By strengthening ties with transfer stations and charities we aim to increase material recovery and promote circular economy outcomes.

Olivia Cleaning Solutions is committed to practical, measurable and community-minded recycling & sustainability initiatives. With clear targets, local partnerships, low-carbon transport and a focus on borough-specific waste separation practices, we work to make every clean a greener clean.