Recycling and Sustainability for Domestic Cleaners

Domestic Cleaners operating in towns and boroughs have a unique opportunity to reduce household waste, support community reuse and lower transport emissions. Our approach for home cleaning teams is rooted in measurable targets, clear procedures and local partnerships. We recognise that every small action adds up — from separating recyclables on a routine clean to ensuring items suitable for reuse are diverted from landfill. This page explains our recycling percentage target, how we work with local transfer stations, charity partnerships and the move to low-carbon vans across our residential cleaning services.

Our target is both ambitious and practical: we aim for a 70% recycling rate of the materials we collect or influence during visits within three years. That target applies to materials that our house cleaners and domestic cleaning crews help to sort and divert: paper and card, glass, plastics, textiles and small electrical items. Aiming for 70% aligns with many boroughs' goals and stretches our teams to go beyond basic separation while remaining achievable with system changes and partner support.

We work closely with local transfer stations and civic waste hubs to ensure items picked up or left ready for collection are handled correctly. Transfer stations provide consolidation points where materials are sorted and shipped for recycling rather than landfill. Our residential cleaners are briefed on the boroughs' approach to waste separation — for example, encouraging the separation of mixed recycling into kerbside blue bins for paper and card, green crates for glass, and food waste caddies where provided. This local knowledge helps domestic cleaners minimise contamination and improve the yield of usable materials.

Every cleaning visit includes a short checklist for environmentally preferred actions. Home cleaners are trained to:

• Identify and set aside textiles in good condition for donation.
• Collect small WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) like kettles or chargers and mark them for proper disposal.
• Separate mixed recyclable materials to match the local council's sorting rules.

These steps are reinforced through briefings that reflect nearby borough waste policies so that our cleaning operatives follow the localised recycling rules rather than a one-size-fits-all process. The result is reduced contamination rates at transfer stations and improved recycling outcomes.

Partnerships with charities are central to our reuse strategy. We work with local furniture reuse groups, clothing banks and community centres to ensure useful items — from bedding and curtains to small pieces of furniture — get a second life. When a residential cleaning team identifies items suitable for donation, they are recorded, packaged and taken to our partnered charity collection points at the next available opportunity. This reduces waste, supports local causes and keeps useful goods circulating in the community.

Transport is a major source of emissions for cleaning services. To address this, we are transitioning to a fleet of low-carbon vans and micro-mobility options for inner-city jobs. Domestic cleaning services now deploy electric vans for multi-job runs and hybrid vehicles where charging infrastructure is limited. In denser urban areas, we trial cargo e-bikes and small electric vans to reduce noise and improve air quality.

We monitor route efficiency and schedule jobs to minimise empty mileage, and we invest in driver training for eco-driving techniques. These operational changes help our residential cleaners reduce fuel consumption and emissions while maintaining punctual, reliable service for homeowners.

Supply choices matter. We prioritise low-packaging, refillable and concentrated cleaning products so that our house cleaning teams generate less single-use plastic and fewer hazardous disposals. Where possible we supply reusable microfiber cloths laundered at low-temperature cycles and biodegradable consumables for tasks that require disposables. This purchasing policy supports our recycling percentage target and reduces the load on transfer stations and recycling processors.

Transparency is important: we publish an annual sustainability update for internal use that summarises recycling rates, charity donations, fleet emissions and contamination incidents. While we do not share individual client details, this reporting helps our managers and cleaning operatives understand progress against the 70% recycling objective and make continuous improvements.

Training and empowerment of cleaning crews is ongoing. We provide practical sessions on sorting rules, what can be repaired or donated, and how to prepare small electrical items for safe recycling. The combination of operational procedures, charity partnerships and the use of local transfer stations forms a coherent system that supports both community wellbeing and environmental goals.

In summary, our sustainability programme for domestic cleaners and residential cleaning teams rests on four pillars: clear recycling targets, effective use of transfer stations, strong charity partnerships and a transition to low-carbon vans and micro-mobility. These steps allow us to deliver high-quality home cleaning services while reducing waste, extending the life of household goods and cutting transport emissions. We believe practical, measurable action by cleaning services can play a meaningful role in local circular economies and cleaner neighbourhoods.