Atlas wins Bank of England contract

FuturePlus member, Atlas has secured a major cleaning and support services contract with the Bank of England after a competitive tender process.

The contract encompasses several key locations, including the iconic headquarters on Threadneedle Street, the Bank of England Museum, and production offices in Essex.

The agreement covers a broad range of services such as office cleaning, housekeeping, washroom services, and specialist heritage cleaning to preserve the Grade 1 Listed Building. Additional services include pest control, abseil window cleaning, industrial cleaning, and grounds maintenance, all supported by stringent security clearance and vetting.

Using the FuturePlus platform, Atlas tracks and measures the sustainability of its entire operations whilst ensuring that every part of its organisation is supported on the road to becoming more responsible while showcasing its strategy and progress to stakeholders during tender processes.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded this prestigious contract with the Bank of England. Our team’s outstanding operational delivery and deep understanding of the Bank’s unique requirements, combined with our innovative and value-added initiatives, enabled us to present a compelling proposal.” - Martin Fitch, Managing Director of Atlas London

Atlas was awarded the contract due to its highly trusted and motivated workforce, proven quality of service, and commitment to operational excellence through innovative technology, sustainable best practices, and cost efficiency.

Entrepreneur feature: from concept to company

Alex recently caught up with Entrepreneur’s Patricia Cullen to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, from securing initial funding through Vala Capital to navigating scaling challenges, underscoring her commitment to driving positive change in the industry.
“Our shared vision turned uncertainty into action, and that partnership became the foundation of our business.”

Read the full feature here.

Capri Sun accused of lobbying against EU packaging regulations

Drinks manufacturer Capri Sun has been accused of lobbying against the EU’s more stringent packaging laws this week. Louisa looks into the current situation:

Three years after the ban on single-use plastic straws in the EU, Capri Sun Group is advocating for its reversal through a Change.org petition that had gained over 2,400 signatures at the time of the article’s publication and is now nearing 10,000 signatures. The company’s main issue with paper straws is that they are less functional, and separating them for recycling can be impractical.

The petition argues that mono-material plastic straws, which can be recycled together with the Capri Sun pouch, would make the recycling process “easier for everyone”. While the recycling of mono-material plastics would indeed be easier to process, this assumes the availability of efficient recycling infrastructure. Therefore, it cannot be certain how well this would be implemented throughout the EU.

Meanwhile, the EU is advancing stricter regulations on single-use plastics through new packaging waste rules, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (known as PPWR), which aims to eliminate all non-recyclable packaging from the market by the end of 2030. As a result, opponents argue that reversing the ban on single-use plastics would be a step backwards. Additionally, reversing the ban could lead to higher plastic packaging taxes, increased costs associated with Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, and greater pressure on recycling systems.

As with many sustainability issues, there are a range of complex trade-offs to consider, such as
whether the challenges posed by paper straws justify the potential increased costs and environmental impacts associated with single-use plastic straws.

Capri Sun aims to collect a million signatures to bring their petition before the European Commission, and it will be interesting to follow its development.

The value of sustainability to SMEs

On the latest episode of the ‘Business of Sustainability’, our co-founders, Mike Penrose and Alexandra Smith, are joined by Matt Bullivant, Director of ESG Strategy at OakNorth Bank.

They discuss the value of sustainability to SMEs, as well as exploring OakNorth’s work and expertise.

🎧 Search 'Business of Sustainability FuturePlus' on all major podcast platforms or follow the links below.

Spotify 👉 Listen here
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Apple Podcasts 👉 Listen here

The Business of Sustainability podcast is created in partnership with FuturePlus and City AM.

Lego reveals acceleration of sustainability initiatives

In its H1 2024 report, the Lego Group has revealed that 30 percent of the resin purchased by the company was certified mass balance, representing an estimated average of 22 percent renewable and recycled content.

This marks a significant rise compared to 2023, when only 18 percent of resin was certified mass balance, equating to 12 percent sustainable sources for the entire year.

Over the next few years, LEGO aims to source more than half of its raw materials from sustainable sources through the mass balance approach, reducing reliance on virgin fossil materials.

LEGO also increased its efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, introducing a new Supplier Sustainability Programme that mandates suppliers set emission reduction targets for 2026 and 2028.

The company has also linked an annual carbon emissions reduction KPI to employee bonuses.

In addition, LEGO expanded its brick take back initiative, LEGO Replay, to the UK and continued to pilot similar programs in the USA and Europe.