HSG, members of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire), has an ethos rooted in developing sustainable systems and products. Their vanguard water conservation system has been proven to significantly reduce water consumption, save money, and improve the washroom environment.

Through HSG’s Ureco system, typical fresh water consumption is reduced from 315,000 litres per cistern per year to just over 13,000 litres per cistern per year, saving more than £750 per cistern annually in water bills and supporting businesses in achieving their sustainability goals. The unique design of the product, management system, and the blend of natural bio enzymes to “eat away” at waste within the pipework allows for reduced flushing without compromising quality or odour. Over the past 13 years, the system has been installed throughout the UK at 2,329 sites, and in 2021 alone, these installations saved 836,544,960 litres of fresh drinking water.

Sustainability is embedded in HSG’s DNA. As a small company, they plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. They aim to achieve 100% returnable packaging and zero waste to landfill by 2026, with an all-electric fleet also targeted by 2026. Investment is already underway in hybrid or electric vehicles across the company.

HSG secured Planet Mark certification in 2022 to support their sustainability targets across operations, from fleet management to energy consumption and waste. Planet Mark’s business certification recognises their commitment to continuous improvement, measuring and reducing carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, travel, and waste. The assessment for certification resulted in a thorough report of their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and engaging stakeholders. The latest report showed:

• 13.6% reduction per employee
• 140.7 tCO2e total carbon footprint
• 16.6 tCO2e total carbon footprint per employee

In 2024, HSG secured the King’s Award for Enterprise for Excellence in Innovation.

HSG’s commitment to sustainable innovation continued with the launch of Uretech+, which has been adapted for commercial viability and to further optimize water usage. Installed onto the incoming water supply, Uretech+ collects vast amounts of data on water input, including times, peaks, and troughs, and can aid in leak detection by remotely switching off the water through its intelligent software.

HSG has also developed further products and services to reduce waste, including:

• Refillable oil-based air fresheners with cardboard wicks
• Direct fill soap dispensers to eliminate plastic bag refills
• A coreless toilet roll system to eliminate cardboard waste
• Recycling of delivery boxes
• Ureco sleeves and packaging made from recyclable plastic material.

Locally, HSG supports the charitable sector through donations and free hygiene audits, including donating hand sanitizers to nursing homes and sending essentials to Ukraine refugee camps.

HSG’s longer-term goals center around continued Planet Mark membership, as, with their support, they can achieve demonstrable year-on-year reductions, benchmarked against the most sustainability-conscious companies in the UK.