Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of facilities services and solutions

Social Value

Bidvest Noonan using game-changing Comac InAqua water saving technology

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At Bidvest Noonan, we always look for innovative ways to improve the service we deliver to our customers. We use the latest technologies to help our clients reduce their use of water and make cleaning operations more environmentally friendly. Across a number of our customers sites, we have introduced more sustainable practices by implementing water recycling systems.

Recently, we installed the Comac InAqua for one of Ireland’s largest universities. Comac InAqua is an external purification system that allows dirty water to be loaded directly from any floor scrubber. The system filters the dirty water gathered from cleaning floors so it can be reused.

The benefits of Comac InAqua include:

  • Can clean 150 Litres of water in just 30 minutes
  • Independent scrubbing water recycling system
  • Reduction in water consumption
  • Reduction in costs connected to the use of clean water
  • Reduction in costs connected to managing wastewater
  • Easy to use due to an intuitive display that allows interaction with the machine
  • Quick and simple installation
  • Easy to move mobile unit on wheels

We have committed to saving a minimum of 500,000 litres of water per year on campus. This equates to 1/5 of an Olympic size swimming pool.

New technologies to save on water consumption

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At Bidvest Noonan, we work hard to reduce our water usage at every opportunity.

We work with our clients and suppliers to produce water savings plans, often introducing new environmentally friendly technologies that make more efficient use of water.

We invest in the best cleaning equipment the industry has to offer. For us, that means equipment that achieves great cleaning results while reducing our environmental impact.

In the past year, we have increased our use of highly efficient equipment such as i-Drives, i-Mops and cobotic cleaning machines to reduce our use of water.

Many of our cleaning machines use integrated solution recovery systems to achieve high cleaning standards without harsh chemicals and using just a fraction of the water.

We have introduced water recycling systems for a number of our clients. Recently, we installed a Comac InAqua for one of Ireland’s largest universities. Comac InAqua is an external purification system that allows dirty water to be loaded directly from any floor scrubber. The system filters the dirty water used for cleaning floors and makes it available for reuse. Using this system, up to 150 litres of clean water can be recycled in less than 30 minutes.

By implementing innovative solutions, we are helping many clients to reduce their use of water and make cleaning operations more environmentally friendly.

Environmental report

Now more than ever our actions matter. Our business is playing its part to help save the planet we know and cherish. We are proud to share our Environmental Report, where we outline the steps we are taking to deliver a greener and more sustainable world.

Click here to read

Helping UCC deliver on its sustainability goals

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We caught up with Katarzyna Sroka, Bidvest Noonan’s Site Manager at University College Cork (UCC), to learn about the environmental initiatives being rolled out on-site, and how we are helping UCC deliver on its sustainability goals.

What does your role at UCC entail? 

My role as site manager involves managing the delivery of a high-standard cleaning service across the campus, ensuring a safe and clean environment for all the students, staff, and visitors to UCC. I also work with the Bidvest Noonan team to bring significant changes to our environmental performance on campus and find solutions that will deliver even better value for our client.

I liaise daily with my site supervisory team and the UCC head of departments to coordinate our services on site. We work in partnership with UCC and support all initiatives and activities on campus. 

Can you share some of the initiatives that you and the Bidvest Noonan team have rolled out since taking up the cleaning service at UCC?

At Bidvest Noonan, we are always looking to reduce the impact our services have on the environment. This ranges from improving how we manage waste to minimising our carbon footprint. 

We have introduced a chemical-free cleaning system that converts tap water into a highly effective cleaning agent. This system has made a significant and positive impact since we first brought it on-site in the Rahilly Building. It has made our cleaning process a lot more efficient across campus

We have moved to a greener fleet. Our vehicles on campus are hybrid and electric, reducing our tailpipe emissions and the impact on the environment.

Taking the lead from the UCC Green Campus Forum, we have also introduced regular awareness talks for our people on sustainability. Topics include car engine idling and the impact on air pollution.

We have invested in the best cleaning equipment the industry has to offer. For us, that means equipment that achieves excellent cleaning results while reducing our environmental impact. Our flat mopping floor cleaning system and i-Mop Floor Cleaning Machines all reduce the level of water usage by our teams on campus. 

We also support the university with its sustainability goals. UCC has rolled out a Paperless Office Project campus-wide by the Procurement and General services team. We are proud to help UCC with this project by adopting a paperless approach.

How have the UCC community of students and staff taken to the changes?

We are delighted to constantly receive positive feedback from staff and students. A clean and safe environment is one conducive to learning. We want to ensure students feel comfortable on campus at UCC.

We also received recognition for our sustainability initiatives on campus from the stakeholders on the Green Campus Forum at UCC. Positive feedback like this spurs our team to innovate further.

Have you any other environmental initiatives planned for UCC?

Part of our vision here at Bidvest Noonan is to be so valuable to our customers’ business. This means helping them achieve their strategic objectives, some of which are around sustainability and environmental initiatives. The Bidvest Noonan team is committed to taking all the necessary steps to help UCC achieve its environmental goals.

We have already made a significant impact, but our on-site team is always looking to improve. Our next big project is to identify initiatives that will help reduce our carbon footprint on campus.

What do you like most about your role with Bidvest Noonan at UCC?

No two days are the same and delighted to work with such a fantastic team. We are delighted to see the changes we are making are helping UCC and its sustainability goals. We feel like we are making a real difference on campus for students and faculty and having a positive impact on the planet.

Volunteering at Enable Ireland’s Children Services Centre

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People from across our business, including some of our Irish Executive team, took time out of their diaries today to visit Enable Ireland’s Children Services Centre in Naas, Co. Kildare, where they lent a hand at some refurbishment work across the site.

Enable Ireland provides services to children and adults with disabilities from over 40 locations in 15 counties across Ireland. Part of Bidvest Noonan’s partnership with Enable Ireland is to provide support to reconditioning programmes across many of these locations.

Bidvest Noonan partners with Enable Ireland

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Bidvest Noonan, Ireland’s market-leading facilities services provider, and Enable Ireland Disability Services, have launched their new charity partnership for the next two years. The agreement will see Enable Ireland become Bidvest Noonan’s official charity partner.

Bidvest Noonan has committed to using its considerable resources to support Enable Ireland’s services for children and young people with disabilities. The business will work with Enable Ireland to raise funds for crucial projects across its children’s service centres.

Commenting on the new charity partnerships announcement, Bidvest Noonan’s ESG Director, John King, said: “We’re proud to launch this charity partnership with Enable Ireland. We believe that Enable Ireland’s work is vital, and we are delighted that Bidvest Noonan can help support them to create a better future for children with disabilities in Ireland.”

Further to the announcement, Enable Ireland’s National Fundraising Manager Dónal Kitt said: “We’re delighted to launch this partnership with Bidvest Noonan which will support our essential services for children and young people with disabilities. After a challenging number of years, we look forward to working with Bidvest Noonan on a number of events and activities to raise funds for crucial projects in our children’s service centres.”

About Enable Ireland

Enable Ireland provides services to children and adults with disabilities and their families in 15 counties. Covering childhood to adulthood its expert teams work with the individual and their family on a plan for each life stage. Its services for children and their families cover all aspects of a child’s physical, educational, and social development from early infancy through adolescence. They offer a range of services to adults with disabilities which include day services, training, personal development, supported and independent living, and social and leisure activities.

About Bidvest Noonan

Bidvest Noonan is an award-winning and highly accredited customer-focused services group. They employ over 27,000 people across the UK & Ireland. The business is a market leader for a wide range of facilities services across the UK & Ireland. These services include cleaning, security, reception, decontamination, electronic security, industrial services, and many more. Its success has been achieved by designing and delivering facilities solutions that provide exceptional quality and value for customers.

€40,000 raised for the people of Ukraine

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The Executive Team for our business in Ireland has stepped up for the people of Ukraine and collectively completed a cross-country walk, and raised €40,000 for the Irish Red Cross.

Cormac Sheils, Mary Kealy, Kathy McDermott, Philip Murphy, Scott Brannigan, Anthony Harman, Brendan Keogh, and Peter Smyth, have successfully completed a cross-country charity walk to support the people of Ukraine.

The team set out from Galway on Wednesday, May 11th, collectively trekked over 220km, and arrived back in our Swords Office on May 13th. Their efforts helped to raise €40,000 to support the efforts of the Irish Red Cross, a society that does great work for the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine.​

Nearly 5 million people have already fled their homes to escape the conflict in Ukraine. Countless lives in Ukraine are being torn apart by violence and insecurity. They have displaced been and forced to leave loved ones and almost everything they own. Many others have remained in Ukraine and live without sufficient access to water, electricity, and heat.

Red Cross teams are on the ground in Ukraine. They are working to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities, and help families with life-saving food and hygiene items. The funds raised by our executive team and colleagues will help the Irish Red Cross provide people with food, first aid, medicines, warm clothes, and shelter they need.

Bidvest Noonan colleagues from across the country supported the executive team as they travelled through some of Ireland’s busiest and most well-known towns. A huge thanks to our teams at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Maynooth University, Portuincula Hospital, and many more who came out to cheer the team on.

Starting on Day 1
Meeting Colleagues at Portiuncula Hospital
Passing the Roscommon Border
Pitstop in Moate, Co. Westmeath
Finishing Day 1 at Alexion, Athlone
Starting Day 2 in Athlone
Greeted by the Interact Team
Entering the Grand Canal Way
Meeting Colleagues at Maynooth University
Finishing Day 2 at Castleknock
Starting Day 3 with the Ancove Team
Greeted at the Finish Line at Hilton House, Swords