In 2010, GreenZone Cleaning and Support Services was founded with a mission to provide a social, environmental and economically sustainable cleaning service. Social Value is embedded in the fabric of GreenZone’s day-to-day operations, including its people, community volunteering, donations, sustainable procurement, and environmental impacts.

Here we're exploring the details of Greenzone's model for running a responsible business with a positive impact on communities and staff.

Measuring sustainability and Social Value

GreenZone monitors, measures and externally validates its business activities to ensure the independent accountability of its operations.

The organisation has committed to reinvesting a minimum of 1% of its profit into Social Value initiatives. GreenZone often far exceeds this target - in fact, its Social Value contribution in 2021 was 13% of turnover. Since 2018, GreenZone has reported reinvestment of £6.5 million.

GreenZone has also put in place means to address its impact on the environment. Its carbon footprint has been measured annually through Planet Mark’s independent sustainability certification programme since 2012, with Social Value measurement being added to the certification in 2018.

In early 2021, GreenZone also began working with Social Value Portal to demonstrate its Social Value impact directly to clients.

Cultivating an empowered workforce

GreenZone recognises that there is a high turnover of staff within the cleaning industry, as well as a lack of career planning and support - all leading to a transient workforce.

However, GreenZone sees its 700+ person workforce as its most important asset. The business is a recognised Living Wage Foundation Service Provider, with Investors in People accreditation. All staff receive comprehensive training, supportive management, and career development opportunities, while GreenZone focuses its recruitment efforts on local hiring. 

Employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• An 'Above and Beyond’ employee reward scheme, including gift vouchers
• Health Assured: An employee assistance programme
• Free monthly reading books for employees with children under five through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library partnership
• Educational trips - such as to the Eden Project, which GreenZone supports as part of its carbon footprint certification
• Training opportunities for head office staff, and language training open to all for whom English is a second language 
• A range of other training courses, including first aid, mental health awareness, and IOSH Managing Safely
• Weekly fruit baskets by Fruitful Office, which plants a fruit tree for every basket ordered
• An annual ‘Me Time’ day for employees to have a restorative day away from the workplace

To stay up to date on employees' current views and address areas of weakness, the business conducts an annual staff survey, the latest of which found that 87% of site-based staff and 92% of head office staff would recommend GreenZone as a good employer.

Community outreach and volunteering

GreenZone is determined to make a positive impact on the local community. It takes a number of steps to achieve this, such as:

Providing career support

The company supports work placements for the employment charity Future First, offering career advice and mock interviews to students, and also allows interns to gain experience on-site via Action on Disability placements.

Working with social enterprises

As a Social Enterprise UK Supporter Member, GreenZone integrates social enterprises like Hey Girls and Goodwash Soap into its supply chain.

Volunteering, fundraising and donations

This includes picking litter in local recreational spaces, planting trees in partnership with Trees for Cities, and fundraising activities like the Coast-to-Coast cycle and LandAid Sleep Out (GreenZone reached the top 1% of LandAid fundraisers out of 91,747 Just Giving fundraisers).

GreenZone also delivers donated food to local food banks through food collection campaign Let’s Can Hunger.

Creating impact through charitable work

GreenZone has an extensive donation programme consisting of long-standing corporate partnerships and one-offs. The program is managed through a Charity Committee consisting of a range of GreenZone employees, with representation at all levels.

The Committee identifies charities that are meaningful or benefit their stakeholders such as employees, local community, and wider society. Since 2018, GreenZone has supported more than 50 different charities with cash donations or in-kind contributions.

Want to learn more about GreenZone's approach to Social Value? Check out our interview with Founder Dan Sadler.