As a company, we pride ourselves on being a responsible business committed to managing our environmental impact and striving towards sustainability. While we all love a spick and span, great smelling business, particularly at Christmas time, we also want to avoid harsh irritant and chemicals in the products we’re using. Opting for greener and more natural cleaning solutions can help you to integrate eco-friendly products into your routine.

So if you’re interested in making your business a healthier place this season while helping out the planet at the same time, see below our top seven recommended eco-friendly hygiene products used by us. We hope that they inspire you to use greener products.

1.PURELL brand Healthy Soap with Clean release technology

First up we have PURELL brand Healthy Soap with Clean release technology. This product was formulated with the planet in mind. It is the first soap sold in the B2B market in the U.S. to become Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold. It also has earned the highest material health rating possible. It’s remarkably mild formulations are also gentle on skin, contain no antibacterial ingredients* and remove over 99% of dirt and germs.

2. PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free Gel

This product is a Green-certified, fragrance-free gel hand sanitizer , and is perfect for professional environments. It kills 99.99 percent of most common germs that may cause illness, has a strength twice the strength of other national brands and best of all, it is made with natural renewable ethanol.

This sanitizer also offers “Energy-on-the-refill” technology, which means that every refill has a built-in energy source, designed to last as long as the refill. Once the product is finished, the refill is easily recycled.

Plus, it has a clinically proven formulation to maintain healthy skin as well as being dye and fragrance free. An all-round great product for your business.

3.North Shore by Northwood Washroom Dispensers

Our consumable wiping products come from Northwood who collect over 100,000 tonnes a year within the UK to recycle, and 79% of all NS paper sales are recycled paper and FSC certified products.

Designed to meet the highest demands of the modern washroom, North Shore brings together a sophisticated and contemporary aesthetic, supreme functionality and hygiene to deliver market leading performance. These dispenser products have a full green loop with them. They are highly durable, long-lasting, are drain-friendly, made from strong ABS plastic and are zero waste. Not to mention they’re easy to install. What more could you want?

The orbit toilet dispenser is a great product to include in your business as they dispense up to 5,000 sheets, are zero waste and are translucent so you can see when they’re running out. The Mechanical Hands-Free Roll Towel Dispenser is a high-capacity dispenser that reduces the need for extra maintenance, making it ideal for high footfall areas. The single sheet presentation means that you only touch what you use, delivering exceptional hygiene performance and of course reducing waste. Rolls are kept locked, clean and protected until required.

Plus the dispensers are available in three colours, whilst the stylish flat sheet presentation also makes for a premium washroom experience. Your business needs these for sure!

4.PURELL® Multi Surface Disinfectant Citrus Scent

At this point you’ve probably noticed we’re very passionate about GOJO PURELL products. And the reason for this is that GOJO is the first company to publicly commit to reducing their chemical footprint by 50 percent in the next five years. No other company in the world has made such a strong declaration to advance sustainable chemistry. GOJO subscribes to The Green Chemistry Commerce Council, is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and supports the goals of the organization.

This Multi Surface Disinfectant Citrus Scent works perfectly on a variety of hard and soft surfaces throughout your building, kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria and kills the Coronavirus in 30 seconds. There are also no harsh chemicals or fumes and no water rinse is required on food prep surfaces. Best of all, it was awarded the U.S. EPA Design for the Environment certification (DFE).

A perfect product for keeping your staff safe and virus-free.

5.PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfecting Wipes

Another environmentally friendly product, PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfecting Wipes are fantastic for using in large gathering areas because they’re simply one-step surface disinfecting wipes with a really nice fresh citrus scent.

The cleaning chemicals used in these wipes are dispensed using an automatic dilution control system to minimize waste and maximize cleaning efficiency. They also kill the human coronavirus (COVID-19) in 30 seconds and Kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria including cold & flu, E. coli and Strep. There is no rinse required on food-contact surfaces, and best of all, there are no harsh chemicals used, so you won’t smell any bad odors.

You don’t even have to wash your hands after use and they’re multi-surface compatible. Great stuff!

6.PROVON® Citrus Ginger Foam Hand & Showerwash

This fantastic all-in-one body wash, shampoo and hand soap offers a refreshing blend of citrus and ginger extracts. It is enriched with moisturizers, natural extracts, skin conditioners and it is an ECOLOGO® Certified and USDA biobased product.

The pump is removable for easier recycling while the SANITARY SEALED™ refill helps prevent contamination. So ideal for your bathrooms and toilets.

All of the eco-friendly cleaning products listed above are included because of their sustainable features such as natural ingredients, shipping without plastic, and because they do such a great job at quickly and easily cleaning your business without using harsh chemicals.

It is the reason we are advancing our 2022 Sustainable Value Strategies and Goals to make even greater progress by 2023/4. Partnering with The Concept Group and Northwood, together we strive to incorporate sustainability thinking into all that we do.

Is it that time of year again already? Ho Ho Holy Moly!

With Christmas and New Year fast approaching, you may find yourself panicking and need some help planning your ideal festive party for colleagues, which can be both stressful and challenging. When it comes to Christmas parties, expectations are high.

That’s why we are here to help. Mount Charles are experts in event planning. We have hosted a full range of large-scale events, so you’re in great hands. We have put together our top tips to make sure your Christmas event is one to remember.

This event planning checklist provided by our events team guides you through the process, ensuring you have covered all the essentials and your event runs as smoothly as possible, as well as being an enjoyable time for all!

1. Plan Well In Advance

First and foremost, when running any event, planning early is key. We would recommend to start planning as far in advance as you possibly can as it will allow you time to find the best venue, buy you time to deal with mishaps, and give guests time to make necessary arrangements, such as booking time off to attend. Planning a Christmas party should begin in autumn so you have time to secure a venue and book vendors before their schedules fill up.

Planning early will also allow you to find the right decorations for your theme (if you’re having one) and find an ideal caterer; like Mount Charles for example. Most importantly, it will make the process a bit more stress-free and less nerve wracking.

Last-minute party planning is a recipe for disaster, so don’t delay, get ahead while you can.

2. Choose Your Date

This one goes without saying. You’ll need a date that suits your attendees, so you should propose some dates that they can choose from. Maybe send a poll or ask them to fill out a survey using Survey Monkey, so they can pick their preferred date. This will make the process much smoother. Choosing an earlier date gets you ahead of the game and means you’ll have a broader range of venues to choose from.

If you’re running a company event, send some dates among key decision-makers within the company. It is also important to think about what works best for your company. You should also remember, while the weekend is more popular, availability will be limited at Christmas time and prices will be higher, so consider this. Venues are usually booked up well in advance, especially in busy towns and cities like Belfast.

We work with venues across the island of Ireland and can suggest suitable venues based on your organisations requirements

3. Set Your Budget

If you’re planning on running a company event, you’ll mostly like have a restrictive budget, but

even if your budget is restrictive, it doesn’t mean guests can’t have a great time. It just means you’ll need to prioritise some aspects of the event over others. You’d be surprised how much money you can save by doing a bit of research – something Mount Charles are experts at.

Make sure you include an itemised list of what the budget will and will not include. This will keep you right and will ensure there is no confusion with your boss or colleagues.

4. Choose Your Venue

Sourcing the right venue in any event is key. You’ll need a venue that’s suitable for your activity and a suitable space for the number of attendees. It should also be easily accessible for them with good transport connections. Again the earlier you book, the better the chances of getting one of the more ideal or popular venues.

Need a stage for live music? A good bit of space for a dance floor? As part of our event services here at Mount Charles, we can help you to find the perfect location for your Christmas party. Our clients have some of the best venues in the country that we would gladly put you in touch with.

If you’re hosting a New Year or Christmas party, we would advise you to choose a location with charm to leave a long-lasting impact on your guests. A space that will channel the magic and beauty of the Christmas spirit.

5. Pick a Good Theme

When it comes to your festive party, you’ll need a good theme. You could go for a Winter Wonderland theme, Christmas around the world, or a Christmas movie theme. It can even be something simple and sparkly. Just let your imagination run free.

If you are having a theme though, it’s important this is integrated throughout every aspect, from guest invitations to the decorations and most likely the entertainment as well. We have contacts in event styling and can gladly provide best in class companies we work alongside.

6. Choose Your Food and Drinks

Ok now we’re talking! We’re very serious when it comes getting our guests Fed & Watered (MC Pun intended). Food and drink is a key part of any event, and usually either a meal or buffet is expected at a Christmas or New Year party. Remember to plan for Vegetarian, Vegan or special dietary requirements in advance. And drinks will be expected… of course! We recommend having a drinks reception. It’ll make your guests feel welcome and will likely set the tone for the rest of the party. You could offer a bottle of champagne, wine, prosecco, or even a beer or cocktail.

We have expertise in catering across a range of budgets and requirements and can provide bespoke menus based on your ideal event.

7. Music and Entertainment
   

Aha, here’s where the real party starts!

I think we can all agree that some form of music and entertainment at a festive event is essential. There are lots of options you can choose from including a comedian, karaoke, a band or a DJ, which will encourage people to dance later on in the night.

Depending on your theme you could have something a little different and include games and activities. You could do a Christmas treasure hunt, or Christmas Bingo (An MC staff favourite).

8. Speeches and Awards

For lots of companies, your Christmas party may be an ideal time to present any awards and thank staff collectively. You’ll need to organise certificates, award blocks or prizes in advance.

One thing to keep in mind is to plan the timings of your speeches in advance to ensure that you have enough time allocated to this. You’ll need to have a running order or schedule in place to make sure everyone who’s going to be speaking knows when they’ll be hitting the stage next. A good idea is to do a practice run though before the event. Though we can appreciate not everyone has time for this with it being a very busy time of year.

9. Organise Transportation

If your chosen venue is not local to your attendees, then it is a good idea to have transport organised to and from the event. You could book and minibus or a coach, or simply book a couple of taxis in advance depending on the requirements.

10. Invitations

Last but certainly not least, we don’t want you to forget about your invitations. Regardless if this comes in the form of a calendar invite, an email or a beautifully designed invitation, you must remember to send these well ahead of your event.

It is important that all the information regarding timings, locations, transport and themes is added to your invitation. It’s good to have it all in one place so your guests can refer back this. With it being a hectic time for people, they’ll have lots of other festivities going on so they’ll need a good reminder.

And that just about covers it. We hope you found the above guide useful, and if you need any help at all planning your Christmas or New Year event, or any event at all, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team below. We are more than happy to help.

Call us on:

Belfast Office
+44 (0) 28 9032 0070

Dublin Office
+353 (0)1 431 1383

Or Email:

info@mountcharles.com

Click here for more information about Mount Charles Events.

This year has been quite a successful one for the leading business support solutions, Mount Charles, as the company has seen a huge growth in the number of contract wins in the Republic of Ireland. This includes over €1 million in new public sector cleaning contracts won from the company’s Dublin base.

Since establishing a Dublin presence four years ago, Mount Charles has accumulated more than €30 million of new contracts, successfully coinciding with the company’s implementation of ambitious sustainability projects and initiatives.

The latest Dublin-based public-sector contracts run for three years and include the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO), which provides litigation, advisory and conveyancing services to government departments and agencies; the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC); the National Shared Services Offices (NSSO), a statutory civil service office; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The news of the ROI growth has quickly spread throughout the fast-growing, family-owned company and has been well received and supported by all. Mount Charles will without a doubt fulfil its pledge to its client of providing a top-class service, as it has done and will continue to do with all its clients.

The company has more than 33 years’ experience in the delivery of vital facilities management services to a range of customers within both the public and private sectors.

Sales & Marketing Director, Gavin Annon was more than please with the company expansion, commenting on the new contract wins. He stated “We’re pleased to be working with these high-profile agencies and are proud that over 2,000 of their staff members will be benefiting from our bespoke cleaning services. The Republic of Ireland marketplace remains a key target for us and continuing to grow our market share from our Dublin base is a key priority.”

He further stated, “The successful introduction and upgrade of our internal and operational systems has contributed to our success by revitalising our service offering and enhancing reporting and oversight of our service performance. By developing our product and harnessing the latest technology we can measure and reduce our environmental impact. We have also focused on strategic talent acquisition and are in a very strong position to capitalise on the growth of our operations in Ireland.”

This news of the company’s growth in Irish market just adds to its ongoing success after it won two accolades at the Facilities Management Awards earlier in the year, receiving the Innovation in Technology & Systems Award as well as The FM Workspace Transformation Award.

#GreatService #GreatPeople #GreatFuture