MechChem Africa December 2017

⎪ Environmental, waste management and cleaning technologies ⎪

Green and efficient – the trend in wine farm cleaning

Gavin Herold, general manager of Africa and the Middle East for Nilfisk, talks about new-generation cleaning equipment that offers assistance to wine farmers in five key areas.

C leaning matters more than ever in wine farming. Improper sanita- tion can cost a vineyard money, certification and reputation. There are bottom line pressures as well. Outdated technologies and methodologies are cost- ing South African wine farmers significant amounts of money and taking up time that should be directed to other tasks. Gavin Herold, general manager of Africa & the Middle East for Nilfisk, one of the world’s leading cleaning companies, says the newgeneration of cleaning equipment offers significant assistance to wine farmers in five key areas. Fit-for-purpose: Cellar floors can be cleaned frequently and optimally with a smaller automatic scrubber dryer such as the SC530. The FM400L low speed single disc machine and an appropriate floor pad can be used for targeted cleaning in more compact spaces. Outside areas can be quickly and eas- ily cleared of leaves and other debris by using the BK900 sweeper. Eco friendliness: The latest technology ei- ther radically reduces theuseof detergents or

operate in a neutral pHenvironment, which means they are not particularly effective cleaners. For that reason, Nilfisk’s Enviro Range has been formulated to operate across the pH scale. In the second category, industry watch- dogs caution aboutwidespread green prod- uct claims. According to Stephen Ashkin of The Green Cleaning Network, scepticism shouldbe reserved for ‘chemical-free’ labels, as he believes few products truly warrant that description. There are nowmany options available in replaces themcompletelywithwater or bio-products. New rotary scrub- bers use a detergent dispensing system that allows the operator to use theminimal amount of detergent needed for cleaning an area, while providing a burst of power in heavily soiled areas. Productivity: By doing the job more quickly, better and more reliably, investment in the new technologies produces a quick return on investment in terms of reduced labour costs, resources and maintenance. Single machines for different spaces, one- pass efficiency and faster drying times are just some of the ways productivity can be improved substantially. Better working conditions: Enhanced ergonomics means less operator fatigue and savings on labour costs and the increased safety minimises chemical fumes and slip- pery floors. Lower bills: It is possible to achieve sig- nificant reductions in consumption of water, electricity and disposables. Recent water

Above: Cellar floors can be cleaned frequently and optimally with a smaller automatic scrubber dryer such as the SC530. Left : The FM400L low speed single disc machine and an appropriate

floor pad can be used for targeted cleaning in more compact spaces.

SA that meet the standard US Occupation Health & Safety Administration (OHSA) definition of green cleaning products as ‘safe to use and less harmful to your health and environment than alternatives such as bleach and ammonia’. Ideally products available locally should be endorsed by the Heritage Eco-Choice Ecolabel Programme, just asNilfisk’s Enviro range is. According to the Eco-Choice standards, components of general-purpose cleaners should either be environmentally innocuous or readily biodegradable, and the products of degradation should not pose an increased risk to the environment. q Herold says technology is the wine farm- er’s friend in terms of 21 st century cleaning; “We have set out to make machines which meet the huge challenges of agricultural cleaning and align with the practicalities of farm workspaces. They offer reliability, ef- ficiency and sustainability and, as result, can deliver enormous value to the business.” q shortages in the Western Cape have highlighted the value of new rotary scrubbers, which, paired with a squeegee design, leave floors dry in a single pass and reduce water consumption markedly. The machinery also eliminates the need to use multiple chemicals, which ultimately reduces supply chain costs.

Washing green – no greenwashing Tonnesofgeneralpurposecleaningproducts are used in South Africa every year, which represent a potentially serious threat to theenvironment. Thankfully, consumers are increasingly demanding eco-friendly clean- ing products but they can be misled: either the product is so benign that it fails to meet the requirements of the cleaning task; or the product isnot trulymeetinggreenstandards (often referred to as greenwashing).

An example of the first problem is that many of the green cleaning chemicals on the market are enzyme-based and can only

Professional cleaning solutions for a safer, cleaner more productive environment Nilfisk has a full range of products and solutions that are able to meet cleaning needs, both above and below ground.

Website: www.nilfisk.co.za • Customer Service: +27 11 801 4600

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 21