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Stop polluting, start cleaning say innovative ozone company

It’s environment focus week on Bdaily, and we are looking at what the low-carbon economy really means for UK SMEs, as well as picking apart the nuts and bolts of adapting business to “go-green.“

Over 15 years of research and development has gone into local business Ozone Direct, which aims to stop everyone from using chemicals which only mask odours in workplaces and homes.

The company, based at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), produces small doses of ozone which kills 99.9% of bacteria as well as eliminating unwanted odours and renders the air clean and fresh.

Ozone Direct were recently invited to Canary Wharf in London and have signed a three year contract with Barchester care homes, who were so impressed with the new system they have since banned the use of aerosols throughout all their nursing homes.

As well as removing bad odours in the care homes, the product also helps to keep levels of the
Norovirus down, the winter bug as it is most commonly known. David Cope, Director, said: “People constantly pollute. The banning of CFC’s was a major step forward but we have more to do. If only people realised what was actually in air fresheners and cleaning products they use on a daily basis they would think twice. Cleaning materials all give off a fragrance, what is the fragrance for? It gives the impression that the place is clean. It masks. Our product just doesn’t do that.

“It doesn’t use chemicals meaning it is safe for humans and for the environment. We recently have just finished trials in a hospital which was very successful; we cleaned all of the intensive care units using ozone. Rezidor hotel group has also asked us to build one for them and we hope to roll out to all other hotels.

“All of our equipment is made in the UK and wherever possible sourced locally. We use six companies in the North East to help us build what we are doing…and it works.”

Since using the product in her own home, Louise Hardy, business mentor at the BIC, has not used aerosols since, she said: “I use the ozone plug-in in my kitchen and the difference when I am cooking is amazing. It makes so much more sense to remove the odour completely rather than using air fresheners to simply mask it. I will never go back to spraying chemicals.”

The business moved on site to the BIC over nine years ago and the company ensures everything is sourced locally.

“Everything we have created is designed and built here. I have been at the BIC for so many years now and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I am part of the furniture.” He jokes.

“We feel very excited for the future and hope to roll out and expand the product even more so no-one will need to spray an aerosol ever again.”

You can read more about Ozone Direct and green businesses all over the North East in the next edition of The Innovator.

Here are some other environment focus articles that may be of interest to you: carbon reporting in logistics firms; what are the benefits of electric vehicles?; and we talk to a print business about why SMEs need to go green.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .