Stafford Borough Council: 26 Years of Trusted Washroom Services
How a long-standing ESPO framework partnership delivers compliant, zero-to-landfill washroom services across 40+ council buildings.
The Challenge: Managing Washroom Hygiene Across a Complex Public Estate
Public sector washroom services require a level of compliance, reliability and accountability that many commercial providers struggle to meet. Stafford Borough Council manages a diverse portfolio of over 40 buildings — from civic offices and leisure centres to public libraries and community halls — each with unique washroom requirements and usage patterns.
Key challenges the council faced
- Regulatory compliance: All washroom waste streams, including sanitary waste and clinical sharps, must be handled in strict accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Duty of Care regulations. Any lapse in compliance could result in prosecution and reputational damage.
- Budget constraints: As a local authority, the council operates under significant budgetary pressure. Every procurement decision must demonstrate value for money and be fully auditable through established frameworks.
- Service consistency: With buildings spread across the borough, maintaining a uniform standard of washroom hygiene required a provider capable of managing complex routing and scheduling without disruption to public-facing services.
- Sustainability targets: The council had committed to reducing its environmental footprint, and traditional washroom waste disposal methods — often involving landfill — conflicted with these goals.
The council needed a single provider who could deliver a fully managed, compliant washroom service across its entire estate whilst meeting stringent procurement rules and sustainability commitments.
The Solution: ESPO Framework Direct Award & Fully Managed Service
Hygiene Solutions was appointed through an ESPO framework direct award — a compliant procurement route that allows public sector organisations to engage approved suppliers without the cost and delay of a full tender process. This partnership, which began in 1999, has been renewed continuously for over 26 years.
What we implemented
- Sanitary bin service: Scheduled collections across all 40+ buildings, with bins exchanged and sanitised on a 4-weekly cycle. Each unit is tracked through our digital service management system, providing full audit trails for compliance reporting.
- Clinical waste disposal: Secure collection and disposal of clinical waste from first aid rooms and public facilities, fully compliant with HTM 07-01 guidelines and accompanied by consignment notes for every collection.
- Energy-efficient hand dryers: Installation and maintenance of modern, energy-efficient hand dryers to replace paper towel dispensers in high-traffic washrooms, reducing ongoing consumable costs and waste generation.
- Soap dispensers: Provision of anti-bacterial soap dispensing systems with scheduled refill visits, ensuring washrooms never run dry and meet public health expectations.
Every service is delivered by our own directly employed engineers — never subcontractors — ensuring consistent quality, DBS-checked personnel who carry photo ID, and accountability at every visit. Our 30+ vehicle fleet enables efficient routing across the council's estate with minimal missed appointments.
The Results: 26 Years of Zero-to-Landfill, Fully Compliant Service
The partnership between Hygiene Solutions and Stafford Borough Council stands as one of the longest-running washroom service contracts in the Midlands public sector. Over more than two decades, the relationship has delivered measurable, sustained results.
Measurable outcomes
- 100% regulatory compliance: In 26 years, the council has never received a compliance notice or regulatory action relating to washroom waste management. Every collection is documented with full consignment notes and audit trails.
- Zero-to-landfill: All washroom waste collected by Hygiene Solutions is processed through licensed treatment facilities, with zero waste sent to landfill. This directly supports the council's sustainability targets and carbon reduction commitments.
- Significant cost savings: The transition from paper towels to energy-efficient hand dryers alone saved the council an estimated £8,000 per year in consumable and waste costs. The ESPO direct award route eliminated repeated tendering costs.
- Service reliability: Our service completion rate across the council's estate consistently exceeds 99%, with fewer than three missed appointments per year across all 40+ buildings.
The council's facilities management team regularly cites Hygiene Solutions as one of their most reliable contracted service providers. The partnership has survived multiple changes in council administration, budget restructures, and evolving regulatory requirements — a testament to the quality and consistency of service delivery.
This case study demonstrates that long-term partnerships built on compliance, transparency and genuine service excellence deliver far greater value than the lowest-price-wins approach that too often characterises public sector procurement.
Hygiene Solutions has been our washroom services provider for over two decades, and the consistency of their service is remarkable. They understand the unique pressures of local government — tight budgets, public accountability, and the absolute necessity of compliance. We have never had a single regulatory issue with our washroom waste, and that peace of mind is invaluable.
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