News

A Business in Ilkeston is hoping to be flushed with success thanks to a revolutionary new product which could save money going down the drain.
Hygienex, in Queen Street, has launched a device called the Ureco, which is fitted into the base of a urinal bowl in a gents' toilets and is designed to eradicate smells, prevent blockages and save water.

Company directors Simon Rice and Richard Page have invested thousands of pounds into the product and jointly own the device with a Devon-based company called Ecosave Systems.

Mr Rice said: "The advantage that the Ureco has is that it can be fitted into most urinals around the world, so the market potential is immense."

Hygienex is one of three companies run by Mr Rice and Mr Page - the others are Blitz Environmental and Blitz Hygiene Services.

Mr Rice said: "Through the work we carried out under Blitz Hygiene Services, we have used other urinal sleeves and are aware of their capabilities and are therefore excited by this latest product."

In terms of reducing smell, the Ureco can trap odours within the device. And as far as saving water is concerned, the product only needs two flushes a day. Hygienex has calculated that a pair of standard urinals, flushing four times an hour, uses around 315,000 litres of water a year - giving an annual water bill of about £500. According to Mr Rice, with the Ureco only needing two flushes a day, the annual water bill would be £10.50.

"To install the Ureco on a pair of urinals and replace the cap every three to four months, would cost around £250," he said.

"But the savings on water and other maintenance, not to mention the environment, makes it very worthwhile."

Hygienex already has a number of customers lined up for the product, including Nottingham City Council, which has agreed to install the Ureco in all of its public buildings. Mr Rice and Mr Page are going to approach Derby City Council ands other local authorities throughout the country about doing the same.

The company has also received significant interest from abroad.

"We've had a sizeable order from Australia and another company in America which has around 60,000 customers on their books," said Mr Page.

"We've also had inquiries from New Zealand and South Africa. And in May, we will be attending a major European exhibition in Amsterdam, so we're hopeful of securing quite a few European orders.

"The key for us now is to establish a solid distribution network so we're able to get the products out there where they are needed."

Feb 1st 2008

Cleaning Matters - Article
by Brenden Coyne

A new water-saving urinal product is set to go global. Freshly launched by distributor Hygienex, the Ureco and associated products cut water costs by 95 per cent, fit any type of urinal and remove the need for air fresheners.Brendan Coyne reports

Developed by UK firm Ecosave – which helped design and manufacture the original urinal sleeve now hugely popular in urinals across the UK, Ireland and Australia – the Ureco is described as a mark II version. A key difference, says MD of distributor Hygienex, Simon Rice, is that it fits all types of urinals – including those in mainland Europe and the US. He says the potential is therefore massive. By way of example, the company is currently in discussions with Swisher to introduce it to some 60,000 American customers.

"One of the key differences to products currently on the market is the odour lock system. In competitor's products, the odour lock occurs where the sleeve is submerged below the water line – necessitating a stem of plastic to get it there, which isn't compatible with many European urinals. The Ureco works above the water line and is therefore much shorter, so it fits any type of urinal regardless of design - which opens up new markets: a lot of the companies we are speaking with in the UK have European arms, so the potential is absolutely massive."

He says the Ureco's active ingredient - the enzyme which breaks down the uric salts - is also 1,300 times stronger than its nearest competitor.

Although not officially launched at the time of writing, Hygienex, through Rice's washroom services company, Blitz Hygiene Services, had already secured a major contract with Nottingham City Council to install thousands of units across all of its 360 sites – from local housing offices to City Hall. And Rice says further contracts will be in place by the time this article is published: Hygienex plans to replace the thousands of urinal sleeves it supplies and maintains across the East Midlands with the Ureco, as well as supply the product to mainland Europe and the US.

So how much water - and therefore money - can the device actually save? According to Rice, a simple example is one cistern feeding two urinal bowls.The volume of water per urinal flush is normally 4.5 litres and on a urinal where no water saving device is fitted, the flush frequency is 96 times daily."With a Ureco and a water management device you can slice that right down to twice a day, although we recommend four times a day," says Rice."That reduces water consumption from 315,000 litres per annum down to 13,000l per annum. So the cost of the water (based on Midlands water costs) on that site without any devices fitted would cost them £491 per year.

With the Ureco and a water saving device, water costs would drop to £20.50.

"Taking into account the negating of potential blockages, and the need for air fresheners, even with the costs of fitting the Ureco and changing it four times per year, plus the outlets and the water management systems, you're looking at an annual saving of 73 per cent. So the customer is saving a fortune and the urinal, with the Ureco's chrome cap, looks better." While some might argue that disposing of the plastic caps every four months might seem counterproductive in terms of environmental savings, Rice says the issue is already in hand:

"The device is made from a special polymer that biodegrades within 12 months, which is another key selling point." Hygienex now seeks more large distributors for the product, to further its footprint both nationally and globally.

He says the company has already been approached by urinal manufacturers looking to include a Ureco and fixing kit as the urinals are shipped.

Hygienex will also work with Ecosave on related washroom products, with further launches expected this year.

Jan 10th 2008

Hygienex will be attending the Interclean show in Amsterdam!!!