How to Order Sustainably

Your purchasing decisions based on your sustainability priorities, empowering and guiding you to buy better for a cleaner, greener earth.

Sustainable Products

Sustainability at your fingertips

We help you make empowered purchasing decisions based around what is important to you and your business, whether that is reducing your carbon footprint, removing single use plastic, buying from UK manufacturers or purchasing from Living Wage suppliers. We provide the information and you provide the choices.

Planting & Carbon Reduction

You buy we plant

We all want to make a difference, we all want to buy sustainably, that’s why we belief in encouraging and rewarding your sustainable behaviour. We do this by planting trees and investing in VCS and Gold standard carbon offset programmes, and the more sustainably you buy the more we plant. A win win, for you and the environment.

Our promise

No more greenwashing

Confused? Aren’t we all, everyone has an eco range, everyone says it’s sustainable but how do you know? We back up our Sustainable leaf ratings with a full breakdown of the criteria they are based on, giving you 100% peace of mind that we have audited the product and supply chain for you.

We further use an independent company to do full life cycle assessments on our products giving us a carbon footprint for the whole life impact of the product. We take this information and show you whether your selection saves on carbon when compared to an industry standard equivalent product, so you can pick the product with the lowest environmental impact.

Product Ratings

Making sustainability transparent

At Lime Sustainable Supplies, we believe in transparency and empowering our customers to make informed choices.

Excellent Eco Rating
Good Eco Rating
Fair Eco Rating
Recognition - Sustainable Certification
Sustainable Credentials Sustainable Credentials Multiple Sustainable Credentials Yes Sustainable Credentials No
Manufacturing & Sourcing
Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process >75% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process 26-74% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process <25%
Country of Manufacture Country of Manufacture UK Country of Manufacture Europe Country of Manufacture Rest of World
Main Raw Material Country of Origin Main Raw Material Country of Origin UK Main Raw Material Country of Origin Europe Main Raw Material Country of Origin Rest of World
Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? Yes Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? No
Product Composition & Materials
Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived >80% Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived 41-79% Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived <40%
Single Use Plastic Level Single Use Plastic Level Zero Single Use Plastic Level Medium Single Use Plastic Level High
Packaging Packaging Recycled and Recyclable Packaging Partial Recycled and Recyclable Packaging None
Eco Cost in Use Eco Cost in Use Super Concentrate Eco Cost in Use Concentrate Eco Cost in Use Ready to Use
Environmental Impact
Aquatic Toxicity Aquatic Toxicity Zero Aquatic Toxicity Medium Aquatic Toxicity High
Human risk in use (CLP) Human risk in use (CLP) CLP Free Human risk in use (CLP) Medium Human risk in use (CLP) High
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) None VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) Low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) High
Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product High Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Medium Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Low
Excellent Eco Rating
Good Eco Rating
Fair Eco Rating
Recognition - Sustainable Certification
Sustainable Credentials Sustainable Credentials Multiple Sustainable Credentials Yes Sustainable Credentials No
Manufacturing & Sourcing
Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process >75% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process 26-74% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process <25%
Country of Manufacture Country of Manufacture UK Country of Manufacture Europe Country of Manufacture Rest of World
Main Raw Material Country of Origin Main Raw Material Country of Origin UK Main Raw Material Country of Origin Europe Main Raw Material Country of Origin Rest of World
Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? Yes Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? No
Product Composition & Materials
Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived >80% Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived 41-79% Product Composition - Natural / Plant Derived <40%
Single Use Plastic Level Single Use Plastic Level Zero Single Use Plastic Level Medium Single Use Plastic Level High
Packaging Packaging Recycled and Recyclable Packaging Partial Recycled and Recyclable Packaging None
Eco Cost in Use Eco Cost in Use Super Concentrate Eco Cost in Use Concentrate Eco Cost in Use Ready to Use
Environmental Impact
Aquatic Toxicity Aquatic Toxicity Zero Aquatic Toxicity Medium Aquatic Toxicity High
Paraben Free Paraben Free Yes Paraben Free Paraben Free No
Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product High Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Medium Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Low
Excellent Eco Rating
Good Eco Rating
Fair Eco Rating
Recognition - Sustainable Certification
Sustainable Credentials Sustainable Credentials Multiple Sustainable Credentials Yes Sustainable Credentials No
Manufacturing & Sourcing
Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process >75% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process 26-74% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process <25%
Country of Manufacture Country of Manufacture UK Country of Manufacture Europe Country of Manufacture Rest of World
Main Raw Material Country of Origin Main Raw Material Country of Origin UK Main Raw Material Country of Origin Europe Main Raw Material Country of Origin Rest of World
Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? Yes Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? No
Product Composition & Materials
Packaging Packaging Recycled and Recyclable Packaging Partial Recycled and Recyclable Packaging None
Eco Cost in Use Eco Cost in Use High Eco Cost in Use Medium Eco Cost in Use Low
Main Material Recyclability Main Material Recyclability Widely Recycled Main Material Recyclability Limited Recycled Main Material Recyclability Not Recyclable
Excellent Eco Rating
Good Eco Rating
Fair Eco Rating
Recognition - Sustainable Certification
Sustainable Credentials Sustainable Credentials Multiple Sustainable Credentials Yes Sustainable Credentials No
Manufacturing & Sourcing
Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process >75% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process 26-74% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process <25%
Country of Manufacture Country of Manufacture UK Country of Manufacture Europe Country of Manufacture Rest of World
Main Raw Material Country of Origin Main Raw Material Country of Origin UK Main Raw Material Country of Origin Europe Main Raw Material Country of Origin Rest of World
Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? Yes Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? No
Product Composition & Materials
Main Material Sustainability Main Material Sustainability Recycled or Pure FSC/PEFC Main Material Sustainability Partial Recycled or Pure FSC/PEFC Main Material Sustainability None
Single Use Plastic Level Single Use Plastic Level Zero Single Use Plastic Level Medium Single Use Plastic Level High
Packaging Packaging Recycled and Recyclable Packaging Partial Recycled and Recyclable Packaging None
Eco Cost in Use Eco Cost in Use High Eco Cost in Use Medium Eco Cost in Use Low
Environmental Impact
Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product High Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Medium Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Low
Excellent Eco Rating
Good Eco Rating
Fair Eco Rating
Recognition - Sustainable Certification
Sustainable Credentials Sustainable Credentials Multiple Sustainable Credentials Yes Sustainable Credentials No
Manufacturing & Sourcing
Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process >75% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process 26-74% Renewable Power in Manufacturing Process <25%
Country of Manufacture Country of Manufacture UK Country of Manufacture Europe Country of Manufacture Rest of World
Main Raw Material Country of Origin Main Raw Material Country of Origin UK Main Raw Material Country of Origin Europe Main Raw Material Country of Origin Rest of World
Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? Yes Living Wage Supply Chain? Living Wage Supply Chain? No
Product Composition & Materials
Main Material Recycled Content Main Material Recycled Content >95% Main Material Recycled Content 50-94% Main Material Recycled Content <50%
Packaging Packaging Recycled and Recyclable Packaging Partial Recycled and Recyclable Packaging None
Eco Cost in Use Eco Cost in Use High Eco Cost in Use Medium Eco Cost in Use Low
Environmental Impact
Biodegradable Biodegradable Yes Biodegradable Biodegradable No
Compostable Compostable Low Heat Compostable Compostable High Heat Compostable Only Compostable No
Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product High Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Medium Carbon saving Co2 per kg/ product Low

ESG report

Investing in our future

Build trust in your business both internally with your team and externally with your clients through 100% transparency with our monthly ESG reports personalised to your purchasing behaviours and covering all your sustainable metrics, delivered for your entire business, by region or for individual sites and customers.

Start retaining and winning business on your sustainable credentials.

Empowering sustainable growth

You can’t improve until you measure and our monthly image based reports allows you to visualise and plan your sustainable journey, see the real life impact you’re making, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Carbon savings

Helping you switch to more sustainable products.

LCA lifecycle assessment

LCA lifecycle assessment

Measuring the true environmental impact of products and services is the ultimate goal. That is why using an LCA measured against the 16 EU PEF defined criteria by an independent company allows you to have credible data to justify sustainable claims. An LCA factors in everything from the components & ingredients, the country products are manufactured or assembled in and the power being used in the process. It then measures the impact of product transport, how the product is used and ultimately how it is disposed. This gives the most accurate data available to allow for a true carbon footprint.

Carbon footprint

Carbon footprint

Our independent LCA's give us a clear carbon footprint on our products, We currently have this in place against our paper, chemical, soap and waste sacks, with plans to expand that further over the coming months. Using a carbon footprint takes away any subjective opinion on the eco credentials of a product and allows you to have a clear picture of its impact. It helps us a business combat the growing challenge of green washing, and gives our customers complete peace of mind that they are buying the in the most sustainable way possible.

Carbon savings

Carbon savings

Ever been to a restaurant where every dish on the menu has a calorie count against it, and you feel like every choice is a negative one. It is the same with carbon footprints, everything has one so how do we reward sustainable behaviour? Simple, we use our independent company to compare the carbon footprints of our products to an industry standard one. This allows you to see if your choices have carbon increases or savings, so you can make informed environmental decision based on reducing the impact of the crucial products that you can't live without.

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Compare in detail

With so many options available we realise it’s difficult to work through all the research and guidance to determine the most eco-friendly approach when it comes to choosing which sustainable products are best for you.

So we’ve done all of the hard work for you.

Compare and switch

Our sustainable product filters and simple comparison tool make your purchasing decisions simpler and more efficient, so that you can make smart and informed decisions when making your next sustainable purchase.

 

Management control

More than just sustainability

Budget control

Full control of site spend and budgets with live sign off. Our budget control system allows you to set budgets by site level, this allows the people on the ground who know what they need to place the orders which minimises wastage. If they exceed their budget an email is sent to the person who holds the purse strings and they can check and approve or decline the order in real time.

Product segmentation

We understand that some of our customers not only buy products for using in cleaning that may be included in the budget, but also buy products that are then sold on to their clients. That is why we classify the products as standard (Included in budget) and chargeable (not in budget) for those sold on. This is separated out on the orders and invoices for ease, and backed up by an order type report that shows the spend on a site under the two categories and allows you to see the products that have been allocated to each.

Product spend report

Providing you with a comprehensive view of what you are spending, like all our reports it can be run for an entire business, a region or just a site. You can also pick the date parameters you want to look at. As always we like to include a sustainable twist and that is why we also include next to your quantity and price, the carbon saving and region of manufacture. this allows you to compare these key metrics against the products you buy the most.

Invoice extract & Consolidation

Our systems are designed to reduce administration, this is why we offer an invoice extract file and full consolidation options. The consolidation process allows us to group invoices as you want them and when you want them, by region or contracts, and weekly or monthly reducing administration time. The invoice extract file breaks down your invoices in to a format that allows to you to import it directly in to most accounting packages, reducing double handling. The figures can then be compared to your order type report by site, or to your order summary breakdown by site that comes with all invoices.

Service back up

We understand that even sustainable businesses need to be built on operational excellence. That is why we have a state of the art system that manages our business. So whether you email, call, use the contact form or our rather clever AI chat bot. All your queries, questions & issues will be raised as a ticket directly with our customer service team. Looking for an update on a ticket's status then just check your customer dashboard. No more missed issues and grey areas just efficient transparency built around excellent customer service.

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Our clients are leading the way towards a greener future and enjoying the benefits.

Benefits

  • Enjoy complete sustainable transparency
  • Measure & understand your impact on the environment
  • Improve your carbon footprint through products selection
  • Enjoy rewards for your sustainable purchasing
  • Show others how you are doing with your monthly ESG supply chain report

Frequently Asked Questions

Transparency is the key to sustainable purchasing.

What is an LCA, Life Cycle Assessment?

A life cycle assessment as it sounds, is a way of looking at the impact of a products across their entire life span.

Stages in looks at are – Material Sourcing > Component manufacturing > Product final assembly > Product transport > Product use > End of Life. It also looks for key sustainable indicators. These are :- Low carbon design > Energy efficiency > Renewable electricity > Direct emissions abatement > carbon removal > Water stewardship > Zero waste to landfill > Mapping & engagement > Assessment > Innovation.

It uses the EU PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) which has been introduced to deliver a common European evaluation method to measure the environmental impact of each of the LCA stages, so covering the entire lifecycle of the product.

The criteria used by the EU PEF are – Climate change, total > Ozone depletion > Human toxicity, cancer > Human toxicity, non-cancer > Particulate matter > Ionising radiation, human health > Photochemical ozone formation, human health >Acidification >Eutrophication, terrestrial > Eutrophication, freshwater > Eutrophication, marine > Ecotoxicity, freshwater > Land use > Water use > Resource use, minerals & metals > Resource use, fossils.

This broad spectrum of analysis gives an incredibly accurate view of the impact and footprint of a product. it also has a clear picture of what a sustainable product should look like.

 

How can we trust your carbon product footprints?

This is a simple one, they are not ours. We don’t create our carbon footprints not can we change or influence them, we just pay for them because we know it is right. They are created by an independent company, based on the information supplied by our suppliers at our request. Where that information is not forthcoming or available data from Wellow is used. They hold a massive amount of data on all areas that effect the footprint of a product like energy consumption and creation across all countries, as well as the impact of transport, and end of life disposal and how that differs in geographical locations. So in short we leave that to the experts, so you can have full peace of mind that the figures are more than just surface deep.

How do your carbon savings work?

We believe the best way to explain this is first of all to focus on the why. We use the metaphor of a restaurant menu that shows all the calories of every dish and almost makes you feel guilty for selecting anything. It is the same with carbon footprints on products, we know you need the goods so rather than feeling guilty for buying your essential products we help you buy better by focusing on the savings. To do this we compare the carbon footprint of the product you are buying against an industry standard product. If they are different volumes or units we take that in to account by breaking it down by usable product in kgs and building it back up again, so that the saving of buying a super concentrate that makes 100 spray bottles compared to a box of 6 x RTU spray bottles is calculated on how many boxes of 6 x RTU bottles would you have to buy to match it then creating the real cost in use carbon saving on that basis.

What products do we compare to, we did a a lot of research to make sure our line in the sand products are correct. Paper toilet rolls and hand towels are compared to a standard plastic wrapped 320 sheet and c-fold hand towel coming out of Spain & Italy.  Chemicals and soap although a lot do come from Europe & further afield more are made in the UK so it is a UK chemical with virgin plastic containers and no recycled packaging that we use. Waste sacks are compared to a Chinese import. All of these allow us a real line in the sand product as bought currently in the UK and help us encourage people to buy better, whether that is products with more recycled or natural material  ingredients, or ones simply made closer to home.

Does all this amazing functionality, tree planting & offsetting cost me anything?

The short answer is no. Lime Sustainable Supplies as a business is committed to creating a greener, cleaner earth and we believe in it so much that we are not just investing profit but turnover in to the tree planting and offsetting.  The systems we have invested heavily in are to help our customers buy better, by doing this we are helping slow down and reverse the impact we are having on the environment. We invest in the trees and carbon offsetting for the same reason, it is tangible metric that our customers can see so acts as a carrot to incentivise our customers to improve their sustainable profiles.

Everyone needs to make a profit, and as we are also competitively priced on top of all the functionality we offer it is always going to be a larger challenge for us. We believe that customers will understand the importance of what we do, and by building a larger community and bigger business we will make a real difference even if it does hit our bottom line!

Free Eco-friendly Delivery

On every delivery over £85

Plant a Tree

With every sustainable order placed

Reduce your Carbon Footprint

With our sustainable products

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