Paradise partnership steps up to protect our environment

Paradise Birmingham’s principal cleaning contractor, We Clean, is stepping up to help the estate work ever closer towards Net Zero.

The contractor, which has worked at the estate since 2019, has made a number of steps to ensure all of its estate-wide Paradise operations are Net Zero, especially around its vehicles, while supporting both occupiers and estate management to recycle, reuse and repurpose 100% of waste, matching its zero-to-landfill policy.

By investing in the latest all-electric vehicles and tools, We Clean is ensuring its operations have the smallest impact possible, and saving another 731 kg Co2 annually after recently swapping to another fully electric vehicle on top of two existing electric vehicles already in use.

Maintenance vehicles and on-site tools are already electric-powered and use green electricity, while the Paradise car park is equipped with 20 electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

Meanwhile, a new cleaning regime for the stonework across the public realm on the estate will be in service shortly along with existing measures in line with the zero-to-landfill policy such as recycling a wide range of materials, including building products, paper, plastic, wastewater and batteries – as well as organic materials such as coffee grounds and food waste.

We Clean’s efforts are a key part of this wider approach, and its work dovetails into the on-going steps taken by the estate itself: occupiers, contractors, and partners all contribute to this shared journey.

The estate is also working hard to be a key part of the city of Birmingham’s approach to promoting a circular economy, carbon reduction, climate resilience, access to employment, health and wellbeing, sustainable benchmarking, use of SMART technology, biodiversity and social value, with specific actions taken to address each and every one of these subjects.

Caroline Rudge, Commercial Manager at Federated Hermes MEPC, said:

“We have partnered with We Clean for many years and have always enjoyed a close relationship with the team who have collectively worked together with us and shared our positive ethos towards sustainability and care for the environment.

As well as always providing exemplary customer service, they’ve made and continue to make their operation as close to Net Zero as possible and are partnering with us very closely to achieve this as a whole estate.

The approach already in place goes beyond just recycling or using electric vehicles. Paradise is actively working together in association with local people and local communities while looking to minimise its carbon footprint and maximise its social impact.

Paul Concannon, Director at We Clean, said:

Our vehicles and tools on site at Paradise are proudly all electric, including hand tools, and our operatives are all aware of our approach and commitment to Net Zero along with the rest of the estate. In that sense, we’re all on the same page here and all enjoy working together to make a difference.

We Clean is committed to providing and developing quality, green cleaning services that have a minimal environmental impact. Critical to its success is partnering with like-minded organisations that produce and supply environmentally friendly products such as Eco chemicals, Best Practice training systems, and constant service innovation with accreditations like ISO 14001 helping all to protect our shared environment.

Lee Wileman, Paradise Estate Manager said:

Paradise is first and foremost a highly sustainable destination built around people. The aim of the estate is to create a new piece of city that serves the environment by taking positive action towards a net zero future for all: occupiers and their staff, visitors and local communities. We Clean is an important part of the Paradise team and we are all working together to achieve the very best we can for the estate.

This mirrors the Federated Hermes MEPC approach as an agent for change that builds sustainable communities while maximising economic and social outcomes – not just through buildings but by placing connectivity and placemaking at the heart of its work.

Adapting to, and recovering from, the impacts of climate change forms the foundation from which all new buildings and public realm are being designed and delivered. Data on all materials used on the estate drives decision-making and the overall approach, from the selection of the structural frames down to each building’s internal fixtures and finishes.

Every decision is made to ensure Paradise achieves the lowest embodied carbon possible while ensuring quality remains at the forefront. Innovation is also paramount, with the estate’s latest building, Three Chamberlain Square, for example, featuring mycelium as a building material in internal finishes and insulation. It also features a long list of other sustainability credentials, including industry accreditations which underscore Three Chamberlain Square as the most sustainably commercial space in the city.

As a whole new piece of the city, Paradise is creating jobs, promoting skills and bringing new opportunities to Birmingham and the wider region, and to date, these wider community and sustainability activities have added £88 million of social and economic value locally, with over £56 million spend in the local supply chain and the creation of 2,000 jobs through the construction phases.