Robert Scott has become the first company in the UK cleaning industry to integrate a biodegradable plastic additive into its mop socket design, marking a significant step forward in sustainable product innovation.
The company’s Exel sockets are now engineered to biodegrade in managed landfill environments, helping to reduce the long-term environmental impact of plastic waste that would otherwise persist for centuries.
As Europe’s largest mop manufacturer, Robert Scott has a long-standing commitment to sustainability. The company began reusing waste fabric as early as the 1940s to produce mopheads. Today, it manufactures around 25 million mops annually in the UK, using cotton-rich fibres derived entirely from post-consumer waste, while its Big White fabric incorporates recycled industrial materials.
A recent redesign of the socket has also contributed to reducing plastic usage by 137 tonnes per year. The sockets are made from durable polypropylene (PP), a recyclable type-five plastic. However, recognising that not all recyclable products are actually recycled due to varying waste management systems, the company has taken an additional step.
Robert Scott now incorporates BioSphere, an innovative additive that accelerates biodegradation in landfill conditions. While maintaining durability, non-toxicity, and unlimited shelf life, the treated plastic can break down more efficiently once disposed of.
Alastair Scott, Sales Director at Robert Scott, highlighted the importance of this development, noting that even small components like mop sockets can have a substantial environmental impact when produced in large volumes. By ensuring the sockets are reusable, recyclable, and now biodegradable, the company aims to significantly reduce plastic waste across the commercial cleaning sector.
The biodegradation process works by attracting hundreds of naturally occurring microbes that break down the plastic by consuming its carbon structure. Over time, the material is converted into organic matter without leaving behind microplastics—unlike conventional plastics, which can persist in the environment for up to 500 years.
Independent testing by Eden Research Laboratory, following ASTM D5511 standards, has shown promising results. After just 12 months, the treated sockets achieved 29.6% degradation, with further testing ongoing. Comparable technology used in P-Wave’s Slant6 urinal screen has demonstrated up to 89% biodegradation over six years.
Importantly, the technology does not rely on oxo-degradable additives and complies with current UK and EU regulations.
Originally introduced in the 1990s, the Exel push-fit socket was designed to ensure compatibility with various mop handles while preventing loosening during use. This innovation has played a key role in establishing Robert Scott as a market leader in the UK’s commercial cleaning industry, and the latest advancement reinforces its position at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing.