02.05.09
Just in Time in I&I
With an eye on the environment and the economy, Chemstar rolls out a new cartridge-based cleaning system for the I&I market.
By Christine Esposito
Associate Editor
With so much focus on the environment and the economy, the roll out of Chemstar Corp.’s Just Insert, Mix and Spray (J.I.M.S.) system for the I&I market couldn’t be more apropos.
According to Chemstar, J.I.M.S. is a highly concentrated cleaning system that uses cartridges to deliver greater cost savings and sustainability compared to traditional ready-to-use cleaning products. It features a simple design: water is added to a specially designed quart-sized spray bottle, a cartridge filled with chemical concentrate is inserted into the spray bottle and the trigger sprayer is attached. Once the sprayer is connected to the bottle, the bottom of the cartridge opens, releasing the concentrate into the water. After a few shakes, product is ready to use.
Designed for retail supermarkets, convenience stores, quick-service restaurants and the hospitality industry, J.I.M.S. is available in five different formulations: sanitizer, disinfectant, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner and degreaser. The latter three are Green Seal certified.
In addition to being eco-friendly, J.I.M.S. offers a lower cost-per-use than traditional ready-to-use (RTU) cleaning products. According to Chemstar, compared to 24 quart-sized bottles of RTU cleaning products, the equivalent package of J.I.M.S concentrated cartridges is 98% smaller, requiring less storage space and significantly reducing the amount of cardboard packaging. And because water is added at the user’s location, the shipping weight is reduced by 97%. In addition, the same spray bottle can be used for all 24 cartridges, which means less plastic waste.
According to Blake Batley, executive vice president of sales, marketing and customer service with Chemstar, other RTU products on the market have drawbacks. That prompted the Lithia Springs, GA-based company to build a better mousetrap.
“First,” he said, “the enormous amount of packaging and plastic waste that comes from large volumes of ready-to-use cleaning products can be very bad for the environment. Second, since ready-to-use cleaning products are already diluted with water, they are heavier, which means they are very costly to ship…Finally, ready-to-use cleaning products can cost a lot because manufacturers must factor the added shipping and packaging into their cost and pricing models. The Just Insert, Mix, and Spray system doesn’t have those weaknesses.”
Another benefit is that J.I.M.S. was designed to be more puncture and moisture resistant than other concentrated drop-ins, which makes it a safe system for just about any commercial cleaning environment, according to Chemstar.
Several retail supermarket and convenience store customers tested J.I.M.S products prior to the official launch in early January. “We have been very pleased with the performance and quality of the products, as well as the level of interest and the number of inquiries so far,” noted Mr. Batley.
J.I.M.S. is part of Chemstar's Greenstar Commitment, which promotes sustainability in all parts of its operation. While the focus on green is relatively new in I&I, Mr. Batley said some Greenstar commitments at Chemstar have been in existence for more than a decade.
“Our Greenstar Commitment encompasses all aspects of our operations, from the products we make and the way we make them, to how we deliver them and how they are applied. It's one of our industry's most comprehensive approaches to sustainability,” he said. “Not only do we care about the environment, we are also dedicated to working with our clients to incorporate environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions into their business models.”