CWA welcomes car wash scheme launch

The Car Wash Association has welcomed the launch of the Responsible Car Wash Scheme. The scheme “should prove valuable for improving compliance in existing hand car washes,” comments Brian Madderson, chairman of the CWA.

The scheme, which was launched on Monday 22 October 2018 at the House of Lords, has been developed by the Downstream Fuel Association alongside the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Police, the Health and Safety Executive, HMRC, the Environment Agency and the Car Wash Association.

It aims to tackle modern slavery and a lack of compliance within the industry. It will target labour abuse and lack of adherence to regulations at hand car washes, whilst enabling consumers to identify a compliant car wash.

Madderson continues, “Whilst this is welcome news and will allow hand car washes to look after their workers, trade legally, adhere to environmental regulations and take care of their customers, it still leaves open the issue of the 20,000 hand car washes in the UK that operate illegally.

“Problems also include environmental damage from mishandling trade effluent, widespread disregard of the National Minimum Wage, modern slavery human trafficking and tax avoidance. Figures suggest that hand car washes are failing to pay taxes, and up to £1.45 billion per year in tax is not being collected by HMRC.

“Whilst this scheme is set to be a positive move for the sector, more needs to be done in tackling illegal hand car washes and bringing an end to modern slavery.”