How office hand hygiene can be both green and clean

How office hand hygiene can be both green and clean

Growing concern for the earth leads more people to think green: 60% of consumers worldwide are concerned about their personal efforts to care for the environment, with 54% saying they have expanded recycling and reuse around their homes.1

That concern for the planet is also spilling over to the commercial sector: 53% of global consumers expect businesses to put in more effort with sustainability and environmental initiatives—which often puts the responsibility of finding and offering more sustainable solutions on facility managers. And they’re clearly feeling the pressure—commercial customers report that sustainability is one of their top ten challenges.2

At the same time, consumers are increasingly focused on hand hygiene. Not surprisingly, a Tork survey showed that since the pandemic, people wash their hands 26% more frequently.3 This means commercial customers must balance increased hygiene practices, efficacy expectations, and concern for the health of employees and visitors with growing demand for more sustainable products.

The rising sustainability pressures on decision-makers

Rising sustainability pressures on facility managers

Facility managers and other decision-makers are also concerned about the environment and may feel their company could do more to meet its vision for sustainability. The following are two ways they feel pressure to support sustainability.

1. Balancing sustainability and safety
Facility managers can find it difficult to help meet sustainability goals without the right tools and information, potentially leading them to choose cleaning and hygiene products that may damage the business’s reputation for environmental responsibility. For example, at the onset of the pandemic, many new hand sanitizer suppliers and brands hit the market with little information or studies on their efficacy—highlighting the importance of choosing products that are certified as safe and sustainable from trusted sources. And there’s the common perception that sustainable cleaning products don’t work as well—putting facility managers in a bind between environmental goals and the need for effective cleaning solutions to meet increased hygiene expectations.

2. Promoting the company’s sustainability and safety to potential employees
Sustainability efforts can also affect the appeal of an employer to a prospective employee. Today, more employees want to work for companies with practices and policies aligned with their sustainable values. Employers want to project and maintain an environmentally friendly image, but they also must provide a safe, clean, and healthy workplace. Decision-makers feel the pressure not to risk compromising employee health by using products that may appear to be more efficient at cleaning – but that could potentially harm the environment. Businesses that don’t solve this problem risk scaring off top talent in a competitive recruiting landscape.

With people making more decisions with sustainability as a factor, it’s vitally important that companies clearly communicate and show they are doing everything they can to care for the environment. Ultimately, facility managers want to feel secure that they’ve made an environmentally responsible choice with cleaning products that don’t compromise on safety.

Meet commercial needs for sustainability and safety without compromise

Tork Clarity Handwashing Foam Soap was designed to support the new hygiene standard in commercial environments without compromising on sustainability.

 Natural organic sustainable foam soap

The formula has also been proven biodegradable according to internationally accepted standards5 and is ECOLOGO certified as environmentally responsible.6 This results in reduced toxicity for aquatic organisms7 and lessens the impact on our rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Developed according to an international guideline for natural and organic ingredients in cosmetic products, the foam soap is crafted from just 10 ingredients, 99% of which are derived from natural origin as defined by those guidelines (with washing ingredients that are also from renewable sources), and just one mild preservative.4 All of the ingredients were carefully selected for their low toxicity to water.

And there are even more benefits. Compared to Tork Mild Foam Soap, the number of washing ingredients is reduced by 70%. Yet the efficiency of cleaning hands remains the same with the same dose size8 with Tork Clarity Handwashing Foam Soap.Because it foams and rinses off quickly due to the combination of ingredients used, water consumption during use is 35% lower as well,9 further helping to preserve one of our most precious resources.

Help meet your sustainability goals

Facility managers want to provide green products for employees and guests to address their concerns about sustainability—but they also need them to be effective. Offering a soap that is certified as environmentally sustainable by third parties satisfies on both counts. With a biodegradable formula designed to reduce the impact on the environment and that same formula certified by respected organizations, Tork Clarity Handwashing Foam Soap is a responsible choice for efficiently washing hands.

Sources
1 Essity Hygiene & Health study 2020
2 Essity Hygiene & Health study 2020
3 Essity Hygiene & Health study 2020
4 Clarity formulation following the ISO16128
5 Based on third-party lab test according to OECD301B
6 Tork Clarity Hand Soap sell sheet
7 Based on the EU Ecolabel, CDV (Critical Dilution Volume) related to toxicity levels, below specified limits
8 Based on internal panel test compared to Tork Mild Foam Soap
9 Based on internal panel test compared to Tork Mild Foam Soap