EU Business News- Q1 2024 How material innovation is delivering measurable sustainability outcomes in commercial washrooms Across Europe, sustainability is shaping how organisations operate, what they buy, and how they measure and evidence their progress. With 79% of businesses globally either transforming their business model or embedding sustainability into core operations, the focus has shifted from setting targets to delivering practical changes. This shift places greater emphasis on everyday operational choices, which now play a defining role in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. And it is exposing that many sustainability strategies still focus on high-profile initiatives, while overlooking the operational choices that quietly drive the greatest environmental impact. As organisations evaluate high-use areas across their estates, one area now coming into sharper focus is the washroom. Why washrooms matter to organisations trying to be more sustainable From offices and public buildings to schools and transport hubs, washrooms are among the busiest environments, and often one of the most resource intensive. Their consistent footfall and material use make them a critical focal point for reducing environmental impact while supporting long-term sustainability goals, yet they have historically received little attention in sustainability planning. Hygiene paper illustrates this challenge clearly. It is one of the highestconsumption, single-use product categories in commercial facilities. In Western Europe, toilet paper consumption averages 15–25kg per person annually. Across large workforces and public spaces, this creates a substantial environmental footprint, spanning raw material extraction, energy-intensive production, transport, and disposal. The scale of waste associated with hygiene paper is often underestimated. As Ramona Shellard, sales director at Satino by WEPA, discusses how material innovation and smarter washroom systems are enabling organisations to deliver measurable ESG outcomes through everyday operations. of the latest reporting, the EU produced 79.7 million tonnes of packaging waste, with paper and cardboard accounting for more than 40%. While paper packaging recycling rates are relatively high across Europe, hygiene papers such as toilet paper and napkins typically cannot be recycled once used. This results in a significant, largely non-recyclable, waste stream, driven by consistent high-volume usage across commercial environments. For facilities teams and procurement leaders operating under frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), this raises an important question: how can essential, highconsumption products be made materially better without compromising hygiene or user experience? Why material choice is a key strategic lever for ESG The answers increasingly lie in material choice. Conventional hygiene paper is primarily made from virgin wood pulp, a resource-intensive material that generates up to 30% more greenhouse gas emissions than recycled alternatives. Even responsibly sourced wood fibres cannot fully offset the environmental burden at current consumption levels, with the average person using 100 rolls of toilet paper annually. Reducing the environmental impact of hygiene paper requires material innovation. Producing virgin wood pulp places significant pressure on forest resources, accounting for approximately 35% of the total global wood harvest. While responsibly-sourced wood fibres from well-managed forests remain an important part of the hygiene paper mix, increasing pressure on natural resources and tighter carbon reporting requirements mean that conventional materials alone are no longer enough. For organisations across Europe, this offers a clear opportunity to procure products with alternative fibres, to improve sustainability at scale while maintaining the hygiene standards and
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