What drives the washroom industry?
July 1st 2005 Peter Broom of SCA Tissue Europe looks at the trends that have shaped away-fromhome washrooms over the years – and those that are likely to influence them in the future Today’s away-from-home washroom is very different from the basic affairs of the 1960s and 1970s. Gone are the cracked bars of soap, the shiny loo rolls and the grubby towels that epitomised public toilets in the past. So what has changed those scruffy washrooms into the clean, efficient places that we find today? One major change has been the phasing out of the washroom attendant. This has led to a need for low-maintenance washrooms that practically run themselves. Early systems such as roller towels, C-fold disposable towel systems, push-button soap dispensers and jumbo toilet rolls helped to ensure continued product supply while addressing the problems of pilferage, waste, hygiene and mess. However, they all had their disadvantages.
Roller towel dispensers often became jammed but people would use them anyway, leading to cross-contamination. Push-button soap dispensers tended to leak while C-fold towels were taken out of their dispensers in clumps, resulting in waste and mess.
The 1980s marked the start of a prosperous new era when image counted for a great deal. Harsh toilet paper was banished in favour of softer options, and new dispenser colours and styles replaced the functional metal boxes that were previously available. We at SCA Tissue Europe for example offered yellow, red and blue dispensers providing a bright, trendy effect for the times (see picture).
In the 1990s, a growing awareness of the environmental issue led to the emergence of toilet rolls made from recycled paper. These were generally poor quality to begin with, but over the years all reputable manufacturers have developed sophisticated recycling facilities and many good quality loo rolls and hand towels are now made of recycled material.
In recent years another concern has gripped the public’s attention – that of hygiene.
Reports of contaminated food in processing plants and the growing number of hospital-acquired infections have led to a new generation of soap and hand towel dispensers that are designed to prevent cross-contamination among users. Softer hand towels have been found to encourage better hand hygiene in hospitals and food processing plants and these have replaced abrasive towels in many institutions, notably in National Health Service hospitals.
Perhaps today’s most important industry ‘driver’ of all, however, is that of cost. Companies are more cost-conscious than ever as operations are slimmed down and maximum efficiency is sought.
Washroom managers are seeing the advantages of portion control systems that give out a limited amount of toilet tissue, liquid soap and hand towel at a time to prevent over-use.
Looking to the future it seems likely that there will be a greater number of no-touch and automatic systems as the hygiene issue continues to be a major concern. The success of the Loo of the Year Awards has alerted people to the fact that image is still vitally important, and the issue of price will always be a concern whatever the economic climate.
All these factors spell good news for the public because they will ensure that tomorrow’s washroom is even more hygienic, environmentallyfriendly, attractive and cost-effective than the loos of today.
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