Washroom Solution Saves Water, Time and Money

01 September 2011

Sustainability and resource efficiency are a growing environmental concern across the world. Many organisations are striving to reduce their environmental impact and in the process save money by using less energy and natural resources.

However, an area that organisations often over-look when assessing their environmental impact is the washroom, which accounts for around 65% of water use in many businesses.

So what consideration can be made to reduce water usage in the washroom?

Whilst there are numerous ways to save water, one consideration should be the choice of soap. Independent research, commissioned by Deb, has shown that when using foam soap, people use 16% less water than when using liquid soap.

However, water savings can be increased further by adopting Deb’s recommended foam soap hand washing technique – dispense, lather, tap on, rinse. By switching to this method people could use up to 45% less water compared with liquid soap.

Additionally, as less water is required for rinsing, there are also savings to be made in energy use and CO2 emissions. Additionally, as foam soap is eight times more spreadable than the lotion soap, less product is used.

Interestingly, using less product does not equate to less efficacy; research shows that there is no significant difference in the cleaning ability between 0.7ml of Deb foam soap compared to 1.1ml of the lotion soap, confirming that the same efficacy is delivered from foam with less product.

Are there any other benefits to using a foam soap?

Yes, because chemicals are not needed to thicken the soap (the lather is created by adding air) foam soaps biodegrade more easily, protecting the natural environment.

Finally, using a foam hand wash translates to more washes in the same amount of packaging. In fact, you get a third more washes meaning that the cartridge has to be replaced less often, which ultimately saves time and money.

Contact: Deborah Freeman MCIPR – PR Manager
Email: deborah.freeman@deb.co.uk
Web: www.debgroup.com
Tel: +44 (0)1773 855134