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The Restroom: An unsung hero of green and clean

Mike Kapalko, Sustainability Marketing Manager, SCA Tissue North America

Q: That's an interesting podcast title. Can you explain how the restroom can be an unsung hero?
A: Today nearly every operation is making some effort to reduce its footprint and run more efficiently. Whether it's driven by sustainability efforts or a focus on reducing costs, it really doesn't matter. The fact is the world is embracing the concept and starting to make big strides toward more sustainable operations and innovations. There is also a growing understanding of the intrinsic connection of the triple bottom line approach — people, planet, and profit — and how you cannot ignore one of the aspects without impacting the others. I would argue that the restroom is not only often overlooked, but more importantly, the perfect small scale lab to test your sustainability efforts.

Q: So how important is the restroom and what are the risks of overlooking it?
Whether you are talking about a school, office, manufacturing facility, sports stadium, airport, restaurant, movie theater, or hospital, they all have a common denominator and that is the restroom. Looking from a triple bottom line perspective, the restroom has a cost to effectively operate it, there are choices in buying decisions with different environmental impacts, and it is one of the first and easiest ways to help keep people healthy. Ignoring it can undermine your entire sustainability efforts across the organization or even the organization itself. In restaurants for example, our latest research released in mid-October, showed that more than 80% of adults would avoid a restaurant with unclean restrooms. In our 2011 Tork Report we share how half of people who have a negative experience in an unclean restroom with friends and family, and nearly half said they would avoid places that they had a bad experience in or heard about from others. In today's online world, bad news travels fast and far.

Q: How can the restroom fit into a facility's sustainability efforts?
From the sustainability side, the topic of green cleaning and sustainable purchasing can be developed or tested and rolled out to the larger organization. Choosing responsible options that are non-toxic, have high levels of recycled content, and are independently certified demonstrates the effectiveness and builds acceptance. Dispensing systems that reduce waste and usage help lower costs of procurement and disposal, which holds true for the chemicals and the paper products. And you are providing the proper tools people need to wash their hands, one of the most effective and easiest ways to keep people healthy. There are other aspects that are overlooked — dusty air vents, lights left on the entire day regardless of if the room is occupied, water puddles on the floor or counters, overflowing trash bins, dripping faucets or leaking soap — all connote an overlooked or ignored aspect of an organization's image and commitment to health and sustainability mindfulness.

Q: You've talked about how a restroom can help with green efforts. What about the clean side of things?
Specifically with the restroom and a focus on hand hygiene, often we see a huge gap in addressing the health aspect of the triple bottom line. Aside from a restaurant where they are usually required to post one by code, how many times do you walk in restroom and see a sign reminding you to wash your hands? How many people experience training or discussions about the importance of hand hygiene in keeping healthy? Usually not many, and it wouldn't be an issue if people habit's weren't so horrible. When asked, 40% of US adults and over 50% of Canadians said sometimes they skip using soap when washing their hands. Nearly 25% of people don't wash their hands when they cough or sneeze and 60% of students don't wash their hands before eating in the cafeteria. And we touch 300 different surfaces every half hour. There are a lot of other studies out there that show when people are self reporting, the actual habit is less. That's pretty scary and easy to see why "a bug" will quickly race through an office, classroom, or home.

Q: Why is it important to combine your green and clean efforts? People have to focus on the triple bottom line because you cannot ignore one aspect and make substantial progress. Even if you are a company focusing on sustainability for the cost savings, why wouldn't you take the extra steps to address health and hygiene? Employees will be sick less often, which can reduce the increase in insurance plan rates or simply you'll have employees at work more and being more productive. Students will be in class more, increasing funding, and in the class learning which helps with the testing levels. It just makes sense. So don't ignore the restroom in your sustainability efforts, use it to test if you are being effective and consistent. If you haven't started a major effort it is a great place to start making simple changes and then roll out in wider and wider circles.
Good restrooms are good for the planet, good for people, and good for business.