ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Ramona Shellard, sales director at WEPA Professional UK, discusses why a systems-based approach is the best approach for compliant washroom environments.

ESG IS A MAJOR FORCE shaping Europe’s facility management sector, but in the washroom, progress is still too often measured by product swaps rather than performance.

Across Europe, governments and organisations are tightening environmental expectations, placing increased pressure on businesses to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions, minimise waste, and demonstrate measurable ESG progress. Buildings contribute to over one-third of global energy demand, and while much of the focus sits on energy systems and construction materials, the operational choices made inside those buildings carry significant environmental consequences, and the washroom is no exception.

Sustainability in the washroom is often framed around product choice. Recycled paper, eco-labelled dispensers or air jet dryers are frequently presented as the sole solution. These choices are important, but when treated in isolation, they cannot deliver meaningful long-term impact.

Lasting sustainability progress is only achieved when products, infrastructure, and user behaviour are considered together as part of a complete system. A systems-based approach enables organisations to reduce resource consumption in practice while supporting ESG goals. Otherwise, sustainability remains a short-term procurement exercise rather than sustained operational performance.

Even the most responsibly sourced hygiene paper cannot fulfil its environmental promise if the wider system allows waste to occur. In high-traffic environments, unrestricted dispensing often leads to users taking more paper than necessary. At the same time, cleaning teams frequently replace rolls prematurely to prevent outages and complaints.

These behaviours systematically undermine the environmental benefits of recycled and alternative fibre hygiene papers. If dispensing and servicing are not engineered to control use, overconsumption increases, waste volumes are inflated, and environmental gains remain limited.

A systems-based approach corrects this by aligning infrastructure with real-world user behaviour. When dispensing regulates output and maintenance practices prioritise full product utilisation, waste is reduced at the source rather than corrected retrospectively.

Managing resource use through smarter washroom design

Scale makes this issue significant, national demand in the UK alone equates to 5.7 million trees annually, enough to cover more than 14,000 football pitches. Across large commercial estates, healthcare settings, education facilities and public venues, that demand compounds quickly. At this scale, washroom design is not a minor detail, it becomes a strategic lever for managing both consumption and operational performance.

Across large commercial estates, healthcare settings, education facilities and public venues, demand compounds quickly. At this scale, washroom design is not a minor detail, it becomes a strategic lever for managing both consumption and operational performance.

User behaviour in the washroom is shaped far more by design than by intention. Most users are not consciously thinking about environmental impact. Instead, they respond to what is accessible, visible and reliable. If dispensers are unreliable or frequently empty, people naturally compensate by taking more than they need. By contrast, controlled dispensing mechanisms and consistent product availability help to reduce unnecessary consumption. When users trust that paper, soap or towels will be dispensed in controlled portions, they are less likely to overuse.

This is where controlled dosage systems are redefining best practice. By delivering regulated portions and extending refill intervals compared with traditional manual dispensers, they reduce waste while easing servicing demands. This contributes directly to environmental performance and strengthens operational reliability.

Smart monitoring systems further enhance performance through real-time inventory tracking. By ensuring consumables are replenished only when necessary, overuse is minimised, and unnecessary servicing trips are reduced. The shift from reactive restocking to data-led planning embeds efficiency into the system itself rather than relying on individual behaviour.

Importantly, this approach also contributes to the social dimension of ESG goals. Reduced manual handling and fewer emergency call-outs help ease physical strain and time pressure for frontline cleaning teams. With 71per cent of facilities managers citing sustainable procurement as a key operational priority, there is growing demand for solutions that combine environmental responsibility with measurable operational value.

When embedded within a coordinated washroom strategy, dispensing control, smart monitoring and user-centred design operate as a single system. The outcome is measurable improvement across environmental impact, service efficiency and workforce conditions, achieved through integrated system design rather than isolated product substitution.

What a systems-based approach looks like in practice

A true systems-based washroom strategy brings every element together into one coordinated model. Paper selection and dispensing systems must reflect both environmental credentials and actual traffic demands. High-traffic environments require high-capacity dispensing formats to reduce refills and prevent waste, while lower-use spaces benefit from right-sized systems that avoid overconsumption.

Fibre choice is equally important, with recycled or alternative materials helping to reduce 
environmental impact without compromising performance. Packaging forms part of the same decision, where reduced plastic and recyclable materials lower overall waste volumes.

Meanwhile, dispensers must regulate consumption and support hygienic use. Controlled, refillable dispensers for paper, soap and sanitiser are central to the approach. These systems regulate consumption at source and support consistent hygiene standards.

A systems-based approach also relies on dependable supplier support. Consistent delivery, practical training and access to accurate reporting enable facilities teams to maintain standards. Crucially, monitoring and reporting mechanisms must sit alongside these operational decisions. Without measurement, progress cannot be demonstrated. Facilities managers are increasingly required to justify procurement decisions through data, and isolated product swaps do not provide that evidence. Monitoring consumption, refill rates and waste levels ensures that sustainability is evidenced in day-to-day operations, not just annual reports.

This is why supplier partnership is central. When fibre choice, dispensing, servicing and measurement are aligned, sustainability becomes embedded in performance and delivers measurable ESG outcomes.

Reinforcing credibility and accountability

As sustainability expectations grow, credibility matters. Seventy-six per cent of procurement leaders say regulatory compliance is now a primary driver for sustainability initiatives in their organisations. To meet these goals, facilities teams must look beyond surface-level claims and prioritise independently verified certifications, from responsible fibre sourcing to broader lifecycle frameworks such as Cradle to Cradle, to assure that environmental commitments are substantiated.

Transparent sustainability reporting is equally important, particularly as ESG frameworks place greater scrutiny on supply chain transparency and performance data. Data-backed reductions carry far more weight than isolated product swaps ever will, strengthening both compliance and long-term credibility. Facilities managers are being asked to prove that sustainability initiatives are operationally embedded, and a systems-based washroom strategy provides that foundation.

Delivering lasting impact through a system-based approach

Sustainable washrooms are more than the products they contain - they are defined by how the entire system functions. True impact comes when product choice, dispensing systems, servicing practices and user behaviour are aligned to reduce waste and lower the environmental footprint.

By shifting focus from individual products to integrated management, organisations can achieve measurable reductions in resource use while supporting operational efficiency and ESG commitments. When designed as systems rather than collections of consumables, washrooms shift from a compliance consideration to a measurable driver of environmental performance.