A glimpse into the sustainability and recycling industry for hygiene paper.

Deforestation is one of the main environmental problems and less than half of all global wood harvest is used to make paper. Despite efforts to reduce consumption, increase awareness of the importance of afforestation and bring about a revolution in the extensive use of paper, not much is being seen in terms of results. One of the paper products industry’s largest segment is the bathroom tissue and paper towel industry – also part of the awayfrom- home market. Bathroom tissue and paper towels once used, cannot be reused.

While they may be recyclable, the potential for replenishing what has been lost is minimal. Moreover, what cannot be recycling contributes a considerable amount to the mountains of landfills across the earth’s surface. The solution is the introduction of recycled paper inhygiene paper. The purchase of tissue and towels containing 100 per cent recycled material and as much postconsumer waste as possible can reduce the impact of short-lived items. In fact, it has been reported that the use of postconsumer fibers reduces the impact on landfills by saving 3.3 cubic yards of space for every tonne of paper that is rechanneled.

Most toilet paper available today for the away-from-home market includes most, if not all, recycled content. While the percentage of pre and post consumer recycled content in bathroom tissue can vary by brand and supplier, the good news is that, whether pre or post consumer material, the use of recycled fiber keeps it out of the landfill.

With the UAE being official named as the Host City of Expo 2020, the focus on the UAE, – and Middle East in general - the surge in the number of tourists visiting the country is bound to increase in line with the Government’s efforts in advertising the country as a luxury safe haven. Clean Middle East speaks with two companies that specialise in the away-from-home hygiene paper market on their best practices when it comes to tissues and sustainability.

“It is very important that we know the origin of the fibres we use to manufacture our products.” - Tom Marshall, Sales Manager- Middle East, SCA

SCA is a sustainability leader across the world; it is at the heart of everything we do and we have been ranked among the world´s most ethical companies by Ethisphere Institute. In addition, SCA is a leader in the household product sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Tom Marshall, Sales Manager, SCA talks about the company’s vision for sustainability in the hygiene paper market.

Tell us about the important of hygiene paper in the washroom. What is your opinion on the current market for hygiene paper and ecofriendly products in the UAE and the Middle East?

Good quality paper is essential for a hygienic and comfortable washroom experience. The paper towel has been proven to be the most hygienic and efficient method of hand drying and its importance to infection control goes far beyond the washroom itself.

Here in the Middle East consumption, and unfortunately wastage, of tissue paper is extremely high. There is a widely held misconception that low cost paper is economical; however, the poor absorption and efficacy of such tissues merely increases consumption, causes pipe blockages and could have a higher impact on the environment. Eco-friendly products are commonplace in most mature markets. As the UAE continues to expand, we are now seeing a growing movement within purchasing to encourage procurement of goods and services with a reduced environmental impact. Take Green Globe for example, the global certification for sustainable tourism now has members in 40 countries with 31 hotels in Dubai alone.

Using products like Tork, which carry industry-recognized certifications like EU Ecolabel not only reduce cost and environmental impact but can help businesses gain points towards their own green certifications. SCA has built a market-leading position by educating customers about the benefits of using products and systems that are sustainable and hygienic and which ultimately reduce in-use cost.

Where do you source your raw material from? How is your company working towards ecofriendliness and sustainability in hygiene paper - through the manufacturing process or in the end product?

It is very important that we know the origin of the fibres we use to manufacture our products. SCA is Europe’s largest private forest owner and all our forests are certified according to FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC™ (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). Our strong Global Supplier Standard and Wood Sourcing Policy define our requirements on fibre raw materials, and we run a comprehensive supplier assessment system to secure all fibres used come from responsibly managed forests. Our manufacturing sites have quality and environmental management systems in place to work against our ambitious environmental targets like the reduction of CO2 emissions or water efficiency.

Why is recycling of hygiene paper and the use of recycled paper important?

Recycling plays an important part in a sustainable paper lifecycle. Globally around 50 per cent of all fibers used in our tissue products come from recycled paper, available in many grades. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that the recycling process is, in itself, environmentally sound. Ask, for example, whether the de-inking and cleaning processes involved are sustainable. Has the recycled material been transported and handled in a way that minimizes environmental impact? Once we answer this, we will be able to take better care of the environment.

“It’s best to start with a product that has no or limited impact on the environment.” - Taimoor Khan, Director-Sales, SR Enterprises

A company set apart by the fact that it has a fully sustainable product for the hygiene paper market, Caboo is quite a frontrunner in away-fromhome- market. Caboo products are made of the by-product of bamboo and sugar cane and serves the earth better by reducing on landfills and the cost of recycling.

How important is paper in Washroom Hygiene?

Paper is very important in washrooms, as it assists in the reduction of germs being dispersed through the washroom that is usually seen through the use of hot air dryers. Research at Queensland University, Australia, found that paper towels ‘reduced the number of all types of bacteria on the hands’, while hot air dryers were not so effective in removing bacteria from washed hands. The report went on to mention that from a hygiene viewpoint, paper towels are superior to electronic air dryers. With just 10 seconds of drying with a single serve towel, the residual water on the hands can be reduced to just 4 per cent and dropped to just 1 per cent with 15 seconds of drying. Air dryers required 45 seconds to reduce the residual water to 3 per cent. The bottom line is that paper towels can generally achieve 90 per cent or more dryness with normal use.

What is your opinion on the current market for hygiene paper in the UAE and the Middle East? How does it fare in terms of eco-friendly products?

There is a broad market of companies offering washroom paper products in the Middle East. Most are consumer-based and use products procured from forests. The market of Eco-friendly products is slowly growing leading up to the Expo 2020, and our company has recognised this working towards bringing several other brands of sustainable products to the market. This includes commercial cleaning products and ethical products that will hopefully support the Middle East’s drive on being more sustainable.

Why is sustainability in hygiene paper so important?

According to National Geographic, 27,000 trees are cut down globally to produce the world’s toilet paper daily. Knowing the importance of trees for the conversion of harmful carbon dioxide into oxygen, this would equate to more than 9.8 million trees a year. The use of Bamboo and Sugar cane in tissue is far more sustainable as they can be re-harvested within one to two years, that’s compared to trees, which can take 30 years.

What about the recycling of hygiene paper and the use of recycled paper?

Recycling is obviously very important in reducing landfill and also reducing the amount of trees that need to be used in toilet paper manufacturing. Obviously it is quite difficult to recycle washroom paper so it’s best to start with a product that has no or limited impact on the environment.

How is your company working towards eco-friendliness and sustainability?

Our products are developed from Panda Friendly Bamboo and Sugarcane, which has already had its sugar contents removed, and is therefore a by-product. Strict standards are enforced during our manufacturing process and reviewed so we are able to proudly have our products labelled with the ISO and Non-GMO product labels. The exclusion of dangerous bleaches and chemicals used in toilet paper manufacturing, allows us to boast that we are earth-friendly, drainfriendly and economically friendly. Being treeless and chemical free, we are proud to say we are 100 per cent sustainable.