'Together we can become more sustainable'

Reduce your environmental impact with hygiene products

Saving time and therefore money and reducing your environmental impact. Sounds good, right? With Tork's cleaning products, you instantly increase productivity in your workplaces and reduce CO2 emissions. Not only are Tork's products as sustainable as possible; with the entire production process, the company aims to minimize its environmental impact.

"Not everyone has something to do with the subject of sustainability, but every company needs to work more sustainably and report on it. We implement this in all our products, because sustainability is in our DNA," said Mayke Groenendaal, Customer Marketing Activation Manager Benelux at Tork. "Our systems are aimed at reducing waste and consumption. With sheet-by-sheet dispensing and the location of dispensers, less is consumed, but we also contribute by paying attention to the origin of materials. In addition, we help companies with transparency and reporting. We explain to our customers what is expected of them and how they can improve their processes."

Prevent waste

Among other industrial hygiene products, Tork provides Tork Performance® dispensers. These are easy to position, allowing them to be mounted where they are needed. Operators on the shop floor then don't have to waste time on unnecessary work interruptions to grab cleaning cloths. The dispensers come in different sizes and with various mounting options. Groenendaal: "Productivity and sustainability go hand in hand for us. This is also reflected here. If personnel within the industry have to grab cleaning cloths that are further away, they immediately grab a whole hand to save time. That's according to Tork's 2019 survey of machine operators. Our dispensers can be placed in the right place, reducing waste at the production facility. Thus, operators have to move around less often and unnecessarily and time and money is saved immediately."

Inspire others

The cleaning cloths for use in the dispensers are supplied by Tork in compressed packaging, meaning that more products fit in one package and thus less packaging material is needed. "And where we do use plastic, we make sure it is recyclable as much as possible," Groenendaal said. The consumption of cleaning cloths is reduced by the dispensing and quality of the products. After all, you only need one of a good cleaning cloth. As a result, less solvents are also immediately consumed. "As Tork, we can't do it alone. For example, we have a series of bio-based nonwoven cloths. If solvent producers look for sustainable solutions for their product, the cloths will soon be completely biodegradable. So it is up to the entire chain to bring about change. By adapting our products, we hope to inspire other manufacturers in their sustainability role. In addition, we work with suppliers who meet certain conditions."

Recycling paper towels

Delivering sustainable products is one thing, but customers also ask for advice and additional services. Tork provides these too, such as the Tork PaperCircle®: the world's first recycling service for paper towels. The service helps meet sustainability goals by reducing waste by some 20%. "In addition, we also collectively reduce CO2 emissions for paper towels by up to 40%. "* The service is available in the Netherlands, as well as in other countries. The towels are collected separately within the company, the recycling partner picks them up and brings them to the local Essity plant, where they are recycled. Just goes to show that we as Tork cannot do it alone. We offer initiatives, but we need the whole circle of people working in the industry," Groenendaal said.

*Calculated CO2 savings per month for an average office with 800 employees. Estimate based on third-party verified life cycle analysis for average EU conditions, taking into account avoided processes due to alternative use of fresh fiber and energy. Potential savings in kg CO2e is calculated based on the result of the life cycle analysis and the collected weight reported to Tork. Estimate should not be used for carbon footprint calculations or reporting purposes.