Bailing on bulkfill benefits business and the planet

Businesses across the world are facing increasing pressure to improve the sustainability of their operations, but with budgets to balance and higher cleaning and hygiene expectations from staff and customers to handle, implementing the right soap and sanitiser dispensers can be a valuable step forward. What’s more, the commercial implications and risks of an ineffective and wasteful hand hygiene strategy could be catastrophic for both your reputation and finances.

In this article, the experts at Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) take a closer look at investing in dispensers that are not only durable but also use hygienically sealed refills that can help businesses cut costs, save time, and reduce waste. They also explain how upgrading washroom soap dispensers at Durban University of Technology (DUT) saw them achieve significant cost savings, reduced wastage, improved efficiency, and better cost in use.

Abandon the bulk-fill

You might assume that all hand hygiene is created equal and that opting for bulk refills is the answer to protecting your bottom line. But with more applications per refill resulting in better cost in use, choosing soap and sanitiser dispensers that use concentrated dosing rather than bulk refills also mean less product, and money, poured down the drain. Simply by opting for dispensers that provided more concentrated dosing through hygienically sealed refills, DUT reported cost savings of 40 percent, while still providing students and staff with quality hand hygiene. The team also found that with less people-handling required, they were able to improve efficiency. Additionally, moving away from bulkfill solutions also allowed them more control over wastage and resulted in better cost in use.

Not only is choosing hygienically sealed refills for your dispensers better for your bottom line, but they also have the advantage of keeping soap and sanitisers fresh and free from cross-contamination, unlike their bulk counterparts. One in four bulk-fill units has been shown to be contaminated with illness-causing bacteria. The implications of using contaminated dispensers for your facility’s reputation and the productivity of your staff should not be overlooked.

Buy better, waste less

When upgrading hand hygiene solutions, it may be tempting to opt for cheaper dispensers, but flimsy dispensers that don’t stand the test of time only stretch your budget, test your patience, and increase wastage. Choosing products designed to last longer and that can withstand frequent use over long periods of time, can reduce and control your costs and minimise unnecessary waste.

RCP’s hand hygiene range is available in multiple styles and capacities to provide an essential visible and robust solution, fit to tackle today’s hygiene challenges.