International Day of Forest Vector Illustration.

Sofidel, a global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, shares four tips for operating a more sustainable restroom in honor of International Day of Forests. Taking place on March 21, International Day of Forests encourages everyone to engage in sustainable activities that help the health of forests.

“Forests are a vital aspect of our ecosystem and must be protected,” says Fabio Vitali, vice president of Marketing, Sofidel. “By following best practices for sustainable cleaning and using restroom products that limit waste, organizations can help limit their impact on the environment.”

Four tips for operating a more sustainable restroom include:

1. Consider adding automatic dispensers. Some automatic dispensers are specially designed to help facilities save costs and reduce waste by curbing the amount of paper towel restroom guests use. The dispensers accomplish this by allowing facility managers to customize the length of towels.

2. Choose restroom products made from renewable sources and/or recycled materials. Using recycled plastics, rather than producing new plastic materials, significantly minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. There are restroom products made from plastic waste that are also incredibly durable, like paper towel and toilet paper dispensers.

3. Limit water consumption. Choose toilets that help minimize water waste during the flushing process. Options include dual-flush toilets, like WaterSense toilets that meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifications and low-flow toilets.

4. Use sustainable products. There are several third-party certification groups, including Green Seal, that objectively evaluate products to ensure they have been sustainably produced. Using certified products can help businesses reduce CO2 emissions, volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution and organochloride pollution.

Recently, Sofidel was recognized in the Leadership band of the CDP Supplier Engagement Rating Report 2021 for its supplier engagement in the fight against climate change. The company has also been invited to participate in the CDP Europe Awards for its fight against deforestation. On top of these certifications, Sofidel is one of the first companies to participate in the “Forests Forward” initiative by WWF to consolidate the timber procurement policy.