Aramark Facilities Management will be converting hand soap and sanitizer dispensers at client accounts in the United States to use eco-friendly refills developed by its 'Nexa Concentrates' partnership with Ecolab.
Most soap and sanitizer dispenser systems use ready-to-use (RTU) product in thin, non-recyclable, single use plastic (SUP) bags.
If these bags are empty or getting low on product, they are thrown out and replaced by a new bag by custodians as they service restrooms and common areas.
[A]bout 15 to 20 per cent of soap and sanitizer product is wasted when bags are discarded during service
Custodians must make a decision on whether the soap or sanitizer will last until another service.
This results in either the product running out while guests are trying to use it—or in the bag being thrown out while still containing product.
“We calculate that about 15 to 20 per cent of soap and sanitizer product is wasted when bags are discarded during service,” says Donald Pyles, Vice President, Program Development and Innovation at Aramark Facilities Management. “We looked for and found a solution that helps us reduce waste and takes the guesswork out of our associates’ daily routines at the same time.”
The Aramark Facilities Management team will begin the conversion of all hand soap and sanitizer dispensers to a unique hand hygiene program that features concentrated product and refillable cartridges rather than the traditional disposable bags.
Aramark and Ecolab have been in joint development of the new Nexa Hand Care system as part of a wider 'Nexa Concentrates' program that has undergone extensive product development and testing at a prominent Aramark university account during the last year.
According to Aramark, a single two-liter bag of concentrate can supply enough product to fill twenty-six 750 milliliter cartridges.
“Cartridges are filled for service and placed on custodians’ carts so they have what they need for their cleaning duties that day,” explains Pyles. “When they service the dispensers, a used cartridge gets replaced with a full one—and the custodian will put the used cartridge back on their cart.” The used cartridges are then topped off with new product for the next service.
In addition to reducing product waste, the new Nexa Hand Care system will reduce single-use plastics (SUP) packaging waste by an estimated 90 per cent.
The Nexa Hand Care conversion is a good example of Aramark’s drive to embed circularity throughout operations.
Ecolab is providing equipment, as well as employees to help change over the dispensers and provide training to Aramark managers, with the conversion to the Nexa Hand Care system expected to be finalized by or before the end of 2023.
“We put a strategy in place to make sure the conversion process goes effectively,” says Pyles. “Existing inventory won’t be thrown away.
Existing inventory won’t be thrown away. We will convert all but a few of the old dispensers at an account
We will convert all but a few of the old dispensers at an account and use the product that has already been purchased.”
