The Hidden Environmental Impact
Every product and service has a carbon footprint—the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by its production, transport, use, and disposal. Understanding where these emissions come from helps identify reduction opportunities.
Sources of Emissions in Hygiene Services
Product Manufacture
The production of hygiene products generates emissions:
Paper Products
Chemicals (Soaps, Cleaners)
Plastics (Dispensers, Containers)
Transport and Logistics
Getting products to customers involves:
Supply Chain Transport
Service Delivery
Use Phase
Some products have emissions during use:
End of Life
Disposal creates emissions:
Comparing Product Options
Different products have very different footprints:
Paper Towels vs Hand Dryers
This is often debated:
Paper Towels
Modern Efficient Hand Dryers
Studies vary in their conclusions. Efficient, low-energy dryers in areas with clean electricity grids tend to have lower lifetime emissions than paper towels. But paper towels from recycled materials, disposed of through composting, can compete.
Virgin vs Recycled Paper
Recycled paper typically has:
Concentrated vs Ready-to-Use Products
Concentrated products:
Reducing Your Hygiene Carbon Footprint
Product Selection
Choose products with lower embodied carbon:
Efficient Service Delivery
Work with providers who optimise logistics:
Extend Product Lifecycles
Disposal Optimisation
Doves' Carbon Reduction Efforts
We're working to reduce the carbon footprint of our services:
Vehicle Fleet: Transitioning to electric and hybrid vehicles
Route Optimisation: Software-based route planning reduces mileage
Product Selection: Prioritising lower-carbon products
Waste Handling: Working with disposal partners on recycling and composting
Measurement: Tracking our emissions to identify reduction opportunities
We can provide carbon footprint information for our services to clients seeking this data for their own environmental reporting.
Taking Action
If reducing your hygiene-related emissions is important to you:
Contact us on 01480 210999 to discuss lower-carbon options for your hygiene services.