Is tissue paper being overlooked?

TISSUE PAPER products - including paper towels for hand drying, cleaning wipes, medical and hygiene rolls, toilet tissue, as well as facial tissues, pocket tissues, and napkins for personal hygiene - play a central role in supporting these standards. Widely used across professional cleaning, facilities management, healthcare, and everyday personal use, these products offer a practical and effective way to maintain hygiene while reducing the risk of cross-contamination.

Often overlooked in broader sustainability and procurement debates, tissue products sit at the intersection of hygiene performance, operational efficiency, and environmental responsibility.

To better understand the full value of the sector, a recent European socioeconomic impact study, carried out by Steward Redqueen, provides new, data-driven insights into its contribution across economic, environmental, and social dimensions.

Its findings reinforce a clear message: tissue products are not simply consumables - they are an essential component of modern hygiene systems.

Hygiene first: performance in high-traffic environments

In professional cleaning environments, hygiene solutions must deliver on three key criteria: effectiveness, reliability, and ease of use.

Tissue products are designed with these requirements in mind. In high-traffic settings such as airports, hospitals, schools, and office buildings, single-use paper towels and wipes help minimise shared contact points and eliminate reuse - significantly reducing the risk of cross-contamination.

This is particularly important in washroom hygiene and surface cleaning, where consistent performance is critical. Paper towels, for example, provide immediate and effective hand drying while supporting infection control protocols, especially in healthcare and food preparation environments.

The link between hygiene practices and public health outcomes is increasingly supported by data. Exploratory findings from the study indicate that improved hygiene practices - such as replacing air dryers with paper towels in public washrooms - could help prevent up to 9.8 million flu infections annually, while generating approximately €1.47 billion in productivity gains through reduced absenteeism.

For cleaning professionals and facility managers, this highlights the importance of selecting hygiene solutions that perform reliably under real-world conditions - not just in theory.

Practical solutions for cleaning professionals

One of the defining strengths of tissue products is their adaptability across a wide range of cleaning applications.

From high-capacity hand towel dispensers in busy washrooms to disposable wipes used in healthcare settings, tissue-based solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly into cleaning workflows. Their role extends across:

• Washroom hygiene (hand drying and toilet tissue)
• Surface cleaning (disposable wipes for infection control)
• Food preparation environments (quick, hygienic clean-up)
• Healthcare settings (single-use products supporting strict hygiene protocols).

For cleaning teams, these products offer clear operational advantages:

• Ease of use for staff and end-users
• Controlled dispensing to minimise waste
• Reduced handling and cross-contamination risks
• Consistent performance across environments.

This combination of practicality and hygiene performance makes tissue products a dependable choice in demanding, high-use environments.

Economic impact: supporting resilient supply and local economies

Alongside their hygiene role, tissue products are supported by a strong and locally embedded European industry.

The study shows that the tissue sector supports 421,100 jobs across the value chain, spanning manufacturing, forestry, logistics, engineering, and services. This reflects a highly interconnected ecosystem, where each job supports multiple roles across related sectors.

The industry generates €19.7 billion in annual sales and contributes €36.6 billion in value added to the European economy, underlining its scale and importance. Notably, €0.91 of every €1 spent remains within Europe, demonstrating the sector’s strong local footprint and contribution to supply chain resilience.

In addition, the industry contributes approximately €16.4 billion annually in tax revenues, supporting public services and infrastructure.

For cleaning and facilities management professionals, this translates into reliable product availability, consistent quality, and stable supply chains - key factors in maintaining uninterrupted hygiene standards.

Environmental performance: delivering sustainability in practice

Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration in cleaning operations, and tissue products are often part of this discussion.

The study highlights that tissue production in Europe is based on renewable, certified wood fibre sourced from responsibly managed forests, alongside recycled materials where appropriate. This ensures both performance and responsible resource use.

Manufacturing processes also demonstrate strong circularity. Approximately 92% of process water is reused, significantly reducing water consumption, while production residues are recovered and used to generate biomass energy.

The sector is also making progress in reducing emissions. Across the wider pulp and paper industry, 62% of energy comes from renewable biomass, and 95.7% of electricity is generated through high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) systems.

Importantly, environmental performance must be assessed across the full lifecycle. In many professional cleaning contexts, tissue products offer a balance of hygiene effectiveness and environmental efficiency - particularly when considering water use, energy consumption, and operational practicality.

Social value: supporting hygiene, health, and productivity

Tissue products play a direct role in supporting public health and everyday hygiene across Europe.

Used daily in workplaces, healthcare environments, and public facilities, they help reduce the spread of infections and support safe, shared spaces. Their role extends beyond hygiene alone - contributing to productivity, wellbeing, and confidence in public environments.

The study highlights the strong connection between hygiene and economic resilience. By reducing illness and absenteeism, effective hygiene practices contribute directly to workforce productivity and operational continuity.

In addition, the sector supports long-term employment across regions, contributing to social cohesion and economic stability.

Informing better hygiene decisions

As hygiene standards continue to evolve, cleaning professionals are increasingly required to balance performance, efficiency, and sustainability.

The findings of the study carried out by Steward Redqueen provide a valuable evidence base to support these decisions - highlighting the need to consider hygiene effectiveness, environmental impact, and operational realities together.

A reliable partner in modern hygiene systems

In high-traffic and hygiene-critical environments, consistency and reliability are essential.

Tissue products continue to provide a practical, effective, and scalable solution - supporting cleaning professionals in maintaining high standards across a wide range of applications.

Backed by a strong European industry and supported by robust data, their role is clear: tissue paper remains a trusted and essential component of modern hygiene systems.

Carlos Reinoso is director general at the European Tissue Symposium (ETS)

For more information, visit https://europeantissue.com/exploratory-socio-economic-study/