Tork, an Essity brand and the global leader in professional hygiene, has launched the Tork Coalition for Inclusive Hygiene whose mission is to explore how hygiene in public restrooms, often the busiest space in a facility, can be improved for the majority of users. Through the coalition, Tork continues its journey to understand the barriers people face in public restrooms and how to drive inclusive hygiene so everyone can have comfortable access to public restrooms​.

The coalition is comprised of a group of experts and advocates who are passionate about finding solutions to the hygiene barriers that people face in public restrooms. The founding members include:

• Dr. Steven Soifer, Co-Founder and Treasurer, American Restroom Association (ARA), and Adjunct Professor at Adelphi University.

• Dan Rocker, LCSW and President, International Paruresis Association (IPA), an organization dedicated to raising awareness and providing support for individuals who experience social anxiety related to urination, commonly known as “shy bladder syndrome.”

• Lee Moreau, Founder & Director of Other Tomorrows, an experience design and strategy consultancy, and Professor of Practice, Design at Northeastern University.

Together with Tork, the coalition will help raise awareness of the need to bring inclusive hygiene to public restrooms and develop resources that businesses and facilities can put into action in their restrooms. Tork has over 50 years of experience in the design and development of restroom products, recently receiving the world’s first Design for All certification for its dispenser development process.

“The Tork Coalition for Inclusive Hygiene is the beginning of a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing what is a pervasive public health risk impacting millions,” says Amy Bellcourt, VP of Communications for Essity. “Research* shows that 44% of people feel anxious about using public restrooms when leaving their homes, and often plan their days, travel and lives around ensuring they have access to proper hygiene in public restrooms. This limits their experiences and can result in them not returning to a restaurant or avoiding purchasing food and drinks at an event due to fear of not finding a restroom that meets their needs.”

Tork recently surveyed more than 6000 individuals in five countries and found that 44% of all respondents plan their travel routes to ensure they have access to public restrooms; 38% avoid eating or drinking while they are away from home to limit their use of public restrooms; 26% avoid a social event because of concerns around access to public restrooms; and 1 in 6 people have left a job because of a poor restroom. This data sheds a light on the scale of the issue and its impact on businesses, their visitors, customers and employees.

“This isn’t just about convenience; it’s a challenge affecting our society, businesses and the economy,” Bellcourt continued. “While the Americans with Disabilities Act has been pivotal in addressing some of these issues, our research shows there’s still so much more to be done. That’s why Tork is bringing together an expert group of individuals to advance an issue that often gets overlooked because many feel uncomfortable talking about it.”

“The public restroom experience is fraught with difficulty for so many people because broader awareness of the inherent challenges people face in restrooms is so low, and only known by people who regularly experience them,” Dr. Steven Soifer added. “I’m honored to be part of the very coalition that is working to get people talking about public restrooms, and I’m excited to help educate people and provide them with the guidance they need to create more inclusive hygiene in their public restrooms.”

The Coalition for Inclusive Hygiene was born out of a Tork led roundtable discussion that took place in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2024, where Tork – in partnership with the Global Handwashing Partnership – convened experts and leading voices representing public and private organizations to discuss the many barriers that impact how people experience public restrooms. The roundtable revealed how poor hygiene usability in public restrooms affects a surprising portion of the population and emphasized the need for greater awareness and education on the issue.