WATER - 18.08.2011

Do foam soaps clean up?

Water, water, everywhere

Government policy over the last few years has tended to focus on energy and carbon emissions. Unsurprisingly, soaring fuel prices have encouraged businesses to focus their minds on getting their consumption down and devising strategies to manage their carbon footprint. But the consumption of water has largely gone under the radar. But that could soon change.

Why?

Population expansion, economic growth and lifestyle changes will see UK water use increase by up to 35% by 2050, according to the nvironment Agency (EA). And prices will go up too. The water regulator, OFWAT, says that water bills for both commercial and domestic customers will rise by between 4% and 8% this year, depending on where you are located - and it is a trend that will continue throughout the next decade, especially given the fact that the European EA considers the UK to be a water-stressed country.

Handwash savings

According to new research, one way to reduce your water use is to use alternative soaps. Independent studies carried out by research body McCallum Layton show that water consumption during hand-washing can be reduced by between 16% and 45% by simply using foam soaps rather than traditional liquids or lotions (see The next step).

Tip. Foam soap products are available from most major supermarkets, DIY stores and other high-street retailers. These products cost about the same as other soaps.

How do these work?

Foam soaps use a special formula liquid soap which when mixed with air increases in volume by ten times, providing an instant lather for hand-washing.

Why does it require less water?

The study asked 150 people to dirty their hands and then wash them. Those using the lotion soaps used an average of 1,758ml of water with the tap turned on for 21.8 seconds. Those using foam used 1,475ml of water with the tap on for 19.7 seconds - a 16% water saving.

How much water can be saved?

If you have 100 staff washing their hands an average of three times during the working day, foam soaps could save almost 20,000 litres of water a year. Even if you have far fewer members of staff, the water savings could still be substantial.

Will you save money?

Obviously by using less water, you’ll make savings on your water bill. However, the savings don’t stop there. In addition, you could make savings on your energy bills. Why is this? Because water used to wash hands is usually hot. So if you’re using less, you’ll need to heat less.

For a link to the soap survey, visit http://environment.indicator.co.uk(EN 06.03.03).