How education estates can hit sustainability targets through smarter hygiene strategies
As the education sector faces mounting pressure to meet sustainability and net-zero goals, hygiene procurement is emerging as an impactful, but often overlooked, opportunity for driving real change. Ramona Shellard, sales director at WEPA Professional UK, outlines how facilities and estates teams within education settings can reframe hygiene as a strategic tool to drive sustainability, while still maintaining performance.
From daily purchasing decisions to long-term supplier strategies, schools, colleges, and universities are beginning to reframe hygiene as a practical enabler of environmental progress.
Recent data from WEPA Professional UK, based on a survey of 250 education facilities professionals, reveals how much this shift is currently underway and where progress is being held back. The findings show how schools and colleges are navigating increased pressure to reduce their environmental impact, while balancing tighter budgets and rising hygiene standards and expectations.
Study findings for tailoring strategies with an impact
Our new research reveals that while the education sector is united across sustainability ambitions, the priorities, barriers, and behaviours differ significantly across institutions. This underlines the importance of a tailored approach to hygiene procurement to meet sustainability goals effectively.
More than 80% of education estates already have a formal sustainability strategy in place, and a further 10% say one is in development. This marks a sector-wide shift from ambition to action, with sustainability now embedded into many procurement decisions sector wide. Yet, the path to implementation isn’t consistent. For example, while 90% of primary schools report that they have clear sustainability policies or targets in place, just 38% of Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) say the same, reflecting the complexity of balancing budgets, procurement and consistency across multiple sites.
The data also highlights the importance of procurement cycles, with 50% of facilities managers reviewing their hygiene suppliers or products every 6-11 months, showing that most estates operate on a predictable procurement schedule aligned with school terms. Primary schools are the most agile, reviewing their cycles most frequently, with 55% reviewing 6-11 months, while MATs review the least often, with 38% reassessing every 2-3 years. The longer cycles here reflect the scale of centralised planning and contracting, preventing less reactive strategies, highlighted in only 3% of respondents saying they only review products in response to issues or price changes.
Together, these findings highlight that while sustainability is on the agenda for nearly all educational institutions, implementation is influenced by size, structure and procurement culture. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work, so hygiene solutions must be tailored to suit each education setting.
How sustainable hygiene fits with ESG requirements
As education estates face increasing expectations around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, hygiene is emerging as a practical way to support all three pillars, with minimal disruption and measurable results.
Switching to low-emission products like Miscanthus-based paper offers a route to Scope 3 carbon reductions, which is often the most challenging area for universities and MATs to influence. As part of broader net-zero planning, these alternative hygiene solutions also come with verified certifications such as the EU Ecolabel, which demonstrate lower water and energy consumption in the manufacturing processes.
Beyond these benefits, high-quality and reliable washroom facilities also support student and staff wellbeing and contribute to inclusive education environments and accessible facilities, helping meet both social and governance objectives within ESG frameworks. For educational settings striving to deliver equitable environments for students and staff alike, these changes matter.
Challenging perception against performance
Hygiene decisions made across educational estates must carefully balance multiple, often competing priorities: cost-efficiency, product performance, supply reliability and environmental impact. Despite progress, outdated perceptions of sustainable hygiene solutions remain a barrier to achieving net-zero goals, with many facilities teams still associating ‘eco-friendly’ with ‘low quality’ – especially when a product feels or looks unfamiliar. According to our data, 88% of facilities and procurement managers cite performance concerns as the number one barrier to adopting more sustainable hygiene options.
This disconnect between perceived performance and proven capability limits adoption and is the biggest barrier to sustainable hygiene for institutions. In reality, modern sustainable hygiene systems offer consistent performance, reduced lifetime cost and reliability for busy education environments due to fewer refills and improved stock.
Rethinking sustainable hygiene with reliable innovations
Sustainable hygiene is no longer a compromise for educational settings. Performance and sustainability can now go hand-in-hand, even in high-pressure areas such as universities and colleges.
One standout innovation is using Miscanthus grass as the fibre for hygiene paper. This is a fast-growing, low-input crop, offering a renewable alternative to traditional wood pulp and significantly reducing the carbon footprint without compromising quality. It requires no fertiliser, minimal water, and regenerates annually, making it a highly sustainable raw material. When used in paper production, it results in a low-emission and high-quality hygiene solution suitable for education settings.
Similarly, refillable dispensing systems are an emerging game changer for schools of all sizes. These systems support circular practices by reducing single-use plastic and minimising waste, a key priority for many schools.
Together, these solutions demonstrate that performance and sustainability can co-exist while offering long-term value and a reduced environmental footprint.
Using hygiene solutions that work harder for you
From student wellbeing to long-term cost savings, sustainable hygiene is more than a tick-box exercise - it’s a strategic enabler in delivering education outcomes and net-zero targets.
By challenging outdated perceptions and adopting proven, reliable innovations like recycled fibre or Miscanthus-based paper and refillable dispensing systems, educational institutions can align procurement practices with broader ESG priorities and deliver measurable impact in their sustainability journey.
Tailored, scalable and high-performing solutions already exist. With the right hygiene solutions and approach, educational institutions can move from ambition to action with confidence in reducing their environmental impact for the long term.
Methodology
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 18+ junior/middle/senior managers and director-level respondents who work in educational facilities. The data was collected between 14.05.2025 - 19.05.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.