1) The move to foam hand cleansers and other foaming hygiene and skin care products in the institutional market place. This movement has been driven primarily by two factors. One is the concept of cost-per-use savings, since foam hand cleanser dispensers typically dispense 50% less product per push than a traditional liquid soap dispenser. Another driving factor is the cosmetic appeal of these products – their feel, foam and fragrance.
2) Continuing emphasis or focus on green-certified products. This trend is especially relevant in the institutional marketplace where many school bids as well as other government bids now mandate Green Seal or Eco Logo approval on the products specified in the bid. Moreover, as the trend to green-certified products matures, we expect to see the emergence of more holistic approaches to product development centered on long-term environmental sustainability.
3) A growing awareness of and concern about hygiene and skin wellness. Based on feedback getting from the marketplace, there's questions arising from two key areas of concern: 1) the proper use of antibacterial hand cleansers and sanitizers; and 2) the types of chemicals and solvents that are used in industrial hand cleansers and industrial hand wipes.