CWS Hygiene launches 2025/26 “We Care” Responsibility Report
Dreieich, Germany, 18 September 2026 – CWS Hygiene has published its 2025/26 Responsibility Report, titled “We Care”. The report shows how responsible hygiene is becoming part of everyday business across Europe: through circular services, product refurbishment, more sustainable product solutions, operational improvements, workplace safety and stronger ESG transparency.
At the centre of this year’s report is the circular service model of CWS Hygiene, built around use, service and reuse. Depending on the product, this includes regular collection, cleaning, maintenance, repair and refurbishment. In 2025, CWS Hygiene refurbished 28,658 dispensers, 70 per cent more than in the previous year. At specialised centres in Germany, the Netherlands and Croatia, used dispensers are inspected, cleaned, repaired and prepared for further use.
Circularity in everyday service
The report highlights how CWS Hygiene is working to keep products in use for longer and use materials more deliberately. One example is the PureLine EcoBlack range, introduced in 2025. Depending on the model and technical requirements, the dispensers contain up to 98 percent recycled material.
Reusable textile solutions are another important part of the circular service model. Cotton towel rolls, for example, can be washed many times and repaired where necessary, helping to reduce reliance on single-use alternatives.
More efficient operations behind the service model
Responsibility is also reflected in the operations that make the service model possible. CWS Hygiene operates 18 laundries across Europe, where reusable textiles are prepared for their next use. The report highlights investments in laundry modernisation, energy and water efficiency, logistics and fleet improvements.
In Leipzig, CWS Hygiene is modernising one of its key laundries with an investment of around 2.5 million euros. The new equipment is expected to save up to 150 tonnes of CO₂ per year. In Germany, newly planned service routes are reducing annual mileage by more than 260,000 kilometres.
Better data and stronger transparency
Another focus of the report is product-level environmental data. In 2025, CWS Hygiene worked with the consultancy Hedgehog to calculate the carbon footprint of five selected products, including towel rolls, soap dispensers and dust control mats. The calculations were carried out in accordance with ISO 14067 and are intended to support further product development as well as customer requests for more detailed environmental information.
In April 2026, CWS Hygiene also officially committed to the Science Based Targets initiative. The company is currently developing company-wide emission reduction targets and intends to submit them for validation by the end of 2026.
The report also covers progress in workplace safety, governance, certifications and external assessments. In 2025, CWS Hygiene received its first standalone EcoVadis assessment and earned a Bronze Medal with a score of 68 out of 100.
Responsibility in practice
“Responsibility is not a separate programme for us. It is part of how we design our services, run our laundries, manage products across their lifecycle and support customers every day,” says Gatien Gillon, CEO of CWS Hygiene. “The Responsibility Report shows how this ambition takes shape in practice at CWS Hygiene: through circular solutions, better product data, more efficient operations and progress on safety and governance. This helps us create the basis for hygiene solutions that are reliable today and fit for the future.”
The 2025/26 “We Care” Responsibility Report shows that responsible hygiene is created through many practical decisions across teams, countries and functions. From refurbishment and reusable solutions to better data, safety progress and operational improvements, CWS Hygiene continues to strengthen its contribution to cleaner, safer and healthier environments across Europe.
