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Environment

Active nature conservation thanks to cotton  

CWS cotton towels are not only good for your hands. The environment also benefits from reusable products. After use, the rolls are washed to the highest hygiene standards and thus dry countless hands throughout their lives.   

Stoffhandtuchrolle mit Blättern

An approx. 35 m long roll of cotton towel 

  • delivers approx. 110 towel portions,   
  • is washed up to 100 times   
  • and can be used to dry hands up to 11,000 times.   

One cotton towel roll replaces up to 22,000 paper towels during its life cycle.1 About 90% of old rolls are reused as raw material for cleaning rags and mops.   

Environmental study praises cotton towel rolls   

Everyone can protect the environment, everywhere - even in the toilet: by choosing the cotton towel roll instead of paper. This is shown in a scientific study2 commissioned by Wirtschaftsverband Textil Service e.V. (WIRTEX) and the European Textile Service Association (ETSA).   

Cotton towel rolls produce 95% less waste than new fiber paper. Compared to recycled paper, fabric rolls generate 95.4% less waste. In other words, about 20 times less each time.  

Waste Cotton vs Paper
Energy demand Cotton vs Paper

Cotton towel rolls consume 48% less energy than virgin fiber paper. Compared to recycled paper, it is 40% less.  

 

Cotton towel rolls have a 29% lower global warming potential than paper made from virgin fibers. Compared to recycled paper, it is even 43% less.   

Global warming potential Cotton vs Paper

Air pollution, summer smog formation, water consumption, soil acidification, and eutrophication potential were also compared.  

In total, the cotton towel system achieves better environmental values than recycled paper for seven of the eight indicators studied, and then paper from virgin fibers for six of the eight indicators. For the study, not only the cultivation and production of the raw materials were recorded, but also the use and reprocessing, as well as the disposal or recycling of the three hand drying materials.   

'Der Blaue Engel' awards our certificates   

The CWS cotton towel rolls of all dispenser lines have been awarded the renowned 'Blaue Engel'3 environmental label according to RAL-UZ 77. Because CWS cotton towel rolls protect resources, reduce waste and pollute less water.  

Blauer Engel Zertifikat
Textiles Vertrauen Zertifikat

In addition, CWS cotton towel rolls are certified according to Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 and classified in product class 2 (products with skin contact). The assessment of the Oeko-Tex® certificate reads: the more intensive the skin contact with the product, the more stringently the requirements for the human ecological quality of the textile must be met. 

1 Based on approx. 100 washing cycles of a "CWS Slim roll", which delivers around 110 portions per clean roll, assuming a use of 2 simple paper towels of medium type and quality per hand drying.

2 Source: LCA of mechanical hand-drying systems: A comparison of cotton and paper towels, thinkstep 2016.

Blaue Engel: Applies to the national companies CWS-boco Deutschland GmbH, CWS-boco BeLux N.V., CWS Nederland B.V., CWS-boco Suisse SA, CWS-boco Ireland Ltd.