Metsä Group’s tissue paper business, Metsä Tissue, is pleased to announce that The Hygiene Bank has been chosen as the nominated charity for the 2025 Sustainability Awards.
As part of their 2025 Sustainability Awards event, to be held on 19th March 2025, Metsä Tissue has chosen to support The Hygiene Bank, a UK-registered charity dedicated to ensuring that everyone living in the UK has access to essential hygiene products.
The Hygiene Bank is a grassroots charity and social movement dedicated to providing hygiene essentials to those in need across the United Kingdom. Founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to basic hygiene products, The Hygiene Bank works tirelessly to address hygiene poverty and advocate for systemic change. Its network of local projects is powered by volunteers, who collect donated hygiene products and distribute them to people in need via local community partners such as food banks, schools and shelters.
The Hygiene Bank believes that everyone deserves to feel clean. They challenge the injustice of hygiene poverty and advocate for a future where everyone has access to the basics they need.
In 2024 hygiene poverty affects 4.2m adults in the UK, that is 8% of the total population. Since 20222, the cost-of-living crisis and the inflation crisis has pushed over 1m more people into hygiene poverty. Hygiene Poverty affects 17% of those who are unemployed, compared with 13% of those working part-time and 7% working full-time. Hygiene poverty disproportionally affects people with disabilities or long-term conditions (21%), those on lower income households (18%) and those from ethnic minorities (12%).
It is essential that we look to address this and help provide essential hygiene products.
“We are thrilled to have been chosen by Metsä Tissue to support The Hygiene Bank during the Sustainability Awards 2025. This partnership not only helps us provide the basic hygiene essentials to people pulled into hygiene poverty across the UK, but also highlights the power of unity in making a difference. Together, we can end hygiene poverty, once and for all.”
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank.
“Metsä Tissue has chosen The Hygiene Bank as our preferred Charity for the event because we know that access to good hygiene can promote health for everyone. The Hygiene Bank aims to ensure that everyone across the UK has access to everyday hygiene products, protecting their mental and physical health, and their social wellbeing. Its help for those in poverty, in particular women and children, is aligned with Metsä Tissue’s strategic social value goals where children’s charities are a priority.”
Mika Paljakka, SVP for UK & Ireland, Metsä Tissue
In addition to the funds raised at the 2025 Sustainability Awards ceremony, Metsä Tissue will be supporting The Hygiene Bank between now and March 18th 2025, and encouraging its customers and partners to do the same.
Donations will be taken at the event, but if you would like to make one before please contact Denise.Nee@metsagroup.com.
For more information about the important work of The Hygiene Bank, including the locations of its local projects and donation drop off points, visit www.thehygienebank.com.
