by Shane Henson — January 28, 2013—Facilities managers and procurement personnel who utilize Office Depot’s Web site to purchase janitorial supplies can now buy Cascades Tissue Group’s Antibacterial Paper Towel. According to the company, the offering makes Office Depot the first national retailer to sell this novel product, since its launch to the U.S. away-from-home market in October 2012.
The Cascades Antibacterial Paper Towel was developed to minimize hand contamination by killing more than 99.99 percent of harmful bacteria almost instantly, unlike ordinary paper towels, says the company, making it a must-have for FMs seeking to protect the health of building visitors.
As Cascades notes, since 80 percent of all infections are transmitted by hand, the lack of proper hand hygiene—namely inadequate hand washing and drying practices—continues to be a consistent, if not deadly, problem. The distinctly green-colored Cascades Antibacterial Paper Towel can fit anywhere, doesn’t require additional steps, and compensates for people’s imperfect hygiene habits without changing the way they wash or dry their hands. When placed in contact with wet hands, the towel releases Benzalkonium Chloride. This active ingredient has been used safely in common products such as gel sanitizers, baby wipes and antiseptic skin solutions since 1935, but is unique to dry paper towels, says Cascades.
Cascades says it performed several third-party laboratory tests to ensure the safety and efficacy on the Antibacterial Paper Towel. Microbiologists reported that the towel, when used after washing hands with soap and water, provides a more hygienic result versus alcohol-based gels and other hand sanitizers. While these other products kill bacteria and are useful when there is no water and soap available, they don’t remove the organic matter (grease, dirt, blood, etc.) often found on hands. First cleared by Health Canada, Cascades Tissue Group’s innovative paper product now also complies with the regulation and policies of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company says.
