Essity around the world – October 2025

Colombia - Nosotras, Essity’s leading period care brand in several countries in Latin America, celebrated its 50^th anniversary with a debut catwalk at Colombiamoda 2025 in Medellin. The “Shine Without Fear” show promoted empowerment, diversity, and authentic beauty, featuring models of all sizes and backgrounds, live music, and a strong message of self-confidence. This event reinforced Nosotras’ leadership position in period care in Colombia and its commitment to social transformation, innovation, and educational outreach across Latin America.

Mexico - 400 kilometers east of Mexico City, Essity’s Uruapan plant is celebrating 50 years. With its modern production lines, supplying hygiene paper products to Mexico, Latin America, and beyond. The site stands out as a leader in innovation, sustainability, and economic development. It operates with cogeneration, producing electricity and steam for its processes. The plant also recycles 66% of the water utilized in fiber deinking¹, with 92% of this recycled water going back into production. The plant employs about 500 people and supports community education programs.

Austria - Essity celebrated two major milestones at its Ortmann manufacturing plant: Cosy toilet paper is 70-year-old, ZEWA toilet paper and hankies 65-year-old, both symbols of high-quality hygiene products and sustainability in Austria. The brands have pioneered eco-friendly packaging, with Cosy and Zewa using 70% recycled plastic. These efforts support Essity’s ambitious environmental targets.

Record breaking - Tork, Essity’s world leading brand in professional hygiene, has achieved a significant milestone with an estimated 1.2 billion people in 2024 traveling through buildings that use Tork Vision Cleaning (TVC), including five of the world’s busiest airports. TVC utilizes real-time data to optimize restroom cleaning operations, while ensuring that hygiene and customer satisfaction are prioritized. This data driven solution delivers a 91% reduction in dispenser checks, improves hygiene and reduces complaints for facility managers worldwide, reinforcing Tork’s innovation leadership.

^{1 Deinking: an industrial process that involves removing printing ink from used paper so that it can be recycled into hygiene paper products such as toilet paper or hankies.}

Italy - Essity was recognized by Legambiente, the most important environmental association in the country, as a leader in ecological transition, thanks to its sustainable production at its three plants in Tuscany: Altopascio, Porcari and Collodi. Key initiatives include the ReEnergy cogeneration system cutting NOx emissions by 60%, solar power utilization, rainwater reuse, and circular economy projects incorporating agri-food by-products in paper making or transforming paper waste into construction bricks.

Costa Rica - Essity and the "Yo Puedo y Vos" Foundation launched a campaign to promote labor inclusion of young people with disabilities. Through sales of Saba period care products, funds are raised to build a free digital training platform, empowering hundreds of youths for the workforce. The initiative breaks down technological and social barriers, fostering real inclusion and raising awareness about diversity and accessibility.

Colombia - Essity received the Environmental Award from the Cundimarca region for achieving 100% recovery of paper sludge at its Cajicá plant located north of Bogota, eliminating landfill disposal and reducing the plant’s carbon footprint by 28% in one year. The project exemplifies circular economy innovation, with sludge repurposed for composting, construction, and energy. This achievement supports Essity’s global sustainability goals and highlights its leadership in responsible industry practices.

Scotland - At a European roundtable hosted by Tork, in Edinburgh on October 2^nd, Essity urged businesses to prioritise inclusive hygiene in public washrooms. Research revealed that only 1 in 5 public washrooms meet users’ expectations, with poor hygiene leading to lost customers and employees, negative reviews and reduced revenue for business owners. Through its Tork brand, Essity is leading efforts to remove visible and invisible barriers, making public spaces more comfortable for the majority of users. Inclusive hygiene is not just a social responsibility, it is essential for business reputation and performance.

Europe & World - Essity was honored with two prestigious awards: ranked among “Europe’s Top 5 Diversity Leaders 2026” by the Financial Times and named a “2025 Impact Sourcing Top Global Champion” by WEConnect International. These recognitions reflect Essity’s deep commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), both internally and across its supply chain, demonstrating that DEI is a strategic business asset driving innovation and resilience.

Brazil - For the fifth time, Essity was named amongst the best companies to work for by Great Place to Work in several categories including gender diversity, health and mental health. Based on confidential employee feedback and good management practices, this recognition highlights Essity’s ongoing commitment to employee well-being and diversity, with a people-centered strategy that fosters a healthy, inclusive, and inspiring work environment. In addition, Essity is amongst the Top 75 companies in the country to receive an award from “Equidade BR 2025 Index” for its inclusive policies and practices.

France - Essity launched a Pink October campaign to raise awareness about lymphedema, a condition affecting nearly 20% of women treated for breast cancer². While this condition significantly impacts patients’ daily lives, it remains little known. The initiative informs law makers about the crucial link between lymphedema and post-cancer recovery, emphasizing the importance of compression products to improve patients’ quality of life.

Sweden - Essity co-hosted a seminar in Sweden with parliamentarians, civil society, and experts to address menstrual health gaps in education and healthcare. The event highlighted that among high school students who have their period 22% stay home and miss school every time they bleed. This underscores the urgent need for better support, product access, and rights-based policy recommendations to advance menstrual health and gender equality. This seminar led to a political proposal to improve girls’ menstrual health, which has been submitted to the Parliament’s Committee on Social Affairs and will be reviewed in November 2025.

USA & Canada - Early October, in Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio and Quebec, Essity welcomed over 200 high school students to four North American manufacturing sites for Careers in Manufacturing Day. The event offered hands-on learning, guided tours, and Q&A sessions with Essity engineers, technicians and leadership teams, strengthening community ties and highlighting the importance of skilled trades in the company and the broader economy.

^{2 S. Vignes. Lymphœdèmes secondaires des membres. La Presse Médicale Formation. 2023. Volume 4, Issue 4, Pages 330-338.}