Sustainability efforts in buildings and public facilities typically focus on energy use, water efficiency, and plastics reduction. Far less attention is given to everyday consumables, despite their cumulative environmental and financial impact. One such area is liquid soap usage in commercial and institutional settings.
Most facilities do not have accurate data on how much soap is actually consumed. As a result, procurement decisions are often based on estimates rather than evidence. To avoid shortages, managers frequently over-order supplies, leading to excess inventory held in storage. Liquid soap products have limited shelf lives—often between one and three years—and unused stock can expire before it is needed. When this occurs, the product is discarded, creating avoidable waste and additional cost.
Excess inventory also requires storage space, handling, and administration, all of which contribute to ongoing operational and environmental overheads. While these impacts may appear minor in isolation, they scale significantly across large facilities portfolios such as hospitals, schools, transport hubs, and commercial buildings.
Advances in Internet of Things (IoT) technology now make it possible to address this inefficiency. Smart dispenser monitoring systems provide real-time data on soap usage by location and time, enabling facilities teams to align purchasing with actual demand. This shifts procurement from precautionary over-supply to measured, data-informed ordering.
Solutions such as those developed by Mezrit demonstrate how improved visibility can reduce expired stock, minimise waste, and lower unnecessary manufacturing and transport impacts.
Addressing sustainability does not always require large-scale change. In many cases, meaningful gains come from correcting routine operational blind spots using better information and practical technology.
