The British supermarket chain Morrisons is upgrading its customer restrooms nationwide. With new facilities for men, the company aims to reduce feelings of embarrassment and promote inclusion in everyday life.
Morrisons is the first major British grocery retailer to equip all of its approximately 500 stores with hygiene bins in men’s restrooms. This is reported by “Express.” In doing so, the company is implementing the guidelines of “The Bog Standard” initiative across the board.
The program by the phs Group and Prostate Cancer UK allows affected men to discreetly dispose of sanitary pads, a facility that has been almost entirely absent from public men’s restrooms until now.
Sanitary bins in restrooms aim to reduce feelings of shame
This innovation addresses the needs of men who suffer from incontinence, for example after prostate surgery.
Nick Ridgman, Head of Support Services at Prostate Cancer UK, says: “Many men need sanitary bins to dispose of their used pads discreetly and hygienically—yet these bins are often missing from men’s restrooms. This causes stress and feelings of shame and prevents men from going out, going to work, or pursuing their hobbies.”
There is also a similar campaign in Germany
- The German campaign: Under the name “Hygiene Bins in Men’s Restrooms” the Federal Association for Prostate Cancer Self-Help (BPS) is calling for trash cans in men’s restrooms nationwide to allow those affected to dispose of incontinence pads discreetly.
- Legal requirement in the workplace: There is already a regulation in place for the workplace. The Workplace Regulation ASR A4.1 stipulates that, if necessary, at least one men’s restroom in a business must be equipped with a waste receptacle with a lid.
- Lack of standards in public spaces: Unlike in the workplace, there is no legal requirement for public spaces (restaurants, retail, train stations).
A nationwide standard is still lacking in this country.
- High number of unreported cases: In Germany, an estimated five million men are affected by urinary incontinence—mostly as a result of cancer surgery. Out of embarrassment, many of them avoid public places without the appropriate restroom facilities.
- First steps forward: Some municipalities, government agencies, and universities are now voluntarily retrofitting their men’s restrooms and marking them with special stickers on the stall doors.
