How Advocacy, Inclusive Hygiene, & Innovation Will Shape the Future of Public Spaces

Research shows that almost one in three Americans face barriers to washing their hands in public restrooms and that 44% of people feel anxious about using public restrooms when leaving their homes, and often plan their days, travel, and lives around ensuring they have access to proper hygiene in public restrooms. This limits their experiences and can result in them not returning to a restaurant or avoiding purchasing food and drinks at an event due to fear of not finding a restroom that meets their needs. For those who face these barriers, it can be a true challenge.

This is a key issue that Matthew Urmanski, senior vice president of sales and marketing for North America at Essity, the parent company of the Tork brand, and the Tork team constantly consider.  

Urmanski stood before attendees at the 2025 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., and told a story not just about product innovation but also about empathy, accessibility, and advocacy that goes far beyond the typical cleaning topics. Urmanski spoke of the need for leading with purpose and removing barriers to inclusive hygiene.  

“I’m a finance guy by trade,” he began. “When I first joined the ISSA board of directors, I saw a six-figure line item in the budget titled ‘advocacy’ and thought, ‘What’s that for?’”

His curiosity turned into conviction after he joined his first Clean Advocacy Summit in 2024.

“I was blown away by the stories people shared,” Urmanski said. “I listened to a gentleman—a dreamer—talk to the director of the Department of Immigration about his journey to citizenship and how immigration policies impact the cleaning industry. That’s when it hit me. This is why we’re here: to advance the cleaning industry by listening to the challenges and opportunities our end-customers and the entire cleaning industry value chain face so that we can collectively voice our needs to the U.S. Congress.”

Listening with purpose

Urmanski’s message was clear: Real change comes from deep understanding, and understanding occurs when people are curious and actively listen. Whether it’s to lawmakers, business leaders, frontline workers, or families in your community—progress starts with understanding what people truly need.

“We didn’t show up at this event to pitch,” he said. “We’re here to listen, to learn what’s causing friction in your business and facilities, and to ask: ‘How can we help?’”

This customer-centric philosophy guides Essity’s approach to innovation. From achieving the world’s first Design for All standard certification on the development process for Tork dispensers to hand soaps that offer a unique formula that has a low impact on aquatic life and is gentle to the skin, Tork is working to redefine hygiene not just from a technical and functional perspective but as a deeply personal experience—considering the needs of all users.

“Imagine you had a child who is neurodivergent and gets overwhelmed by loud sounds such as an air dryer?” Urmanski asked. “What if you suffered from eczema and harsh soaps irritated your skin every time you wash your hands at work? These are the kinds of questions we have to ask. It’s about hygiene for all.”

Stories on every surface

At this year’s Summit, Tork announced the launch of the Coalition for Inclusive Hygiene, whose mission is to explore how hygiene in public restrooms, often the busiest space in a facility, can be improved for many users. The brand engaged with the attendees at a personal level by placing printed hand towels that conveyed stories from Americans facing barriers to hand hygiene in the event restrooms. One reads: “When you get to my age, my joints make using buttons and faucets a real struggle.” Another reads: “I have contamination OCD and am hypersensitive to dirty restrooms.” 

These messages, placed directly in the attendees’ hands, go beyond marketing. They’re reminders that hygiene is not one-size-fits-all and that the best place to be reminded is when you are washing your own hands.

“Our ambition is to create public restrooms that truly include everyone,” Urmanski said. “It’s not just about the products, but also about raising awareness for the need for more inclusive hygiene in public restrooms and developing tools that help those who own and manage public restrooms on how to achieve it.”

That philosophy also drives the partnership between Tork and ISSA on the Spotless Spaces Competition, a global program that recognizes public spaces committed to cleanliness, sustainability, and accessibility. The competition recognizes excellence in three categories:

• Tork Think Ahead Facility Excellence Award Winner:The in-house cleaning team for Gathering Place Public Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• S. Spotless Space of the Year Winner:The in-house cleaning team at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for the Archives and Virginia Square Metro Stations in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
• International Spotless Space of the Year Winner: Hygiene & Sanitization Services – Fiji LTD, the building service contractor for Labasa Hospital, Nadi Hospital, and CWM Hospital in Fiji.

Honoring excellence: Gathering Place

If you’ve never been to Gathering Place, you’re missing out on what may be the most innovative public park in America. Stretching across nearly 67 acres of the Tulsa riverfront, it’s not just a park—it’s a fully immersive, inclusive, and impeccably maintained community space designed for everyone.

Julio Badin, the executive director of Gathering Place, took the stage to accept the award with his team. “We’re a park for all,” he said. “And that means designing a space where everyone can have the same experience—not a separate experience.”

He shared the story of their seven-story towers—structures that are fully wheelchair accessible, not tucked off to the side, but integrated into the main experience. He described large restroom stalls for families, the use of no-fragrance cleaning products to ensure visitors with sensory sensitivities are not overwhelmed, and a team philosophy for excellence so that parents feel safe bringing young children inside. “We want to set a standard,” Badin said. “You should never fear using the restroom in a public park.”

Badin’s pride was evident, but he quickly credited his team. “Cleanliness permeates into the community,” he said. “When people see and feel that their space is cared for, they care for it too.”

One small table, one big impact

One of the most touching moments came when Badin described the newest park’s installation of an adult-sized changing table. “It might seem like a small thing,” he said, “but when my chief of staff told a visitor about it, they both started crying. They’d never had access to something like that.”

This is just one example of how Gathering Place has leaned into delivering inclusive hygiene to its guests—when a facility embraces the needs of a broader set of individuals—the emotional connection it creates is far greater, and that can lead to better business performance. This is exactly what Tork and ISSA aimed to recognize through the Spotless Spaces award. Hopefully, this story and that of the other winners inspire facilities to lean into inclusive hygiene.   

The big picture

As Urmanski wrapped up his remarks, he reflected on what it means to lead in this industry.

“You have choices,” he told the audience. “You chose to be here, to commit your time, to deal with travel headaches—and yes, maybe the cherry blossoms helped. But your presence here matters.”

He encouraged everyone to keep showing up, sharing their unique stories, and listening—not just for their benefit but for the future of cleaning and to progress sustainable, hygienic public spaces for all.

“Work hard,” he added. “Always be learning. And enjoy the people you’re with. That’s our mantra. That’s what this movement is all about.”

And whether you’re advocating on Capitol Hill or cleaning a restroom in your community, the message is unmistakable: Cleanliness is more than surface-deep—it’s about health, safety, and accessible spaces.