Hygiene poverty remains a growing issue in the UK, with the number of people experiencing it now at 9 million[4], a number that has tripled over the last year[5]. Unilever and In Kind Direct are evolving their on-going donations campaign in Tesco by partnering with Kimberly-Clark, Essity and Haleon.
The inclusion of three new suppliers means an increase in the breadth of products that can be donated to people that are unable to afford basic hygiene essentials like shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, and period products.
The campaign’s aim is to distribute over 1 million personal care items from household brands including Radox, Sure, Persil, Andrex, Bodyform and Aquafresh, using the scale of the largest supermarket, Tesco, and In Kind Direct’s network of over 6,000 charitable organisations.
From 23rd August to 3rd October, all four manufacturers – Unilever, Kimberley Clark, Essity and Haleon – will donate one product to In Kind Direct for every two selected products purchased in-store or online by Tesco shoppers. In Kind Direct will then distribute the donated products to their network of over 6,000 charitable organisations that are the frontline support for people within their local communities and reach 365,000 people every week.
Many people cannot afford everyday products that help them feel clean. In the UK, 480,000[6] women admit to having to make their own period products because they can’t afford to buy them. There is also a stigma associated with hygiene poverty, which can negatively impact people experiencing it. Despite this, research shows fewer than a third of people have heard of the term hygiene poverty[7].
To amplify awareness of the campaign, in-store activations are going live in 700 Tesco stores across the UK. Aside from regionally bespoke store radio, eye-catching gondola ends will feature In Kind Direct’s teal and orange branding, displaying all products included in the campaign, encouraging shoppers to pick up the participating products in-store. As well as showing the campaign details, the displays will include additional information about the scale of the problem in the UK to help educate shoppers. Digital advertising will also raise awareness online and encourage shoppers to participate in the campaign whilst doing their online shopping.
Organisations looking to help reduce hygiene poverty can contact donations@inkinddirect.org.
Chris Barron, general manager for personal care UK&I at Unilever, said: “We’re really pleased to be welcoming new manufacturers to join our on-going donations campaign with In Kind Direct and Tesco. Working together with our peers means we will be able to reach the next one million donations milestone faster and ensure a much wider variation of essential hygiene products reaches In Kind Direct and their network of charities.”
Tom Lye, Category Director Health, Beauty and Wellness at Tesco said: “We recognise the importance of challenging the stigma of hygiene poverty, particularly when so many people are struggling to get the essential items they need. We’re really pleased to be able to support this incredibly important campaign in our stores.”
Rosanne Gray, CEO at In Kind Direct said: “Making tough choices every day between food, life essentials, rent is the reality for far too many people in the UK today. It is going to take the whole sector to come together to support change so that everyone has access to life’s essentials. We are delighted that the leadership of Unilever has catalysed the launch of this cross-supplier campaign and we look forward to working with these new partners, so that together we can make a difference in communities across the UK”.
Monica Michalopoulou, GB&I marketing director at Haleon said: “This is an incredibly important initiative, and we are proud to support it. We want to empower people to practice self-care so more people can achieve better everyday health, and a key part of this involves improving the availability of and access to healthcare solutions. By working together with industry and other manufacturers, we hope to play a part in reducing hygiene poverty and driving better health inclusivity in the UK.”
Dan Howell, managing firector UK & Ireland at Kimberly-Clark said: “Following 25 years of collaboration, we’re excited to support the expansion of this campaign with In Kind Direct. In addition to our annual donation of 1 million Andrex toilet rolls, we aim to bring essential hygiene products to even more communities. This initiative showcases the meaningful impact that brands can achieve when working together towards a common goal. Our collaboration will help enhance people’s lives in need, and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
Lee Doherty, VP consumer goods UKI & EMEA at Essity, said: “Essity has been donating 1.2m period products per year to In Kind Direct since 2017, and last year we committed to donate a million toilet rolls per year too. Supporting communities to ensure the most vulnerable people have access to the hygiene products they need is a responsibility we take seriously, so we didn’t hesitate to collaborate with our peers and Tesco in the battle against hygiene poverty.”
