increasing demand for hand sanitiser

The arrival of COVID-19 in 2020 resulted in increased sales of many products within the homecare and household industry. The drive by governments across the world intended to encourage citizens to keep clean and sanitised homes and workspaces created a market boom that is only just subsiding.

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The sharp upwards spike in sales of disinfectant is now in decline as people return to their pre-COVID routines and have adjusted to COVID as a regular part of life. A study by Information Resources, Inc. found that the sales of household cleaners fell 11.8% to $4.4 billion by the 22nd of February 2022. Sales of all-purpose cleaners fell by nearly 20% and sales of household cleaning cloths fell by nearly 26%.

Drop in Homecare and Household Product Sales

This drop in sales can be attributed to the fall of demand, which was partially mandated by government requirements on cleaning surfaces and equipment between uses.

With decreasing sales companies may find that they are keen to waste less product to combat the loss of profit that they are currently experiencing. If you work for a company that processes liquids and this is the current situation for you, then you should consider pipeline product recovery (pigging) as a means of recovering product and saving money.

How pigging helps companies post-COVID

As the world adjusts to life with COVID-19 companies are less likely to be under government orders to clean every surface between uses. Many people have decreased their use of cleaning and sanitising products as the urgency to sanitise frequently that was associated with lockdown has all but disappeared.

Lower Consumption

People have also become more aware of the amount of plastic that they’re consuming. DIY methods of cleaning are becoming more popular, although they aren’t usually as effective as commercially produced cleaning products. As people seek to reduce their consumption of plastic and chemicals, the homecare and household products industry is feeling the effects.

Product Recovery

One way to offset profit loss is product recovery. Hygienic and sanitary pigging systems enable companies to recoup up to 99.5% of product that can be packaged and sold. By pushing a projectile (the pig) that’s slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe through the line, product that otherwise would have been flushed out and sent to waste is able to be sent for further processing or packaging.

Although the specific amount of product that can be recovered is dependent upon different factors, such as pipe size, length, and the viscosity of the product, it is usually a significant amount.

High ROI

Pigging systems are a worthy investment to make for your company. Product recovery systems have a high ROI and typically pay for themselves within 12 months.

To calculate just how much money you could be saving, HPS have a pigging system savings calculator that will show you just how much money you could be saving in a year. Our savings calculator will consider things like pipe diameter, pipe length, product value and product viscosity. It also considers additional costs, such as labour costs, water costs, and cleaning chemical costs.

Pigging System Savings Calculator

When well-maintained and carefully looked after, an HPS pigging system can last for decades – our oldest system, installed over 28 years ago, is still in use!

Reduced Use of Chemicals and Water

Pigging systems can recover a significant amount of product. The unique design of the HPS pig means that it can recover up to 99.5% of product from a full pipeline.

Because only trace amounts of product are left in the pipeline, the quantity of chemicals and water required for cleaning during changeovers decreases significantly. The quantity of chemicals required, which manufacturers can find difficult to measure without a pigging system, becomes easier to judge. Similarly, water quantities required for cleaning are easier to measure.

Depending on the type of pigging system that you have installed, the measuring of chemicals and water can become incredibly precise. Rather than erring on the side of caution and using more chemicals than necessary to ensure cleanliness and hygiene levels are high, you’ll be able to use exactly what is needed.

ESG Investing Standards

Many companies are focused on changing their packaging to more sustainable materials, such as recycled plastic, metal, or paper. But sustainability isn’t just about the packaging. It’s about the product as well.

ESG Investing goals are an important feature of company standards. By investing in a product recovery system, you will be helping ensure that your company policies are in line with safeguarding the environment.

How Pigging Helps the Environment

Investing in a pigging system will have an incredibly positive impact on your corporate environmental rating. Pigging systems reduce water usage, chemical usage, product waste, and carbon emissions.

Take action and voluntarily install a system that will have a positive impact on the environment. It’s a sure-fire way to improve your company’s sustainability ratings.

Find Out More

HPS are an experienced product recovery solutions company with more than 2000 systems installed worldwide. We can guide you through the process of purchasing a pigging system, with our team of experts recommending the system best suited to you and our dedicated customer service team available to you long after the system is installed.

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