Choosing commercial paper products comes down to three decisions: the format that fits your dispensers and footfall, the grade that suits the task, and the cost per use rather than the cost per case. Get those right and your washrooms, kitchens and workshops stay stocked with less waste, fewer refills and fewer complaints.

At Milne Chemicals we supply trade paper products across East Anglia, including Wymondham and Norwich, and including the Lucart range, to facilities teams, food producers, garages, farms and cleaning contractors. This guide sets out what we tell customers when they ask us what to buy.

The main types of trade paper products

Commercial paper is not one product. Each format exists because it solves a particular problem of footfall, hygiene or task.

• Toilet tissue. Conventional rolls suit low-traffic offices where staff refill often. Jumbo and mini jumbo rolls hold far more paper per dispenser for busy public or staff washrooms. Bulk pack (interleaved sheets) dispenses one sheet at a time, which controls consumption and keeps the paper enclosed.
• Hand towels. Folded towels (C-fold, Z-fold and interfold) are the traditional choice and work in simple cabinet dispensers. Roll towel systems dispense a measured length from an enclosed unit, which usually cuts over-use and reduces litter around the basin.
• Centrefeed rolls. Pulled from the middle of the roll, these are the workhorse of kitchens, food preparation areas and general cleaning. They suit wall-mounted or free-standing dispensers and are quick to change.
• Industrial wiping rolls. Heavier, stronger paper for workshops, garages, print rooms and agricultural use where oil, grease and solvents are involved. Normally supplied on a floor stand or wall bracket.
• Hygiene rolls. Used for couch covering in treatment rooms, first aid rooms and some food and laboratory settings.

Match the paper to the dispenser

The most common buying mistake we see is ordering paper by description rather than by dispenser. Jumbo rolls come in different core and roll diameters. Folded towels differ in dimensions between manufacturers. Roll towel systems are often designed around a specific roll.

Before you order, check:

• The make and model of every dispenser on site, and whether it is a proprietary system.
• Core size and maximum roll diameter the housing will accept.
• Whether the towel fold you are buying matches the dispenser mouth.
• Whether you want to standardise on one dispenser type across the site, which simplifies ordering and stock holding.

If you are refitting, buy the dispensers and the paper together. We can advise on compatible pairings and supply both from our paper products range.

Grade, ply and material

Paper is described by ply (number of layers), the pulp it is made from and its finish. Virgin pulp tissue is generally brighter and softer. Recycled tissue has a lower environmental footprint and is the choice of many public sector and corporate buyers with sustainability targets. Embossing adds bulk and absorbency without adding ply.

For trade buyers the practical rule is simple. Use the softest, highest-ply tissue in customer-facing or staff washrooms where perception matters. Use strong, absorbent and economical paper where the job is wiping, drying or spill control. Do not pay for softness in a workshop and do not economise on quality in a reception washroom.

Absorbency, wet strength and sheet dimensions vary by product and manufacturer. Always take them from the manufacturer’s specification sheet, which we can supply for anything we sell.

Cost per use, not cost per case

Two cases of hand towels can look similar on a quote and perform very differently in service. The figures that matter are the sheet count, the roll length and how many pulls a user takes per visit.

To compare fairly:

• Take the total number of sheets or total metres per case from the specification sheet.
• Divide the case cost by that figure to get a cost per sheet or per metre.
• Factor in the dispenser. Controlled roll towel and bulk pack systems typically reduce the number of sheets taken per visit compared with open stacks or free-spinning rolls.
• Count refills. Larger rolls mean fewer visits by cleaning staff and less run-out, which is a real labour cost even if it never appears on the paper invoice.
• Allow for storage and delivery. Paper is bulky, so a format that halves your refill frequency also reduces how often you need to find room for a pallet.

This is the same reasoning we apply to our concentrated cleaning chemicals, where the product that costs more per container is usually the cheaper one per litre of working solution. With paper, the equivalent is cost per pull, and it is where most savings sit.

What the law expects

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide suitable washing facilities including a means of drying, and the HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L24 sets out what that means in practice. You can read the HSE guidance at hse.gov.uk.

Food businesses have an additional duty under retained Regulation (EC) 852/2004 to provide hand-washing facilities with materials for cleaning hands and for hygienic drying. The Food Standards Agency explains these requirements at food.gov.uk. Single-use paper towels in an enclosed dispenser are the simplest way to meet that duty in a food production or catering environment.

Paper is only half the washroom

Paper products run alongside soap, sanitiser, toilet cleaner, descaler and surface cleaner. Those chemicals fall under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and every employer using them must have a suitable assessment in place.

We provide free COSHH assessments for many of the products we sell, along with staff training in safe and efficient use and bespoke on-site cleaning procedures. If you are reviewing your washroom supplies, it is a good moment to review the chemicals and paperwork too. See our washroom and kitchen supplies and our free COSHH assessment service.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy jumbo rolls or conventional toilet rolls?

Jumbo and mini jumbo rolls suit washrooms with steady or heavy use because they hold much more paper per dispenser and run out less often. Conventional rolls suit small offices where refilling is easy and dispensers are basic. The deciding factors are footfall and how often someone can check the washroom.

Are paper hand towels better than air dryers?

Both meet the legal requirement for a means of drying. Paper towels are single-use, need no electrical installation and are the usual choice in food and healthcare settings. They do create waste and need refilling, so the right answer depends on your site and footfall.

Can I use centrefeed rolls in a food preparation area?

Centrefeed is widely used in kitchens and food production for hand drying and surface wiping, dispensed from an enclosed unit. Check the manufacturer’s specification for the particular product and your own food safety management system before you standardise on it.

Can you supply dispensers as well as refills?

Yes. We supply dispensers and compatible paper together, and we can source products to order if you need a particular format or brand. Samples are available so you can trial a product in your own dispensers before committing to a pallet.

Get a quote

Tell us your dispenser types, your footfall and what you are using today, and we will quote the right paper at a fair cost per use. Delivery is free on orders over 50 pounds across East Anglia, we aim to despatch within two days, and samples are available on request. Call us on 01953 607093, option 2, or contact us online.