Philadelphia and Tork Launch Hospitality Hub Restrooms to Expand Access to Hygiene During Philly250
As Philadelphia prepares to host one of the nation’s most historic celebrations, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and Tork, an Essity brand and the global leader in professional hygiene, unveiled a new Hospitality Hub in LOVE Park designed to help visitors feel welcome, comfortable and cared for during America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Through a multi-week partnership running June 10 through July 19, Tork is helping to bring four Hospitality Hub restrooms to life along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway—creating a connected network designed to support the millions of visitors expected for Philadelphia’s semi quincentennial celebration. Located in LOVE Park, Eakins Oval, Lemon Hill and Logan Square, these strategically placed hubs provide convenient access to restrooms and hydration stations while highlighting the important role inclusive hygiene plays in creating a welcoming, accessible visitor experience for all. The initiative will support major events across the city during the summer.
As the official professional hygiene provider for the Philly250 Hospitality Hubs and hydration stations, Tork is supplying certified Easy to use, high-capacity hygiene solutions designed for high-traffic environments. Products include the award winning Tork PeakServe® Continuous hand towel system, gentle to skin with no added fragrances or dyes Tork Extra Mild Hand Washing Foam Soap, Tork Alcohol-Free Foam Hand Sanitizer, Tork OptiServe® Coreless Toilet Paper and Tork Constant Air Freshener with odor eliminating technology.
“Philadelphia is preparing to welcome the world, and creating a positive visitor experience starts with making people feel safe, comfortable and included,” said Susan Slawson, Commissioner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. “These Hospitality Hubs and hydration stations are an important part of how we support residents and visitors throughout the summer of special events.”
The partnership builds ongoing efforts to remove barriers to hygiene in public restrooms. Research from Tork shows that 44% of people feel anxious about using public restrooms*, often shaping how they plan their daily activities and travel. These barriers can ultimately limit participation in public life and shared experiences.
“As Philadelphia prepares for the Philly250 celebration and a summer of major events, it’s important to recognize how access to inclusive hygiene can shape the visitor experience,” said Amy Bellcourt, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Professional Hygiene, Essity. “For many, access to a restroom can determine how long they stay, how comfortable they feel and whether they can fully participate in the festivities. Through this partnership, Tork is helping create more welcoming environments so people of all abilities can more easily take part in these experiences.”
Leaders from the city and Essity, maker of Tork products, officially welcomed visitors to the hubs with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, walk-through tours of the restroom trailers and demonstrations of the hygiene technologies being implemented throughout the Hospitality Hubs. SWOOP was on hand to assist Commissioner Susan Slawson from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation with the first handwash.
Philadelphia’s summer celebrations are expected to draw national and international attention throughout 2026, positioning the city’s Hospitality Hubs as a key part of the visitor experience infrastructure. The initiative builds on broader efforts across the city to expand inclusive hygiene, including recent restroom upgrades at Lincoln Financial Field.
For more information about Tork and its inclusive hygiene initiatives, visit Eliminating barriers to hygiene in restrooms and beyond.
*Tork Insight Survey 2024, conducted in US, UK, Germany, France and Mexico among 6000 end-users and 900 businesses
About Tork
The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissues, soap, napkins and wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they’re always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity and a committed partner to customers in more than 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit www.torkglobal.com/us/en/.
About Essity
Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2024, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 146bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com.
