Morrisons Supermarket Bathroom Policy: New Rule Introduced Across 497 Stores

The Morrisons supermarket bathroom policy has developed into a broader accessibility programme rather than a single toilet change.

In March 2026, Morrisons announced that accessible toilets in its supermarkets had been upgraded to be stoma-friendly.

In May 2026, the retailer followed by installing male sanitary bins across its supermarkets and becoming the first UK supermarket to meet “The Bog Standard” guidelines.

For people living with a stoma, accessible toilets include a shelf for supplies, hooks for clothing or bags, a discreet disposal bin and a mirror for checking a stoma appliance.

For men living with urinary incontinence, the later rollout provides a suitable place to dispose of used continence products.

The scale is significant. An estimated1 in 335 people in the UK live with a stoma.

Meanwhile, 1 in 8 men will develop prostate cancer, rising to 1 in 4 Black men, and up to 60% of men who undergo a radical prostatectomy may experience urinary incontinence.

What Is the Morrisons Supermarket Bathroom Policy?

Morrisons’ current bathroom policy can be understood through two major accessibility changes introduced in 2026.

Bathroom change	What Morrisons introduced	Who it supports
Stoma-friendly accessible toilets	Shelf, hooks, discreet bin and mirror	People living with a stoma
Male sanitary bins	Dedicated disposal facilities in male customer toilets	Men using continence products
Wider aim	More practical and inclusive toilet facilities	Customers with visible and non-visible health needs

The stoma-friendly rollout was announced in March 2026 after Morrisons worked with Colostomy UK and Edward Mountain MSP.

Rather than using a fixed store total, the more accurate description is that Morrisons said all accessible toilets in its supermarkets across England, Scotland and Wales had become stoma-friendly.

The male sanitary-bin initiative followed in May 2026 and extended the retailer’s accessibility work beyond accessible toilets.

Why Are Stoma-Friendly Toilets Important?

A stoma is an opening created surgically on the abdomen so bodily waste can pass into a collection bag. It may be temporary or permanent and can be required after treatment for bowel cancer, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis or abdominal trauma.

Living with a stoma can make ordinary journeys more complicated when suitable toilets are unavailable. A person may need clean space to organise supplies, somewhere to hang clothing or a bag, an appropriate bin and a mirror to check their appliance.

Around 1 in 335 people in the UK are estimated to live with a stoma, making suitable toilet provision relevant to many shoppers, employees, carers and families.

Colostomy UK has highlighted the behavioural effect of inadequate facilities.

Giovanni Cinque, the charity’s Marketing and Campaigns Manager, said people may find themselves “planning journeys” or “cutting trips short” when they do not know whether suitable toilets will be available.

Edward Mountain’s Personal Campaign Helped Drive the Change

One of the most important parts of the story is the role played by Edward Mountain, a Member of the Scottish Parliament and a bowel cancer survivor.

Mountain was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022 and lived with a stoma while his bowel recovered. His involvement was rooted in direct experience of the practical problems people with a stoma can face when using toilets away from home.

He wrote to Morrisons, shared his experience and asked the retailer to make its toilets more suitable for people living with a stoma. Morrisons subsequently worked with him and Colostomy UK on the changes.

Mountain described the importance of ending the “difficulties, embarrassment and discomfort” that people with a stoma can face.

His background shows the rollout emerged from lived experience, customer feedback and campaigning around a specific gap in public toilet provision.

What Features Make a Morrisons Toilet Stoma-Friendly?

The practical features introduced into accessible toilets are straightforward:

• Shelf: Gives users a clean, stable surface for stoma supplies.
• Hooks: Provide somewhere to hang clothing, coats or bags while managing an appliance.
• Discreet bin: Allows used products and related waste to be disposed of privately.
• Mirror: Helps a person check a stoma appliance.

Together, these changes can make a conventional accessible toilet significantly more usable for someone managing a stoma.

They also highlight an important distinction. A toilet can be wheelchair-accessible without automatically meeting every need linked to a hidden disability or medical condition.

Stoma-friendly facilities add practical features that conventional layouts may lack.

Morrisons Also Rolls Out Male Sanitary Bins: What Is “The Bog Standard”?

The biggest extension to the Morrisons bathroom policy came in May 2026, when the supermarket announced a nationwide rollout of male sanitary bins.

This made Morrisons the first UK supermarket to meet “The Bog Standard”, guidelines developed by phs Group and Prostate Cancer UK to improve toilet provision for men living with incontinence.

The initiative builds on the wider Dispose with Dignity campaign, which addresses a basic but often overlooked problem: men using continence products need an appropriate, discreet and hygienic disposal facility inside public toilets.

The need is closely connected with prostate cancer treatment. One in eight men will develop prostate cancer, while the risk is one in four for Black men. Up to 60% of men who undergo a radical prostatectomy may experience urinary incontinence.

The effect can reach everyday routines. Research highlighted by phs Group found that 34% of men surveyed said they had stopped grocery shopping because suitable sanitary disposal facilities were unavailable.

That statistic makes the supermarket setting especially relevant. If a lack of disposal bins can stop some men grocery shopping, installing them removes a barrier to an essential activity.

Readers looking specifically at the later rollout can also see the separate Morrisons toilet rule covering male sanitary bins and The Bog Standard.

What Morrisons, Prostate Cancer UK and phs Group Said?

The May announcement brought together Morrisons, Prostate Cancer UK and phs Group.

David Scott, Morrisons’ Corporate Affairs Director, said the retailer had listened to customers and recognised the challenges faced by men living with incontinence.

Morrisons presented suitable toilet facilities as a way to help customers feel more confident and supported away from home.

Nick Ridgman, Head of Support Services at Prostate Cancer UK, focused on the lack of bins in men’s toilets and the effect this can have on dignity, work, social activities and everyday life.

Matthew Brabin, CEO of phs Group, said its male incontinence bins were developed following requests from men affected by prostate cancer and in consultation with Prostate Cancer UK supporters.

Morrisons Accessibility Timeline

The toilet changes sit within a wider sequence of accessibility measures.

Period	Morrisons accessibility measure	What changed
2018 onwards	Quieter Hour	Reduced lighting, music, announcements and some store noise during designated periods
2025	Sensory Support Boxes	Support items introduced for autistic and neurodivergent shoppers with input from the National Autistic Society
2025	Purpl partnership	Eligible disabled shoppers offered a Morrisons online discount through Purpl
March 2026	Stoma-friendly toilets	Accessible supermarket toilets upgraded with stoma-friendly features
May 2026	Male sanitary bins	Morrisons became the first UK supermarket to meet The Bog Standard

The timeline shows that accessibility in retail is not limited to ramps or wheelchair access. It can also involve sensory environments, disability-related costs, hidden medical needs and appropriate toilet facilities.

Morrisons’ Quieter Hour is designed to reduce sensory demands by lowering lighting where possible, reducing noise and limiting unnecessary announcements.

Sensory Support Boxes add practical items intended to help autistic and neurodivergent customers manage anxiety during shopping.

The Purpl partnership tackles another barrier through discounts for eligible disabled shoppers on qualifying online grocery orders.

Morrisons has also used selected own-brand bath and shower products to carry NHS cancer-awareness messaging, adding another health-focused measure to its recent activity.

The bathroom initiatives fit this wider pattern because they focus on whether customers can comfortably remain in store and complete an ordinary shopping trip.

Why Male Sanitary Bins Are Different From Stoma Bins?

The two 2026 announcements can easily be confused, but they should not be treated as the same policy.

Stoma-friendly accessible toilets are designed around the needs of people managing a stoma. The package includes surfaces, hooks, a mirror and disposal provision.

Male sanitary bins specifically address the disposal of continence products used by men. They are particularly relevant to people experiencing urinary incontinence, including some men following prostate cancer treatment.

Both concern dignity and disposal, but they respond to different medical needs. Combining them under the wider “Morrisons supermarket bathroom policy” gives shoppers a clearer picture of how the retailer’s toilet provision changed during 2026.

What Does the Policy Mean for Morrisons Shoppers?

For most shoppers, the changes will not alter how they use a Morrisons store. For people who depend on specific toilet facilities, the practical effect can be considerable.

A shopper with a stoma can have greater confidence that an accessible toilet contains the basic features needed to manage their appliance. A man using continence pads has a discreet disposal option rather than having to carry used products away.

For shoppers who rely on accessible facilities, the practical point is to distinguish between the two changes.

Stoma-friendly features are located in accessible toilets, while male sanitary bins address continence-product disposal in male customer toilets.

The announcements apply across Morrisons’ supermarket estate, but individual store layouts and the position of toilets can differ.

Anyone who needs a particular facility urgently may still find it useful to check the local store’s facilities before travelling, especially when visiting an unfamiliar location for extra reassurance.

Most importantly, the policy acknowledges that accessibility requirements are not always visible. Someone may appear outwardly well while still needing urgent or specialised bathroom facilities.

Conclusion

The Morrisons supermarket bathroom policy is now broader than the March 2026 introduction of stoma-friendly toilets.

It includes two distinct changes: stoma-friendly features in accessible bathrooms and male sanitary bins introduced under The Bog Standard.

The stoma initiative was shaped by Colostomy UK, customer feedback and Edward Mountain’s experience following bowel cancer.

The male sanitary-bin rollout involved phs Group and Prostate Cancer UK and responds to the often-overlooked needs of men living with incontinence.

Taken together with Sensory Support Boxes, Quieter Hour, NHS cancer-awareness messaging and the Purpl partnership, the changes show how supermarket accessibility increasingly involves practical details that can determine whether someone feels able to shop independently and with dignity.