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If you work in the industrial laundry/Textile Services sector and you, then this powerpoint which I presented at one of the many Textile Services Association (TSA) conferences may be of interest if you would like to know a bit about the road which the industry has followed to reduce its energy costs.

The industry is continually promoting its image of Sustainability and developing innovative technologies to achieve the targets within its Net Zero strategy.

DOWNLOAD POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

Nothing could represent the principles of ‘circular economy’ more than laundering, especially if comparing with single use textile items.

Take OR healthcare linen and scrubs as a key example and if you go to the extreme at home, then terry towel nappies vs. ‘Pampers’!!

The Textile Services Association is the trade association for the laundry, drycleaning and textile rental industries in the United Kingdom and represents all of the market leading companies in the industry together with the majority of independents and SMEs.  Collectively the industries employ 50,000 staff; and have an annual turnover in excess of £2 billion. While drycleaning is predominantly a retail activity, textile rental is a key business to business support service.

Textile Rental Services give timely and cost-effective provision of textiles, usually on a rental contract basis, to professional end-users.

A wide variety of textiles are supplied to an extensive range of industries and services including:

  • corporate image wear for the service industry 
  • ultra-clean workwear for high-care sectors (food, pharma and electronics)
  • high-performance protective clothing to maximise safety and protect against job-related risks 
  • general-purpose workwear for production plants 
  • bed linen and patients’ clothing for hospitals 
  • sophisticated surgical textiles for the operating theatre
  • hospitality linen for hotels, restaurants and cafes 
  • washroom hygiene services including textile towels in dispensers, soap dispensers, air fresheners, feminine hygiene etc. 
  • efficient dust control mats and mops to keep buildings and work areas clean; and
  • tough and absorbent textile wipers for industry

Home (domestic) laundering is very often compared to industrial laundering for many reasons.

From a utilities consumption/emissions point of view there is no contest, industrial laundering uses:-

  • 52% less primary energy
  • 73% less water
  • 85% less detergent; while creating
  • 3% less CO2 emissions
  • 36% less NOx emissions

Our industry signed up to the demanding Climate Change Agreement back in 2012 and we have over delivered on targets to date.

Our Net Zero Strategy is in place with specific milestones leading to the ultimate 2050 goal; this reliant upon our continually developing new and innovative technologies.

We are currently developing improved methodologies for textiles recycling to further qualify our circularity and sustainability profile.

And there are massive hygiene and H&S issues when laundering at home; not many people know that nurses, carers and other general healthcare personnel take their uniforms home to wash. Factory and building site staff do the same with their PPE (Hi-vis, flame retardant, chemical resist) workwear.