TSA and EcoVerify partner to strengthen sustainability support for members
TSA’s partnership with EcoVerify helps its members get EcoVadis accreditation to future proof their business and improve on sustainability goals
Increasingly companies, in particular from the hospitality and healthcare sectors, are looking for sustainability credentials from their commercial laundry service providers. One of the highly sought third party accreditation organisations is EcoVadis, a globally recognised sustainability rating platform. Receiving an EcoVadis rating can be a complex business and now TSA has teamed up with EcoVerify, one of the approved UK training providers of EcoVadis, to offer its members help in achieving this important accreditation.
Steve Bland is head of EcoVerify and he explains the relationship. “We are here to offer specialist help in achieving an EcoVadis rating,” he says. “Our normal practice is to manage the whole process, developing relationships with our clients and taking the lead on the questionnaires. However, the TSA wanted to provide a more supportive and comprehensive approach for their members. So we help members with the process, offering advice, with the option for them to manage the questionnaire submission.”
Steve says this is a refreshing approach to the accreditation. “I was really impressed by the TSA’s attitude. This way it can make a real difference within a member’s business, as they are fully involved in the process, and not be just a tick box exercise, so that’s really positive.”
For TSA’s managing director Emma Kiviniemi Wilson, EcoVadis is becoming more important for TSA members. “On the one hand, it’s an important resource that can help a business build a sustainability strategy and show evidence of their sustainability progress,” she says. “At the same time, more and more of our members’ customers are specifically asking about EcoVadis ratings.
“The support package with EcoVerify includes a help desk service as well as top tips webinars. It is designed to help commercial laundries of all sizes, from independents to multinationals.”
One TSA member that has already worked with EcoVerify is Clean. Chris Bell is Clean’s director of safety and sustainability. “Achieving a silver EcoVadis rating places us in the top 15% of companies globally,” he says. “EcoVerify’s expertise in sustainability benchmarking and guidance on EcoVadis requirements helped us align our policies, processes, and reporting with best practices. Through their support, we strengthened our approach to responsible procurement, environmental management, and social governance—ensuring Clean not only met but exceeded the standards required for Silver status.”
County Linen has also achieved a silver EcoVadis rating. “I’m happy to talk to other members and to pass on our experiences,” says Karl Bueggeln, the company’s finance director. “As with everything they do, the TSA has put their heart into this initiative with EcoVerify to help members achieve an EcoVadis rating. I think most members will want to jump on board. I’m really glad that we did it internally – our staff know our business and that helped us achieve our rating. I think with the TSA’s and EcoVerify’s support, we could achieve an even higher score going forward.”
Steve Bland says partnering with the TSA has been his first foray into the commercial laundry industry. He admires the TSA’s approach of encouraging its members to collaborate with EcoVerify and believes the long-term benefits to this are mutual. “While we do love handling EcoVadis questionnaires for companies, I think it’s also rewarding to work this way,” he says.
To find out more about TSA’s partnership with EcoVerify, email tsa@tsa-uk.org.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600
TSA aims to support the laundry industry in adopting AI
New webinar will explain the opportunities and look at the potential offered by government AI training programme
The Textile Services Association (TSA) has announced an educational webinar looking at the opportunities offered by generative AI systems. It will also consider how the laundry industry can benefit from a new government funded training programme, aimed at non-technical staff, on how to use AI technology.
The TSA webinar takes place on the 10th February 2026. Its agenda includes a look at how AI delivers returns on investment, along with a practical adoption playbook and live demos. It will also give a more detailed exploration of the training and funding available in the government course, which is delivered by AICore, an AI skills partner for the Department for Education. Two of AICore’s directors, Haron Shams and Christian Kerr, are leading the TSA hosted webinar.
“This webinar will show TSA members exactly where AI can create ROI, with demos and tailored user-cases so attendees leave with actions they can apply immediately,” says Christian Kerr. “As an AI skills partner for the Department for Education, AiCore turns AI from ‘interesting’ into day-to-day impact through practical, role-specific training that helps teams save time, improve quality, and work more efficiently.”
“We are delighted to be able offer this AI training webinar,” says Emma Kiviniemi Wilson, the TSA’s managing director. “We hope it will provide our members with the information they need to allow them to use tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot safely, confidently, and productively within their businesses.”
David Pool, data and AI development director at QA, gave a talk on AI at the TSA’s 2025 Autumn conference. Although the conference marked his first foray into the world of commercial laundries, he recognised the vast untapped potential AI could have within the sector. “The laundry industry is in a great position to benefit from AI,” he says. “Laundries produce a lot of data through their day to day activities, and if they are able to present it to AI models in the right way, they will be able to get real insights that will allow them to work more effectively and efficiently.”
The webinar will also explain the intentions behind the government’s new Level 3 GenAI/Digital Support Technician training programme and how to make use of it. This is a 13 month course which aims to give non-technical staff the knowledge they need to use common AI systems such as ChatGPT and Copilot securely and productively, allowing them to become champions of generative AI technology within their organisations.
Students on the government course will be expected to commit to three hours of training a week working with consultants and a range of experts on the subject, as well as completing the online portfolio.
By providing the webinar in February, the TSA hopes to offer its members two key angles. The first is a chance to get closer to the topic of AI in a broader sense, the second is to help them understand more about the government’s course and why it might be useful to them.
TSA member companies large enough to pay the Apprenticeship Levy can use this to fully fund the training of any staff members wishing to take the government course. This will help to upskill employees with the knowledge needed to ensure AI can be adopted responsibly and effectively, while ensuring the levy contributions are used before they expire. The course costs £650 per person for smaller companies that do not pay the levy (those with an annual payroll of less than £3 million).
“Although it’s a vast topic and new territory for us all, AI could offer a great opportunity to improve efficiency across the industry,” says Emma. “We believe the government course could be relevant to all our members, no matter the size. That said, larger companies should definitely not overlook the fact that they can make full use of the Apprenticeship Levy to fund this training.”
TSA members interested in attending the webinar can access it here: TSA AI Webinar | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone:
T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600
Laundry Cost Index: 2025/2026 FYQ3
Laundry Cost Index
Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2025/2026 FYQ3 below:
Please see the previous annual increases below for comparison to the latest cost index with an annual increase of 6.11%:
If you have any queries or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
T: +44 (0)20 3151 5600
E: tsa@tsa-uk.org