TSA unveils programme for 2026 National Congress

 Inspirational, informative and engaging: TSA’s National Congress 2026

Textile Services Association unveils programme for 2026 Congress on March 17th

The TSA has unveiled its programme for the 2026 National Congress, which takes place on 17th March at the iconic W Edinburgh hotel. The event combines insightful speaker presentations and updates with the opportunity to network with colleagues from the industry. Places are limited and are by invitation only – for more information contact the TSA.

A fascinatingly diverse range of speakers includes Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, who will give a presentation on the country’s hospitality sector. The first keynote speaker of the day is crossbench peer Baroness Ruth Hunt, the renowned lobbyist and campaigner, whose theme will be ‘changing the status quo’. Next David Stevens, CEO of the TSA, will update Congress on the Association’s key initiatives and plans for 2026.

Joe Ricci, the CEO and chair of the TRSA, the TSA’s USA equivalent, will look to the future, using comment from forty US CEOs to predict the next ten years. The morning session ends with Richard Beech, investment manager from Charles Stanley, who will offer Congress a global economic update.

After lunch, hospitality is the focus again when Ryan Bains, senior account manager, Industry Partners – STR, talks about the sector and looks at its predicted numbers for 2026.  Delegates can expect feathers to rustle when Michael Harre, group CSO Kannegiesser, and Jesper Jensen, CEO Jensen-Group, head the panel discussion: ‘power play, laundry leaders meet machinery innovators.’

Nicky Campbell, one of the UK’s most popular journalists and broadcasters, will give the afternoon’s keynote address. He’s worked in all aspects of broadcasting – from presenting Top of the Pops to interviewing every Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher – so he’s sure to have some interesting tales to tell! Emma Kiviniemi Wilson, the TSA’s managing director, will then close proceedings before the evening’s entertainment.

Networking is always a big draw for delegates. Before the 2026 Congress begins proper, there’s an informal reception in W lounge at 8pm on Monday 16th March. The Congress kicks off with a registration and networking event from 9.45-10.15am, in The Studio, and there are breaks throughout the day. In the evening there is the Industry Dinner, preceded by drinks, in the Sushi Samba restaurant.

W Edinburgh is a luxury hotel right in the heart of the city. It offers beautiful rooms, an exciting cuisine scene, and a rooftop terrace with the finest 360-degree views of Edinburgh and beyond.

“We know how busy our members are, so we’ve kept the Congress to a one-day format,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “Since the event is ‘invitation only’, we know that over 70% of the audience will be laundries, with all major companies well represented at director level. The objective is to make the event inspirational and informative, but critically to also give time for networking and catching up with colleagues.”

To confirm a place, contact the TSA.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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TSA Conference focusses on people and technology

The TSA reflects on the key themes from its recent Autumn conference

The laundry industry is about its people first and foremost. The value the Textile Service Association’s (TSA) members find in this was evident in the record number that attended this year’s Autumn Conference. Held over two days at the Hilton in St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent, not only did it provide an opportunity to discuss the hot topics of the day but also to network and socialise. Many in attendance were asked what they loved about their industry and the consensus was clear: the people. Another big issue was technology. From how it affects our brain chemistry to the ever growing and unavoidable topic of AI, TSA members were invited to reflect on how technology personally affects them, as well as its evolving context in the wider industry.

For some of its members, AI in particular is a technological movement to fear. Why? Because of the effect it could have on the people in the industry and their jobs. For others, it’s something to embrace for that same reason. While some think AI replaces jobs, others think it creates them.

“I think the laundry industry is at the foundational level of its relationship to AI,” says David Pool, AI Specialist and a keynote speaker at the conference. “Most jobs will be stable but they will be more effective and more efficient through the implementation of AI.” Furthermore, David believes AI can help the sector problem solve some of its shared issues. “Commercial laundries have the same headwinds in terms of cost increases, environmental factors and reducing waste,” he says. “So they have a lot of collective data, and if they present that data to AI models in the right way they can get some real insight and start to work more effectively.”

Another keynote speaker, neuroscientist and author TJ Power focussed on technology more generally and its personal effects. Exploring some confrontational notions, including phone fasting and the importance of boredom for both ideas and ultimately productivity, TJ’s talk highlighted how our relationship with our phones in particular can affect not only our mental health but our ability to work well, too.

“With this industry, firstly people are very warm and open and there’s been lots of laughter and fun here at conference,” says TJ. “That means oxytocin is high and we’re feeling deeply connected to people. Two key challenges that every industry faces are low energy levels and short attention spans. These are a result of our indoor, sedentary, digital, looking at screens all day lifestyle. We’ve been exploring different habits that can help people rebalance things.”

This sense of imbalance and even alienation through technology can also be linked to social media, which came up in Dr Olga Franczak’s presentation at the conference. “The market is tough, talk to each other,” she said, as she explored the current challenges and opportunities in employment more generally. In doing so she criticised the distorted picture social media platforms like LinkedIn can create by only showing the positives within any given sector. By getting together and discussing it face to face, the picture is often revealed to be more complex, nuanced and honest.

Delivering the final keynote was business legend and star of The Apprentice, Linda Plant, who gave an overview of her life peppered with motivational messages. It was clear she had a passion for people; both the opportunities they gave her in her rise but also the fulfilment she found giving others opportunities as her businesses took off. Looking around the room, she commented, “I could see a lot more women in this industry”, reinforcing the importance of TSA’s ongoing diversity and inclusion strategies. 

Beyond Linda’s heartfelt keynote and the other technology themed talks, there was also an industry panel chaired by TSA’s managing director Emma Kiviniemi Wilson. This featured Peter Semple from Fishers, Chris Bell from Clean, Arthur Linssen of ETSA, Doug Muttitt from Swiss Camplings Laundry and Bob Morrish from Ecolab. Peter’s presentation celebrated the success of the Laundry Open Week while Chris demonstrated how Infinite Textiles is helping Clean achieve its green objectives. Arthur then outlined the upcoming Textiles EPR scheme, while Doug explored how the TSA’s carbon emissions platform GLARE has helped Swiss Camplings Laundry provide a carbon footprint for the business. Finally, Bob discussed the TSA’s Supplier Portal and how it can support both supply partners and TSA members by linking them to the critical resources and documents needed when suppliers attend their sites.

“We had a lot to cover in a relatively short amount of time,” says Emma. “Once again though, the conference highlighted the importance of getting together and sharing information under one roof. We are a people industry. While there’s so much to keep up with, from legislation to evolving technologies like AI, by getting together and putting face-to-face human interaction at the centre, our sector can evolve and thrive.”

David Stevens, TSA’s CEO is in agreement. “We’re a very people led industry, and I think that’s the buzz you get from these events. It’s the comradeship and networking everyone seems to enjoy.”

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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GLARE drives laundry industry sustainability goals

TSA’s updates help commercial laundries enhance carbon emission reporting

The Textile Services Association (TSA) has announced updates to its GLARE platform, which is designed to calculate commercial laundries’ carbon emissions. Accessed via the GLARE (Global Laundry and Rental Emissions) dashboard, the new features will help laundries to calculate figures more accurately and build more relevant carbon emission numbers into their sustainability reporting. In the future, GLARE is aiming to enable the laundries to offer individual customers an estimated breakdown of the emissions per kg from their own processed laundry.

Carbon figures are increasingly required by organisations such as hotels and healthcare groups, as part of their environmental objectives. They are particularly important in measuring scope 3 emissions. The GLARE platform is tailored to the laundry industry and makes it easy not only to add usage data but also to measure carbon emissions.

The ability to give customers like hotels a calculation per kg of their own laundry items has been welcomed by members of UK Hospitality.  GLARE will be able to take into account factors including product mix, volume and the type of laundry (hospitality, healthcare, workwear, and so on) when calculating the figures.  The platform is based on the Greenhouse Gas protocol, so laundries can record and track carbon emissions using established methodology. 

‘We pride ourselves on providing efficient and quality textile services,” says Doug Muttitt, Managing Director of Swiss Camplings Laundry. “Measuring, reporting and improving our emissions forms an important part of our partnership with our customers and suppliers. The GLARE platform enables us to do that in a comparable, consistent and laundry-specific way based on GHG protocol methodology. With sustainability at the heart of our values, alongside people and our customers, we wanted to be able to understand our carbon footprint and where to focus our efforts on the path to net zero and the GLARE platform has helped us do that.”

Another exciting feature under development will enable laundries to provide a detailed breakdown of their scope 3 emissions.  It will create a report and give a score – a higher score indicates that the laundry has captured more indirect emissions.  This feature will help the laundries showcase their sustainability commitments to customers and employees.

“By enabling laundries to measure their carbon footprint, GLARE is empowering them to set up meaningful carbon reduction plans,” says Shyju Skariah, programmes and projects director at the TSA.  “There are many different ways to measure carbon emissions, each of which will give a different outcome.  By offering a standardised approach, GLARE helps laundries and their customers to set carbon reduction targets against agreed baselines.”

The TSA is continuing to develop GLARE– the pipeline includes additional emission factors to enable laundries to give even more detailed figures.  For more information on the GLARE platform contact the TSA. 

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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CLEAN and Aberdeen join Infinite Textiles Scheme

First laundries accredited to TSA’s innovative initiative, launched in collaboration with UK Hospitality

Aberdeen Laundry Services and CLEAN Linen Services have become the first commercial laundry organisations to be accredited to the TSA’s Infinite Textiles Scheme, with many more laundries in the pipeline.  It’s part of a  massive step forward for the industry’s environmental aspirations.  As Steven Burnett, group marketing & stakeholder communications manager at Aberdeen Laundry Services says, “Sustainability for us is not a badge – it’s in the DNA of how we operate.” 

The Infinite Textiles Scheme is about extending the life of textiles, by looking after them, and then reusing, repurposing and recycling them once they reach ‘end of life’.  Currently over 6,000 tonnes of hospitality textiles are lost each year, either being sent to waste, unaccounted for or sold as rags and ending up in landfill.  The scheme aims to put a stop to that and, ultimately, it could become the largest laundry industry textile recycling project in the world, keeping textiles in use for longer. Instead of the majority of items like sheets and towels being turned into rags that end up in landfill after one more use, the scheme enables  a second life, potentially saving tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon and billions of litres of water every year.

TSA teamed up with UKHospitality to launch the scheme, which sees commercial laundries partnering with their customers to recycle end of life linens not only from the hospitality industry, but also healthcare and leisure.  

Chris Bell is head of safety, sustainability, and environment  at CLEAN Linen Services.  He says, “This certification is a big step forward for us. Infinite Textiles is all about reducing textile waste and driving circularity in the laundry sector – values that align perfectly with our sustainability goals.”

Under the scheme, accredited laundries are audited to ensure they and their customers look after linens and handle end-of-life textiles responsibly, by sorting them for reuse, repurposing or recycling.  The textiles are then sent to TSA-approved receivers, such as charities, recyclers, or aggregators, who guarantee responsible handling.  “The process of becoming certified was thorough, and rightly so,” says Chris. “It made us take a close look at how we manage textiles throughout their lifecycle. It challenged us to improve, to collaborate, and to think differently. And that’s exactly what we did.”

With the intensifying focus on sustainability, it will be increasingly important for businesses to prove their green credentials through schemes like Infinite Textiles  “Achieving this standard provides external validation of the progress Aberdeen Laundry Services has made to date,” says Steven.  “It demonstrates the responsibility we feel toward our clients, our community, and the environment.” 

Chris believes the scheme will also help laundries grow their business.  “For our customers, this means even greater confidence in CLEAN,” he says.  “It means knowing the textiles we supply and launder are part of a system designed to minimise waste, extend product life, and support a more sustainable future. It’s not just good for the planet—it’s good for business too.” 

“We’re excited to be part of this movement and proud to be helping set a new standard in our industry,” says Chris.

Currently there is a shortage of end-of-life recycling facilities for textiles in the UK that can meet the TSA’s criteria and handle the volume that the Infinite Textiles Scheme will create.  TSA is working with DEFRA and Innovate UK to locate companies who can become certified receivers under the scheme.  “The textiles from our industry are perfect for fibre-to-fibre recycling, but often they are sold on as rags,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA.  “This is because, currently, laundries get more from rags than if they were to recycle the linen via our Infinite Textile Scheme. Unfortunately, as the rags are not hemmed, they cannot be washed and used again, hence they end up in landfill after only one more use. 

“Aberdeen Laundry Services and CLEAN are two of the first laundries to be certified and there are many more in the pipeline. We expect most members to become certified during the next two years, showing what can be done to help our industry become greener and reach Carbon Net Zero.” 

To find out more about the TSA’s Infinite Textiles Scheme, visit tsa-uk.org

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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Two sectors, one table: laundries and hotels come together at Hospitality Roundtable

TSA’s annual event continues fostering collaboration between the laundry and hotel sectors

Hotel occupancy is up while laundry volumes are down, but the future looks good. That was a hot take at The Textile Services Association’s (TSA) second Hospitality Roundtable, which took place on the 16th September at the Hampton By Hilton on Waterloo Road, London. The meeting was chaired by TSA’s CEO David Stevens and attended by representatives from multiple hotel chains and commercial laundry operations. Held annually, the meeting continues to bring together laundries and hotel groups, opening the door to further collaboration and fostering the partnership between two co-dependent sectors.

“Face-to-face meetings like this are crucial in really understanding the current state-of-play,” says David Stevens. “Talking about the issues is the first step. It is always great when we find new ideas and collective solutions.”

There was one notable takeaway regarding the hospitality growth forecast: hotels are currently more buoyant than laundries. This is partially due to rises in occupancy across the various chains in attendance, while laundry volumes remain notably down.

Managing linen loss was another key topic. This forms the backbone of the TSA’s Infinite Textiles Scheme, for which resources such as the association’s Pasha The Pillowcase animation have been produced. Recognising the value of the film’s messaging, it was agreed that evolving Pasha into a series of TikTok style shorts could help further its reach. The TSA presented the Infinite Textile Scheme accreditation and reported that the first two laundries have been certified with many more in the pipeline. In connection to this scheme and sustainability more broadly, the TSA also discussed its work with Innovate UK in creating  a map of all the available recycling routes for linen.  They are also working with Innovate to help the laundry industry decarbonise and in doing so improve the scope 3 emissions for hotels.

“Sustainability is at the top of both sectors’ agendas. Events like the Roundtable provide a space where we can come together to discuss these and any other issues we are facing – and hopefully come up with solutions,” says David.

In light of this, a discussion on the balance between sustainability, service and price closed the meeting. The importance of service and flexibility was at the heart of the conversation, along with a shared desire to continue strengthening the partnership between both the hotel and laundry sectors.

“While it is unfortunate laundry volumes are currently down, the fact the hotel industry is experiencing growth is good for the laundry sector, too. We need them and they need us,” says David. “These meetings are a very positive process.”

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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Laundry Cost Index: 2025/2026 FYQ2

Laundry Cost Index

Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2025/2026 FYQ2 below:

Latest Laundry Cost Index
Please see the previous annual increases below for comparison to the latest cost index with an annual increase of 4.28%:
The Full Report
Annual Increase
Laundry Cost Index 2025/2026 FYQ1
4.79%
Laundry Cost Index 2024/2025 FYQ4
3.18%
Laundry Cost Index 2024/2025 FYQ3
3.60%
Laundry Cost Index 2024/2025 FYQ2
4.27%
Laundry Cost Index 2024/2025 FYQ1
3.84%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ4
6.19%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ3
5.84%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ2
7.09%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ1
8.16%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ4
9.34%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ3
17.33%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ2
20.28%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ1
23.01%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ4
20.13%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ3
9.70%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ2
5.92%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ1
3.26%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ4
1.43%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ3
2.00%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ2
1.64%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ1
2.02%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ4
2.73%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ3
1.75%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ2
2.95%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ1
4.00%
Previous Laundry Cost Indices

If you have any queries or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

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Update from the TSA

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Creating a level playing field for microplastic measurement in laundry

TSA says the proposed ISO test method standard will help in focusing environmental efforts on the right areas

The environmental impact of microplastics is a major concern. Learning more about how laundry processes for textiles used in sectors such as hospitality, healthcare and manufacturing could contribute to the creation of microplastics is vital. The Textile Services Association (TSA) points out that just as important is the need to find effective ways to measure and reduce the issue.

The TSA has been partnering in a project to establish an ISO standard method of measuring levels of microplastics shed from textile products. The overall aim of the project is to help benchmark these textile products, allowing end-users to make well-informed purchasing decisions. Additionally, water companies and authorities will be able to use this standard method to quantify and control effluent management services.

This initiative is part of the TSA’s ongoing efforts to help the laundry industry continue its strong track record in sustainability credentials.  The association has worked on the project in collaboration with partner laundry trade associations and a wide range of stakeholders in Europe and America, Shyju Skariah, director of programmes and projects at the TSA, is the current chair of the European and International Standards Working Group of the European Textile Services Association and has been taking a lead role in the project.

The proposed test methodology aims to determine the exact levels of microplastics released from textiles used in commercial and industrial sectors. Limiting the amount of microplastics entering the water supply is vital, so the importance of a standard like this being adopted by all industries involved cannot be overemphasised. The take up of this standard will depend heavily on how practical and available its techniques are in terms of sampling, preparing and analysing results.

While the laundry industry is a large consumer of water, industrial laundries have made considerable progress in reducing the amount they use. Typically, industrial washing machines use between 2-4 litres of water for every kilogram of textile, compared to 20 to 30 litres per kg for machines used in laundrettes or on-premise laundries.  The efficiency of industrial machines is due to most of the water used in the wash process being recycled and reused. As well as reducing water consumption, this allows for better management of waste matter, including the collection of microfibres and microplastics shed during wash processes.

The majority of textiles used within hospitality, healthcare and the industrial sectors are cotton-rich, and designed to shed fewer polymers. This, combined with the recycling and processing of waste water, means that the laundry industry’s overall contribution to microplastic pollution is significantly less than those produced through standard domestic washing, The proposed tests will enable water authorities to create charging mechanisms for effluent management that are equitable and fair.

“Measuring and determining micro-nano levels of particles from textile products was always going to be a huge challenge,” says Shyju Skariah. “The importance of this exercise is to find a consistent and reproducible standard that can be applied globally. Such a huge challenge will require active collaboration between international standards bodies, research organisations, national trade associations and governments.   We are working with our European and US colleagues to find the most fitting techniques to be recommended in this ISO standard.”

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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Fighting fire with fire safety: TSA launches code of practice for fire safety in laundries

New code will allow the industry to work to a consistent national standard

The Textile Services Association (TSA) has launched a new code of practice covering fire safety management for commercial laundries. The code of practice aims to help show laundry operators the most important aspects of fire risks in laundries and highlight ways to minimise them.

Although laundries maintain strong safety records, the combination of heat, combustible materials and chemicals requires careful management to prevent fires. While the code of practice sheds light on some of the generic requirements on fire safety, it also covers laundry-specific measures, with references to TSA’s good practice guidance documents.

The majority of fire incidents that have taken place in the laundry industry in recent years occurred overnight through spontaneous combustion. This happens when residual heat in textiles, combined with oils or other contaminants causes ignition, with fire able to spread rapidly. The risk of these fires causing personal injuries has been minimal; however, they usually cause extensive damage to expensive laundry equipment and infrastructure. Consequently, the insurance premiums for laundries have increased exponentially, making it a real barrier for business profitability.

The code was drafted by the TSA’s health and safety steering group, alongside a team of fire safety experts from Worknest. It is designed to cover the needs of all commercial laundries, from large multi-site operations to smaller independent companies. The TSA is currently exploring avenues to make this code of practice a nationally recognisable framework in order to address the inconsistent regional approach in the UK. The industry is hoping to reduce the number of fire incidents, which should help the insurance sector offer their terms competitively. The TSA aims to use this code of practice as an enabler for these changes.

Alongside the code, TSA has provided a series of in-depth guidance documents and webinars which go into more detail about how to implement it effectively.

“Commercial laundries are very good at managing fire safety overall,” says David Stevens, TSA’s CEO. “There’s been an overwhelmingly positive response to the new code of practice as it will empower laundries to ensure that staff at all levels are aware of their responsibilities and that the standards are being met in a measurable way.”

The code of practice and supporting documentation are available to download from the document library on the TSA’s website.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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Business powerhouse: the TSA’s Autumn Conference 2025

From building business to mental health, 2025 Conference gives insight into key industry issues

TSA’s autumn Conference’s approach is underlined by the persona of the closing keynote speaker – ‘no nonsense business advice’ is Linda Plant’s trademark. Visitors to this year’s edition can expect a winning combination of insight, inspiration and thought leadership covering the key issues facing the commercial laundry sector.

The venue is the home of football, St George’s Park, and, following feedback from last year’s event, the format for 2025 Conference has been tweaked. Consequently, following a 2pm kick off on Tuesday 21st October, it sees a series of training sessions, covering topics such as mental health, sustainability and ‘what happens when things go wrong’, which investigates difficult areas such as handling personal injury claims and gross negligence prosecutions. The sessions are led by market experts – TSA’s mental health first aid trainer, Adrian Thomas; Steve Bland, managing director of EcoVerify; and health and safety solicitor Mark Cohen of Willis Towers Watson.

The second day of the Conference, on Wednesday 22nd October, features three keynote addresses. First off is neuroscientist TJ Power, who discusses DOSE (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins) and their effects on mental health, and later in the morning AI specialist David Pool considers the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry.  Delegates can expect sparks to fly during Linda Plant’s afternoon presentation on the ‘business powerhouse’.

Alongside the high profile keynote addresses there will be a series of important industry presentations.  Staff and skills shortages will be part of the ‘challenges and opportunities of employment’ talk.  Following the success of the launch of the TSA’s GLARE platform, there will be an update on the initiative.  It’s a key part of the association’s sustainability roadmap and helps members to calculate embodied carbon figures – an increasingly important requirement for tenders.  Other updates include the latest news on Laundry Open Week and a progress report on the Infinite Textiles recycling scheme, along with discussion of the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on textiles.

As usual there will be plenty of opportunities for networking during the event, including the Conference dinner on Tuesday in the Sir Bobby Robson Ballroom. 

For more information about the Conference click here.  The booking form for the Conference is here. 

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

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