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

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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.”

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Laundry Cost Index: 2025/2026 FYQ2

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.”

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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.

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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

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How commercial laundry could help during future pandemics

Covid Inquiry publishes TSA’s statement demonstrating benefits of working with industry

The commercial laundry industry has enormous potential to help the UK’s response to any future public health crisis, is the message of the statement given by the Textile Services Association (TSA) to the UK government’s Covid 19 inquiry. Despite initial contact being made by the Government, the newly published statement also shows that there are important lessons to learn from how the industry was dismissed during the pandemic of 2020.

The inquiry is a wide ranging examination of the UK’s response to the Covid 19 crisis and is, in part, attempting to identify areas of the response that could be improved during potential future crises. The TSA was requested to provide information on the potential for using reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), the ways the laundry industry helps maintain hygiene in healthcare environments, and how the government of the time failed to fully harness the capabilities of the industry at a critical point.

The statement, which was presented by David Stevens, CEO of TSA, outlines the nature of the TSA’s work in supporting the laundry industry as well as the importance of commercial laundries to the UK’s economy and institutions like the NHS.  It considered the situation before the pandemic, as well as how that relationship evolved as the crisis unfolded.

The statement’s key message highlights the lack of a joined up, centralised approach to creating a specification for reusable surgical gowns and other PPE. If this had been in place it could have eliminated, or at minimum significantly reduced the need for disposable PPE products.

Data showing the commercial benefits in 2021 demonstrated savings of £1.2 billion a year of reusable over single use gowns, which in real terms would be much higher due to the inflationary pressures being exerted on the supply chains of single use products during 2020.

Many commercial laundries already provide services to the NHS as well as private health, social care and other care based industries, and are set up to meet the high standards of hygiene these sectors require as well as meet demand. The commercial laundry industry currently processes and delivers up to 75 million pieces a week and at the peak of the pandemic, the demand for gowns would have been 3 million per week.

While the Covid 19 pandemic was an unprecedented challenge to the UK, it did reveal potential improvements that could be made for infrastructure and support to ensure that the response to future events is smoother and more efficient, and the TSA’s statement clearly shows that opportunities were missed by the government at the time.

“The commercial laundry sector is vital to the smooth running of the NHS and has been for many years,” says David. “We need to learn from the events of 2020, to ensure that the responses are lead by evidence and make full use of the capabilities of the UK’s commercial laundry sector,”

“Our statement to the inquiry demonstrates that our industry has the capability to ensure that PPE can be reused, helping to create a more resilient system during times of crisis – and saving hundreds of millions pounds worth of public money, as well as reducing carbon emissions. We could be “pandemic ready” in a matter of weeks should the need arise again”

The TSA alongside their members, are willing to drive the expansion of the existing reusable gown solution forward with the right support and commitment as it will not only assist the UK in being pandemic ready by solving supply issues for healthcare frontline workers on a long-term basis, but it will also deliver environmental and commercial benefits.

The TSA statement was made as part of Module 5 of the inquiry, which related to issues surrounding procurement. It can be read in full on the inquiry’s website.

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TSA’s fantasy footie scores for charity

Join up to help TSA raise funds for Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust

Fancy your chances against El Locos? Or slotting one past For Beto or Wirtz? Getting one over on Thirsty Pockets? And all in the name of charity. Think of the glory of being the top fantasy footie team in the laundry industry! Plus, for the winner, there’s a prize of £100 to donate to the charity of their choice.
That’s what’s on offer thanks to the TSA’s fantasy football league, which is raising funds for the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust. Already 23 teams are signed up for this year, and there’s still time to get involved – just sign up and, if possible, give a £10 (or more) donation.

Joining up for the 2025/26 season couldn’t be easier: simply click here and follow the instructions – be sure to join the TSA league by entering the code wrovue when prompted.  Once that part’s completed, the TSA has set up a JustGiving page to enable fantasy football teams to donate their £10 (or more!) easily.  Visit: justgiving.com/page/tsa-fantasy-football-2025-2026.  

TSA CEO David Stevens helped launch the league by posing in his preferred footie gear (see accompanying image). “Luckily for all involved I’m not available for selection in the fantasy football league,” he says.  “This is all about having fun and raising money for a fantastic charity. We’re asking everyone who takes part to make a donation of £10 to Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust. If they would like to donate more, then that would be fantastic!”  

The Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust provides financial grants to support the children of UK families who work or have worked in the textile industries. By funding the essential and specialist items children whose families have fallen on hard times need, from school uniforms to specialist equipment, they strive to improve their wellbeing during challenging times.  For more information on the charity visit ftct.org.uk

If you have any questions about joining the league, contact tsa@tsa-uk.org

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Healthcare workers at risk as domestic washing machines fail to kill harmful bacteria

Healthcare workers who wash their uniforms at home could unknowingly be contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, new research has revealed

Experts from De Montfort University have found that many standard household washing machines do not always reach or maintain the temperatures required to properly disinfect and remove harmful pathogens from clothing, raising serious concerns about infection control across the healthcare system.

Current NHS guidelines state healthcare workers can launder their uniforms at home, provided they wash them at 60°C using detergent. However, only half of the six domestic washing machine models tested met the required standard. Some of the machines did not reach 60°C, or stay hot for long enough. Short and eco-friendly wash cycles, which are commonly used to save time and reduce energy costs, were shown to be particularly poor at removing harmful pathogens.

The team from De Montfort University, led by Professor Katie Laird, Professor of Microbiology and Deputy Director at the Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation, also sampled inside 12 machines to identify the types of bacteria present. They discovered biofilms – layers of bacteria that stick to surfaces – in detergent drawers and rubber door seals. Biofilms can survive regular cleaning and potentially re-contaminate laundry during each wash. Harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Mycobacterium were found to be living in the machines, which can cause infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.

Additionally, researchers tested whether repeated exposure to household laundry detergents could make bacteria stronger and more resistant to antibiotics. They grew common bacteria in detergent over several cycles, and found that some became more tolerant to the detergent and less sensitive to antibiotics. This cross-resistance means that improperly laundered uniforms could play a role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections – a growing concern for hospitals and long-term care settings.

Professor Laird is calling for the NHS to revise its laundry guidelines for healthcare workers and consider using on-site industrial machines or commercial laundry services, to improve patient safety, and control the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

She said: “Our research shows that domestic washing machines often fail to disinfect textiles, allowing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive. Domestic washing machines are not designed with infection control in mind, and should not be relied upon for effectively laundering uniforms. They’re built for energy efficiency and convenience to suit private households.

“We’re urging healthcare providers and policymakers to reassess this guidance and explore safer alternatives, such as on-site commercial-grade machines or outsourced professional laundry services. These machines are specifically designed to meet healthcare hygiene standards and consistently reach the high temperatures required to safely decontaminate clothing. Whilst washing uniforms at home might seem convenient, it’s imperative that we rethink how we launder our healthcare workers’ uniforms to ensure patient safety, staff wellbeing, and basic infection control across the NHS.”

David Stevens, CEO at Textile Services Association (TSA), added: “For healthcare and care home managers, these findings are a clear call to action. Commercial laundry, such as bed linen and patient linen, is already outsourced at hospitals, yet we’re putting the onus on nurses to properly disinfect their own uniforms. With limited uniforms provided, this not only adds time pressures but also shifts the financial burden of washing at 60°C onto key workers.”

To find out more information, the full research paper can be found here.

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Additionally, researchers tested whether repeated exposure to household laundry detergents could make bacteria stronger and more resistant to antibiotics. They grew common bacteria in detergent over several cycles, and found that some became more tolerant to the detergent and less sensitive to antibiotics. This cross-resistance means that improperly laundered uniforms could play a role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections – a growing concern for hospitals and long-term care settings.

Professor Laird is calling for the NHS to revise its laundry guidelines for healthcare workers and consider using on-site industrial machines or commercial laundry services, to improve patient safety, and control the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

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

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