Laundry Efficiency win prestigious Queens Award for Sustainable Development

29 April 2021

Since 2016, Laundry Efficiency have been on a mission to make the textile care industry greener and more sustainable. Their progressive business model of encouraging the industry to reduce excessive waste, pollution and misuse of natural resources is recognised with the United Kingdom’s highest official British business award.

The company is one of only 205 organisations nationally recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise. They will carry the honour of using the acclaimed Royal Warrant for the next five years. 

The highly coveted award is for their outstanding achievement in tackling important environmental issues within the laundry supply chain to make the world a better place.

Graham Oakley, the Commercial Director of Laundry Efficiency reflects ‘From day one, my aim has been to make the world a greener place. I am delighted that our consultancy services and greenwashing system is helping the textile care industry make critical environmental changes in affordable ways. Winning a Queens Award is testament to the transformation and high eco standards we get our customers to reach’.

The Queens Award for Sustainable Development is not the only award Laundry Efficiency has won. In 2020, they won Keele University’s Breaking the Mould Award for developing a new software system that gives Laundry Efficiency customers real time data to reduce their carbon footprint.

In addition to this, they won the Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce Sustainability and Environment award (2020), the FSB’s Green Business of the Year Award (2020, 2019, 2018) and LADA’s Green Impact Award (2018). All awards have been given in response to balancing economic, environmental and societal concerns within industry practice. 

However, despite the awards, Laundry Efficiency has vowed to continue pushing forward the idea of a greener, cleaner and more sustainable supply chain for the textile industry. They believe it is critically important that commercial laundries adopt new practices to remain relevant in addition to servicing their customers’ high standards. It’s no longer enough to offer whiter than white linen. Post-pandemic, linen now has to be white, clean and bacteria-free. 

The suite of products and consultancy services that Laundry Efficiency offer can give their customers clean, bacteria-free whiter than white linen. How? 

Firstly, their ‘NASA’ developed Ozone technology is an advanced product that kills bacteria, halves wash time, reduces plastic waste and decreases the level of harmful surfactants in drainage water. 

Secondly, their new Wash & Protect chemicals address the challenge of maintaining sanitised cleanliness as textiles remain bacteria-free for up to three months after washing – a claim verified by independent ISO22196:2011 testing. 

Finally, Laundry Efficiency takes a consultative approach, advising and creating best-fit systems for commercial laundries of all shapes and sizes. They will even train users up to healthcare standards and provide certification for laundry operators who continuously achieve best practice. 

Forward-thinking and environmentally aware commercial launders can rely on Laundry Efficiency to provide a complete ‘green washing’ system. A system that saves money, time, resources and provides credibility in respect to their eco responsibilities. 

Recent social trends indicate a new ‘war on waste’ is burgeoning, suggesting the general public could very likely reject a hotel, gym, spa or restaurant because of perceived waste creation and consumption. Therefore as the textile care market innovates after a challenging year, Laundry Efficiency has award-winning products that give laundry owners a springboard for a brighter future. 

For more information, please visit their website here. 

Christeyns celebrates 10 years of engineering expertise

27 April 2021

Specialist hygiene chemicals manufacturer Christeyns is celebrating 10 years since it first began designing and producing dosing equipment to support its range of laundry and hygiene products.

Today the company has a brand new engineering facility in Budapest, Hungary which develops a range of high-tech equipment for many of its markets around the globe.  The multi-functional 1,200m2 unit will allow production to be managed in-house for all divisions including food & beverage, professional hygiene and medical.

At Christeyns UK, a self-contained Engineering unit was added to the Bradford-based business in 2019 to provide an important service hub and support growth in the engineering division across its commercial laundry client base in the UK and Ireland. 

Christeyns Engineering is a name synonymous with quality and expertise and has been expanding its influence in the laundry sector year on year. As the largest player in the UK Commercial Laundry sector and with an increasing market share, high-tech engineering systems are now a critical part of the customer offering.

The UK engineering unit provides support for all Christeyns equipment including Flux-Compact, Flux-Star and Flux-Multi dosing kits, Ozone generating apparatus, Speed O and Christeyns’ own water and energy saving equipment.

“Engineering is now a huge part of the laundry business,” states Christeyns Operations Director Justin Kerslake.  “Advancements in technology have led to systems that save money and improve efficiency, crucial for commercial laundries.  We have expanded our facilities and team to better service this side of our business.”

Christeyns UK is part of international detergents and chemicals specialist Christeyns, whose headquarters is in Belgium.  Here in the UK the firm employs over 200 staff and incorporates construction chemicals provider Oscrete, as well as Christeyns Food Hygiene, Clover Chemicals and delicate care specialist Cole & Wilson.

For further information visit:

www.christeyns.com

TSA launches scheme for recycling textiles used in the hospitality industry

30 million textile pieces wasted each year: “The time is right for innovative solutions,” says TSA CEO.

The Textile Services Association (TSA) is calling for the hospitality, catering and healthcare industries to work with them in order to improve the recycling of textiles. Every year over 30 million textile items, including sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases and towels, are thrown away. This equates to over 2000 tonnes. The majority of these will end up in landfill or incinerated.  Meanwhile the cloth that actually does get reused often only gets one additional use cycle, as rags in sites such as garages, before also being disposed of.

Textile waste from the hospitality industry is ideal for recycling, as it is predominantly made of natural fibres, and white. The TSA has set up a project to research potential recycling solutions for the industry. It has teamed up with Swedish company Södra, which has pioneered a method that takes textile and re-engineers it into a pulp that can be used to spin cotton fibre yarns. A test shipment was recently sent to them to determine how suitable it will be for use in the UK.

Members of the TSA are well positioned to facilitate the recycling of textiles. Over 90% of hotels in the UK are serviced by TSA members, which will enable them to easily handle the logistics of the proposed recycling scheme. “We want to be part of the solution,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “So far our members have been very enthusiastic about the potential for them to help industries reducing waste and improving sustainability.”

The TSA is also in talks with UK Hospitality about the possibility of including staff uniforms in the scheme, which account for an additional four million items annually. Recycling uniforms is more complex as they often use a mix of different materials and accessories that require separation first. Going forward, designing uniforms for recycling is one of the solutions being discussed.

“We are delighted to be working with the TSA on their recycling project and it compliments perfectly our current campaign of Net Zero Carbon by 2030,” says Kate Nicholls OBE, Chief Executive of UK Hospitality.

Stevens adds, “It’s a win-win for the environment as landfill use and incineration is reduced alongside less need for new cotton. It’s estimated that 20,000 litres of water are required for every kilo of cotton grown, not forgetting the risks of fertiliser run-off.  Anything that reduces the impact this crop has must be good.”

With more companies and business sectors looking for innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact David Stevens feels the time is right to consider bold and innovative solutions to the larger issues they face. “We welcome all the feedback we’re getting and call on more stakeholders to come forward to discuss the individual needs of their businesses in order to make this scheme a success,” he says. 

If you wish to discuss the above or if you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 020 3151 5600 or at tsa@tsa-uk.org.

CLEAN are proud to announce ISO 9001:2015 Certification for quality management

21 April 2021

CLEAN are delighted to have been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification, an internationally recognised standard that ensures the rental and launder of garments, dust mats and any sundry items meet the needs of customers through an effective quality management system. The quality management system previously used at the Cheltenham workwear laundry site proved to be robust and consistent.  The next logical step was to formalise the standard and achieve a certification recognised by all its customer base, particularly those customers involved in the food manufacturing sector.

A Continuous Improvement Culture

CLEAN’s decision to work towards ISO 9001:2015 accreditation demonstrates its commitment to continually improving products and services.  To become ISO 9001:2015 compliant, the Workwear division based at CLEAN’s Cheltenham laundry site, underwent an extensive audit that included further development of its quality management system, a management system documentation review, pre-audit, initial assessment, and clearance of any non-conformances. The certification has provided CLEAN with greater visibility of their unique garment track and trace system and a progressive, robust framework for document control, root cause analysis and corrective action to ensure ongoing continual improvement.

Relentless Focus on Excellence

BSI Assurance Mark ISO 9001: 2015 is one of the most rigorous and well-regarded standards in the world.  The team at CLEAN were audited by BSI and were presented with their certificate in March 2021.

Gaining ISO 9001:2015 reinforces CLEAN’s relentless focus on providing consistent, industry-leading laundry services, measured against global benchmarks of excellence.

CLEAN’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Godley says:

“Achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification is fantastic news and means our customers have complete assurance our workwear rental and laundry services operate to the highest quality standard. We always strive for continuous improvement and this certification sees us take another step on our journey.”

He added:

“I am extremely proud of our team for their achievement. It provides further proof of CLEAN’s commitment to ensuring quality and providing the best possible service to our customers. We are dedicated to constant improvement and development. Achieving and maintaining an ISO 9001:2015 accreditation ensures we have the processes and systems in place for this and allows us to continuously measure and improve our performance within the ISO 9001 regulatory framework.”

CLEAN’s ISO 9001:2015 Certificate/Licence number is FS 736965 verifiable by visiting the inclusion in the Certificate Client Directory on the BSI website, click here to view the listing.

For more information about CLEAN, please visit www.cleanservices.co.uk or follow on Twitter @cleanlinenltd.

Laundry Cost Index: 2020/2021 FYQ4

Laundry Cost Index

Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2020/2021 FYQ4 below. FYQ4 constitutes data for January, February and March 2021 months as per the latest release of quarterly energy prices by BEIS (Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy).

Additionally, please note the same as for the last cost index (2020/2021 FYQ3), previously used indexes for Textiles and Other Transport have been discontinued and replaced with new indexes due to recent methodology changes by the Office for National Statistics.

Latest Laundry Cost Index

Please see the Previous Annual Increases below for comparison:

The Full Report
Annual Increase
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.

T: +44 (0)20 3151 5600
E: tsa@tsa-uk.org

Update from the TSA Chief Executive

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TSA joins BCC in move to benefit and strengthen both associations

Textile Services Association is warmly welcomed to BCC membership

The voice of the cleaning and hygiene industry will be heard more loudly

The Textile Services Association (TSA) has joined the British Cleaning Council (BCC) as an associate member.

The TSA represents commercial laundries in several sectors and textile rental businesses serving the hotel and hospitality, healthcare and workwear markets.  The textile care services industry contributes over £1.3 billion in GVA and supports some 28,000 jobs in the UK economy.  It has become the 22nd member of the BCC, in a move which benefits and strengthens both organisations.

BCC chair Paul Thrupp said, “I am delighted that the TSA has joined the BCC and I very warmly welcome them.  Working together with the TSA makes the BCC and the whole cleaning and hygiene sector that much stronger.  It is important that the cleaning and hygiene sector pulls together to present a unified front if we are to make our collective voice heard as loudly as possible.

“Textile services is a significant sector of the economy. There are also considerable synergies with the cleaning and hygiene sector as represented by our members, particularly in the health and hospitality sectors.  The TSA’s work lobbying the Government to move towards multi-use gowns for healthcare is something that dovetails well with the work of our members on the environmental agenda and their work on skills also supports our drive to create an accredited training and apprenticeship.

“We have many issues of mutual interest and I look forward to collaborating in the future. “

The TSA represents commercial laundries in several sectors and textile rental businesses serving the hotel and hospitality, healthcare and workwear markets.

TSA CEO David Stevens said, “We are delighted to join the BCC and work collectively with so many like-minded organisations.  We have so many harmonised agenda points I think the collective power of the BCC can really help drive these topics to some of the key decision makers in Government.  I see real benefits for our membership and improved momentum on some of our key project areas such as training, linen recycling and energy efficiency incentives, including the climate change agreement.

“An individual trade association can find it difficult to get space on the lobbying platform.  Working with the BCC will be a great way of sharing and supporting a single message, benefitting all members.”

If you wish to discuss the above or if you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 020 3151 5600 or at tsa@tsa-uk.org.

TSA Knowledge Network Open Day

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Christeyns UK supplies water saving equipment for Eton College

24 March 2021

Laundry chemical and engineering specialist Christeyns UK has helped Eton College in Windsor meet its environmental goals with a new water filtering system.

Eton college, the prestigious boarding school in Berkshire, has been educating for the future for over 600 years.  Founded in 1440, this outward-looking institution with over 1300 students, has a proud history and rich heritage, yet embraces innovation in its pursuit of excellence and the provision of a well-rounded education.

However, it is not only forward thinking in its educational goals but also in the operational day to day running of the college and its commitment to sustainability.

In 2017 the college cut its energy costs by replacing lamps and fixtures that led to a reduction in their carbon footprint by 61%.  Earlier this year the college tackled the issue of water saving with the installation of a new storage and filtering system, Lint X.

Renowned for its innovative water and energy saving systems, Christeyns installs equipment in commercial and on-premise laundries across the UK and Ireland that complement the use of its patented Cool Chemistry and other detergent programmes.

Eton College has had a laundry on site since 1881 and has been using Christeyns’ chemistry for almost a decade.  A dedicated team of 30 run and maintain the laundry that processes 50,000 items per week which includes everything from rugby kit to chef’s outfits.  Items are sorted, washed, ironed and then individually repacked for each boy. 

“As a whole, both the school and the pupils are focused on improving our environmental commitment,” states Facilities Manager Paul Bayley.  “Addressing water usage was one of the initiatives that came out of a recent meeting, realising that the old tank system was way beyond being efficient.”

Christeyns Water and Energy specialist Brett Cartwright analysed the current provision and needs of the College and a Lint X Compact was installed and up and running ready for the students return post lockdown.

The new unit will save the site around a third of their water usage which over the course of a year will represent a considerable saving and go a long way towards meeting the College’s sustainable targets.

Lint-X Compact comprises a pair of tanks for storing and filtering used water from the washing process, typically water from the press tanks and rinse water tanks of the CBW’s.

The unit operates between three to five pumps and a freshwater valve in order to supply several washing machines with filtered, but used water, thus reducing the freshwater consumption in a laundry.

Paul continues: “Christeyns carried out a very professional installation of the Lint-X unit despite the challenges imposed due to lockdown.  The whole process went very smoothly and I look forward to seeing the longer term impact on our water usage.”

Sustainability is a way of life, not just relevant to laundries.  With the help of Christeyns, Eton College is setting the right example for other educational institutions, for its pupils and for the wider community.

For further information visit:

www.christeyns.com

www.etoncollege.com