TSA’s key questions for the Labour government

Association will also lobby alongside UKHospitality and the CBI

The TSA (Textile Services Association) says it has a series of key questions for the Labour government to answer, and is to lobby the new influx of MPs. The Association is calling on the government to focus on sustainability, particularly in two key areas: healthcare, where it says the UK can save £millions by switching to reusable PPE, and recycling, where government action could help the TSA’s initiative to stop thousands of tonnes of hospitality linens ending up in landfill each year.

Then there’s the fundamental need for help as the commercial laundry industry transitions to carbon net zero, and the TSA is also raising the question of labour shortages and apprenticeship levy fund spending.  In a more targeted area, the Association is looking to government to help promote the understanding of safer laundry practices within the social care sector. 

In recent years the TSA, via its Lobbying Steering Group, has had significant success with raising the profile of the laundry industry and engaging with both MPs and government officials.  But the TSA’s CEO, David Stevens, says there can be no complacency.  “We have to keep pushing at the door,” he says.  “For too long we were overlooked – as was underlined during the lockdowns.  We need to continue to increase the awareness of the importance of our industry to UK Plc.  A successful laundry industry can help the Government achieve its aspirations for economic growth.”  

Nor is the TSA a lone voice.  “We will continue to work alongside our partners, such as UKHospitality and the CBI, to strengthen our lobbying message,” says Stevens.  “We have a very close relationship with UKHospitality and will be coordinating efforts in areas such as the apprenticeship levy, where we are keen to see the funds being allowed to be spent on different types of training.  We will also be contributing to the CBI’s campaigns on the future of work and skills and their drive for progress on energy and climate change.” 

The TSA is calling on its members to reach out to their local MP and invite them to their laundries.  “This proved to be a very successful initiative last year, resulting in several meetings with MPs, questions in the house and cross party discussions, “ says Stevens.  “MPs learnt about the work we do and the support we need, and were happy to take up our cause.  We need to ensure the 355 new MPs are equally well informed!”

To help laundries initiate contact with their MP, the TSA has put together a template invitation.  The Lobbying Steering Group has also issued three tips for members engaging in the effort:

  • Send the invitation both via email and as a physical letter in the post.
  • Be persistent, if you don’t receive a reply make sure to contact them again and again.
  • Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back as not all MPs will engage – but if we can find the ones that will, it will have a big impact.

The template is available on request from 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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Hospitality and laundries agree sustainability targets and action points

Latest UKHospitality and TSA meeting underlines carbon zero agenda

The relationship between UKHospitality and the Textile Services Association, which represents commercial laundries, is becoming even closer, as the latest meeting between the two associations agreed a number of sustainability targets and action points.

The Round Table events started after the pandemic, with the lockdowns emphasising just how much the hospitality and laundry industries depend on each other. The latest event took place in London on 31st July at Regus, Golden Cross House, WC2. Attendees included representatives from major hospitality organisations such as Accor, Center Parcs, Fraser Hospitality, Hilton, IHG, Premier Inn and Travelodge. Mark Chapman, founder and CEO of the Zero Carbon Forum, also attended.

Discussions centred around both UKHospitality’s and the commercial laundry industry’s sustainability roadmap.  The TSA’s presentation on its plan for a carbon calculator for laundry was greeted enthusiastically, with attendees keen to be represented in the technical groups that will contribute to making the data more bespoke for both industries. On sustainable laundry procurement, the TSA and the Zero Carbon Forum plan to look into suitable tender questions for the forum to display.

Other plans include a TSA-hosted webinar for housekeepers on linen loss, talking about how to educate staff on the importance of looking after textiles.  This follows the success of the TSA’s training initiative based around its ‘Pasha the Pillowcase’ animations.   The TSA’s ‘Infinite Textiles’ scheme, which not only focuses on recycling and reusing end of primary use of linens but also on extending the life of the linen and reducing loss. The accreditation scheme was welcomed by the hotel brands as a method of recognising those laundries who are making the commitment to textile circularity.

Other topics included the removal of single use plastics from the laundry process, which is a major joint objective for UKH and the TSA. The meeting also discussed potential future ‘greener’ textiles, which may include fibres made from bamboo; and agreed to work together on a textile working group. The TSA also agreed to produce a statement underlining that hospitality laundry does not create a significant microplastic issue. 

The next UKHospitality TSA Round Table is on 24th September at the NEC Crown Plaza. 

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Update from the TSA

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TSA announces its starting lineup for Autumn Conference 2024

Two days of discussion and networking aimed at helping the laundry industry work smarter

The Textile Services Association (TSA) is returning to the Hilton at St Georges Park in Burton-upon-Trent for its Autumn Conference. The event is designed to give management teams the chance to meet and discuss the biggest issues and latest news affecting the laundry industry.

The Conference will take place on 16th-17th October and will feature a range of workshops and sessions with the team from the TSA alongside experts giving insight on a wide range of vital topics. These topics were selected based on the results of a survey of TSA members aimed at learning the areas they wished to see discussed, to help make the conference as relevant as possible.
Sessions include NHS England Net Zero explaining how to ensure you can deliver a fully compliant tender for an NHS contract; as well as a session from Heather Grant, Principal Employment Law Adviser from Worknest, providing information about current and upcoming HR and employment law.

Other sessions will look at areas like fire prevention in laundries, recycling workwear garments, and measuring your microplastics footprint.

Attendees will also be treated to keynote addresses from inspirational speakers. The first to be announced is British Touring Car Championship driver Nicolas Hamilton, half brother of Lewis Hamilton, who will explain lessons he has learned from his career as the first disabled athlete to compete in the championship. He’ll talk about his determination not to let his cerebral palsy limit him, and the importance of ambition and teamwork in achieving your goals.

As well as this, an industry dinner will be held on the night of the 16th October offering a chance to reconnect with colleagues across the industry in a more informal manner.

“The Autumn conference is a great way for management and leadership within the laundry industry to get together, build relationships and engage with the challenges and opportunities we’re currently grappling with,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “By working together we can help each other grow and develop.”

The Conference looks set to be as popular as in previous years, and with limited spaces, booking early is the best way to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for the conference are £140+VAT, with an additional £50+VAT if you wish to attend the dinner. Hotel rooms can be booked for £125+VAT. For more information and to book spaces, download and complete the booking form from the events section at tsa-uk.org and send it to events@tsa-uk.org.

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Laundry Cost Index: 2024/2025 FYQ1

Laundry Cost Index

Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2024/2025 FYQ1 below:

Latest Laundry Cost Index
Please see the previous annual increases below for comparison to the latest cost index with an annual increase of 3.84%:
The Full Report
Annual Increase
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

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Research update: TSA and De Montfort University look to set new standard for healthcare laundry wash processes

New testing protocols will help to guarantee effectiveness of infection controls in healthcare laundry

The Textile Services Association (TSA) recently presented a new standardised test protocol for evaluating the disinfection efficacy of laundry wash processes at its spring conference. This marks the latest stage in the ongoing partnership between the TSA and De Montfort University (DMU). The research aims to provide accurate information and usable methods of ensuring hygienic cleaning of textiles, particularly in relation to sectors more vulnerable to infection, such as healthcare.

The new protocols were developed following a four-year research project led by Professor Katie Laird at DMU, which was funded and supported by the TSA and other national associations from Europe and America. Professor Laird and her team have extensive experience in studying healthcare textiles and have previously investigated the survival of microorganisms on textiles and specific wash processes required to decontaminate laundry, among other topics.

The importance of creating an effective standardised test for evaluating hygienic cleaning is something that Simon Fry, owner of specialist laundry firm Micronclean Ltd and a TSA board member, has been focussing on since joining the TSA over eight years ago. “The idea for this project came about when manufacturers began introducing chemicals for cold washing,” he says. “While it’s a great idea in terms of energy saving, it can introduce risks in terms of less effective disinfection, which is compounded if the traditional tests being used weren’t giving accurate results.”

“You could almost pick the test to get the results you wanted,” says Simon. “I realised that we would need something that accurately showed the kill rates of bacteria, which could be used by all stakeholders to deliver data that allows everyone to work on a level playing field.”

The TSA reached out to Professor Laird and began funding research with the aim of creating standardised testing protocols that definitively measure how many pathogens are killed by laundry washing processes.

In order to achieve this the DMU team needed to study existing infection controls and the current processing methods for healthcare laundry. They also needed to understand the attitudes and knowledge of healthcare staff in terms of infection control policies and how these apply to textiles. Alongside funding the research, the TSA also organised surveys of both its members in the UK as well as overseas to help build a clearer understanding of the landscape.

Simon Fry Micronclean
Simon Fry, Micronclean
Professor Katie Laird DMU
Professor Katie Laird, De Montfort University

The test developed by Professor Laird and her team accurately demonstrates the disinfection efficacy of laundry during a wash processes in a way that can be used throughout the healthcare sector, whether it is in outsourced laundries or on-premise laundries. The test involves placing a sample of inoculated fabric within a membrane, which looks similar to a teabag that allows water and chemicals through but stops bacteria from escaping, meaning that the effectiveness of the decontamination of the laundry process can be properly evaluated. This allows for a like-for-like comparison of different washing methods and equipment types, and how effectively they kill bacteria present on textiles, helping to ensure that infection control standards are maintained.

“Being able to measure disinfection accurately within a working laundry is paramount in managing textiles as a transmission route for infections, particularly in healthcare settings”, Professor Laird

“The publishing of these test protocols is an important milestone in our ongoing research collaboration,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “The next phase we will see the test methodology incorporated within best practice standards driven by the other national associations, this will include working with the TRSA in America and ETSA in Europe.”

Professor Laird’s team will continue their research into improving hygiene in laundry, focussing on spores that aren’t killed thermally and biofilms that form inside laundry equipment.

For more information on the new testing protocols, visit tsa-uk.org

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TSA’s pole vaulting events coordinator switches to Winter Olympics

Pole vaulter leaps into TSA

Now association’s events coordinator is aiming for glory in the skeleton

Emily Macdonald, the Textile Services Association’s events coordinator, is training to make the Spanish skeleton team and hopes to take part in upcoming international competitions this winter. In fact it was sport, in the shape of pole vaulting, that brought her to the TSA in the first place. “I used to train with Emma Andersson [the TSA’s finance and membership director] and when I was looking for a change of career she suggested applying. Luckily I got the job!”

Pole vaulting is all about hanging on while you go up, while the skeleton is about hanging on while you go down – is that a metaphor for her work with the TSA? “No, that’s all up!” she says. “Obviously I have a passion for sport and one of the great things about working with the laundry industry is that people are very passionate about it.”

Emily’s role is to organise events and training for the TSA and its members – her most recent task being the association’s Spring Conference.  “Feedback was great and it went well, I think,” she says.  “We covered a huge variety of topics – from the DMU research into hygiene standards and testing to the impact of Pasha the Pillowcase!  There’s a huge amount of work involved in advance when setting a conference, of course, but it’s then a real challenge to keep on top of everything while it’s happening.  Luckily the TSA team are very supportive and we all work together when required –especially at the conference.”

The TSA spends significant time on research and talking to members to find out what they need and want in terms of training and events.  “For example, we changed the conference from a one day to a two day event, directly as a result of feedback from members,” Emily says.  “The new format works well and gives delegates more time not only to take in the presentations and workshops, but also to network.”  

Previously Emily worked at Legoland in customer service.  How does the laundry industry compare?  “It’s really cool.  There are so many facets to the industry, and yet ultimately it’s all about the people. I’m lucky because I get to talk to and meet them on a regular basis. 

“I’m really proud of our events and also of how the association is leading the way in areas such as diversity and mental health. It’s very rewarding to be a part of all that.”

And the skeleton?  “The team at the TSA have been very supportive – as have people in the industry as a whole,” says Emily.  “Obviously to get into a national team you have to give 100% during training – and I make sure I give 100% to my work, too.”

“The TSA is a small team,” says David Stevens, CEO of the association.  “Before Emily joined there were just three of us – Emma, Shyju Skariah, our director of programmes and projects, and myself.  So it was very important that she fitted in!  She does a brilliant job and is a real team player.  We’re also very proud of her sporting achievements and we’re happy to help her, for example with flexi working, wherever we can.” 

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TSA launches inclusive leadership training course on diversity and inclusion

Demand for course explaining these vital issues is expected to be high

The Textile Services Association (TSA) is launching a new training course to help develop inclusive leadership skills within the laundry industry. This follows on from the positive response to its mental health training courses, which have already been completed by over 100 people.

While the inclusive leadership course is primarily aimed at managers, it is suitable for anyone interested in understanding the issues around diversity and inclusion and how they can affect staff.

The TSA’s work on diversity and inclusion has been growing steadily since 2020. One of its first steps was examining the gender imbalance within the industry by establishing the ‘Women in the Industry’ working group. The TSA’s Spring Conference has since seen a rise in female attendance, with almost 30% at the 2024 event, much higher than previous years, although the percentage of women attending the TSA’s national congress, its event for executive level employees, was only 10%, indicating that much more progress is required.

The association has since expanded its focus on diversity and inclusion to include minority groups whose representation and participation can also be improved.

A Culture Study conducted in 2022 by the TSA showed strong scores in the category of ‘belonging’ within the industry. “The results are a great foundation to encourage the development of a culture of inclusion,” says Emma Andersson, director of membership and finance at the TSA.

She adds, “Our priority is finding practical steps so that the TSA can help facilitate growth and improvement when it comes to diversity and inclusion within our industry. We’re seeing great support from both our board and our members in these areas, and we are delighted to be able to explore how we can work together to help make our industry even more inclusive.”

The TSA’s upcoming inclusive leadership course will define what diversity, equality and inclusion mean from a regulatory and legislative standpoint, before examining what companies are doing well and the potential consequences if things go wrong. It will also cover The Equality Act 2010, as well as explaining various types of discrimination and unconscious biases and how to overcome them.

“The amazing response to the launch of our mental health courses shows there’s a real appetite in the industry for more information about issues like this,” says Emma.

The course will be administered and led by specialist trainer and facilitator Terry Hayward, from HR and employment law experts Worknest. Terry attended the TSA’s recent Spring Conference where, alongside Emma, he ran a workshop on diversity and inclusion.

“The TSA are really focusing on these issues, not just through education but also by making people aware of the importance of diversity and inclusion,” says Terry. In particular, Terry feels the TSA’s highlighting of the sector’s gender imbalance has been vital in pushing the agenda for a commitment to change.

“It’s really important to acknowledge the issue, to understand it’s there, and then to think, ‘what can we do about it?’” he says. “That’s where the TSA are leading on this.”

The course is scheduled to take place online between 10am-12pm on Tuesday 11th June and costs £75 per person. As with the mental health training course, demand is expected to be high. Spaces are provided on a first come first served basis, so anyone interested in attending should book places as soon as possible by emailing events@tsa-uk.org

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Update from the TSA

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How the TSA is helping to put mental health on the laundry industry’s agenda

Association continues to support the industry as it seeks to improve culture around wellbeing

In advance of Mental Health Awareness Week the TSA is highlighting the progress the laundry industry has made in engaging with issues surrounding mental health, while acknowledging that there is still much progress to be made.

Improving mental health support and awareness for its members has been one of the TSA’s priorities in recent years, as it forms a major part of its efforts to raise standards of diversity and inclusion within the laundry industry. These activities include the creation of the Wellbeing Hub, an online resource containing training and support resources tailored to the specific needs of the industry, the launch of a mental health awareness course for managers and a mental health first aid training course. Next week the number of people who have taken the course will pass 100 , with more to be held during 2024 to meet strong demand.

The courses and support material were developed by the TSA in partnership with Via Vita Health, a health and wellbeing consultancy company. Adrian Thomas, trainer at Via Vita, gave a presentation at the TSA’s Spring Conference where he explored his personal journey with mental health and work and explained why it is vital that businesses engage with the issue.

“I come from one of the generations that doesn’t generally talk about mental health,” he said. “There is a generational divide on these issues, with many people under 30 feeling more confident about discussing them, but I’ve found that once you’re able to break through these barriers older people are eager to discuss the challenges they have faced.”

He went on to explain the importance of not just paying lip service to looking after the mental health of employees, and how meaningful change often requires profound changes of understanding and the culture within businesses. “We are all products of the society we grew up in,” he says. “Attitudes have changed enormously over the past 40 years, and we’re on the same journey with mental health that we’ve seen with sexual identity, physical disabilities and neurodivergence.”

The response to the TSA’s training initiatives demonstrates that there is demand within the industry for an improvement, but Adrian cautioned against complacency. “We are at the start of a long process here, and it will involve changing the mindset of many companies,” he said. “It’s similar to the culture change that the introduction of health and safety legislation led to.  It might seem overwhelming but it is important that the industry continues to engage with these issues and develops the knowledge and confidence in staff to empower them to support their colleagues.”

Despite the great response from the industry to the courses so far, a sense of the scale of the progress to be made can be seen from the informal poll of attendees at the conference.  It revealed that 65% of companies do not have stress risk assessments in place. “Creating this culture change in the industry will require education and collaboration to be effective,” said Adrian. “Beyond the legal requirements for companies to be considering these issues, at the end of the day it comes down to a simple equation – healthier and happier employees perform better.”

Emma Andersson is the TSA’s director of membership and finance.  She says, “Issues surrounding inclusion are of great importance to the laundry industry and the TSA’s members, and we have been extremely pleased by the positive response so far to the mental health training. Every course we’ve run has been fully booked. The next course in May is already sold out, so we recommend anyone interested in attending the next manager’s course in September to book early!”

For more information about upcoming training and to access the Wellbeing hub, visit the TSA’s website tsa-uk.org

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