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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