The Prolonging of the Linen Life-cycle – Vital Part of the Global Sustainability Scheme

Reducing waste is an issue with global significance and part of a series of worldwide initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle, but also to refuse and repurpose. Are there any initiatives for linens that are no longer commercially usable? The answer is YES!

First of all, hotel guests have become allies in this important sustainability issue. Notices requesting to reuse towels have been effective, not only in managing water and energy but also in prolonging the lifespan of towels by reducing the number of wash cycles they go through.

Paul Hamilton, technical director at Regenex UK – a linen recovery specialist –  has some options for laundries: “Many laundries condemn good linen to rag way too early in its life cycle, simply because it is stained with food, rust, fake tan, mildew etc. But commercial linen suppliers are now becoming much more careful with what they throw away. Our company can help by saving an average of 75 per cent of a hotel, hospital or restaurant’s very dirtiest linen.”  The company proudly claims to have processed 400 tonnes of stained linen so far, returning three quarters of this material to stock – and representing a total saving of 1,200 tonnes of carbon and 30 million litres of water.