ALEXANDRIA, Va. — TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services providers, celebrates its Clean Green certification as the program embarks on its second decade.
The certification is earned by companies that demonstrate leadership in environmental sustainability and meet certain benchmarks for water and energy conservation and emissions reduction.
Over the past decade, 34 companies with 111 plants have shown their commitment to sustainability by meeting the requirements of the Clean Green certification, shares TRSA.
These companies have implemented water, energy and fuel conservation measures in order to reduce their facilities’ environmental impact and shrink their carbon footprints.
The commercial laundry industry, led by Clean Green certified operators, proudly saves 30 billion gallons of water annually and uses 160% less energy compared to in-house or at-home laundries, according to the association.
As the first commercial laundry company to earn the Clean Green certification in 2012, Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply continues to be a leader in this space.
Dempsey has a long history of partnering with TRSA to develop sustainable laundry initiatives, including in their role as founding members of the Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program (LaundryESP®), the industry’s first voluntary conservation program.
“Most green initiatives make good business sense in our industry, so both our business and the environment benefit from our efforts,” says PJ Dempsey, Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply president and TRSA Environmental Committee chairman.
“It was only natural that we would be the first to pursue certification for Clean Green.”
The TRSA Clean Green certification requires laundry operators to meet high standards for water, energy and fuel conservation; undergo independent third-party inspections; and implement established best management practices.
Qualifying companies successfully reduce water and fuel consumption, reuse water from rinse cycles, and recycle laundry supplies and wash water.
California Linen Services, another long-time Clean Green certified company, has developed an environmentally friendly business model, including boasting a fleet of delivery vehicles that runs entirely on natural gas.
By applying environmentally friendly practices and meeting Clean Green standards, the company and its employees are helping to protect the natural environment rather than degrading it.
“[Today,] washers, dryers, ironers and other equipment used by laundries use far less water, electricity and energy to operate,” says Brian O’Neil, California Linen Services’ president.
“The laundry chemical suppliers provide more environmentally friendly chemicals and wash formulas to wash our linens, garments and other items.”
In addition to its numerous environmental benefits, the Clean Green certification has enabled companies to provide customers with the greenest and the cleanest textiles while helping to improve their business’s bottom line.
“Clean Green practices are no longer just best management practices, they are requirements for laundries who want to remain competitive, attract new business and recruit and retain the best employees,” Dempsey adds.
As TRSA looks to the next decade of Clean Green, the association strives to routinely assess the certification requirements and ensure the highest environmental standards.
Companies like Dempsey and California Linen Services believe that maintaining the TRSA Clean Green certification will safeguard businesses in the face of ever-changing government regulations.
Additionally, many predict that customers will consider a serious commitment to environmental stewardship a prerequisite to doing business, especially as reusable textiles increasingly become the default option over in-house laundries and disposable items, both of which use more energy and water and create more waste.
“Reusable textiles will continue to replace one-time-use items in all lines of business,” says O’Neil. “TRSA is helping all of us to a better future.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
