Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: Samantha Propson, The Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
The standard for reusing and recycling products is a common concern that I often face.
The product we can no longer use is still in good condition and typically has a lot of life left. I strongly encourage donating items to businesses in need, first.
We have donated items considered a waste to local businesses, and we allow employees to take items with them for personal use.
If these items have aged out, repurposing for cleaning supplies is a solution that many have used as well.
If either of these options is not available, there are recycling companies that are focused specifically on textile recycling. If these companies use them and operate properly, old textiles can be repurposed in many ways.
I have seen that some recycling centers or companies have made padding for chairs out of these items, for example.
My hope for future textile recycling is that it can become a standard practice.
Hopefully, partnerships can be formed with businesses to ensure that more textiles can stay out of landfills so they can serve another purpose.
Healthcare Laundry: Jay Juffre, ImageFIRST, King of Prussia, Pa.
As far as textile recycling, Europe is way ahead of North America.
For example, in England, industry leaders came together to launch the Infinite Textiles scheme.
Don’t let the name fool you. Apparently across the pond, “scheme” is actually a very good thing.
The goal was to significantly reduce the annual 6,000 tons of textiles being sent to the landfill every year. The process was basically taking a cradle-to-grave approach for every piece of linen purchased, from sourcing to washing to repair to reuse and to eventual disposal.
Essentially, the organization does everything it can to get the most life out of the linen. Eventually, when it has reached its end of life, it goes to a centralized recycling plant where it is broken down into yarn and sent back to the manufacturers to complete the circle.
Seeing how we produce over 17 million tons of textile waste in the U.S. every year, it is probably where we need to go. And we slowly are.
Some for-profit organizations are looking to capitalize on this opportunity, and with states like Massachusetts starting to ban the disposal of linen and other textiles, there could be a strong market for them.
Some manufacturers have also gotten into the act and offer recycling programs for a little more than what it costs to ship them back the product.
It starts by looking at what you can do.
For example, some companies have repair departments to extend the useful life of a product, but many do not.
Some companies sell their worn textiles to scrap dealers, while others just throw it in the dumpster. And some investigate the recycling programs that are starting to emerge.
If nothing else, donating old products to homeless/women’s shelters, churches and other non-profit organizations is a great first step.
At the end of the day, reusing and recycling textiles will become the norm in this country.
Getting out in front of it is great for the environment, the community and our industry.
Equipment/Supply Distribution: Ross Sanders, Streamline Solutions, Orlando, Fla.
Recycling is a topic that we know quite well.
The only difference is that Streamline Solutions has recycled plastic bags for the laundry industry for about 20 years now and we have recycled over 75 million pounds through the years.
The linen recycling side of it is, no doubt, a different animal as they say. However, there are a lot of similarities between the two types of products when recycling.
For example, certain quantities of product need to be accumulated before it is economically feasible to offer the service to the respective laundry customer.
Both plastic and especially linen must be dry and clear of any types of trash when being “baled.”
On our end at least, when we offer a plastic recycling program to our customers, the plastic does not have to be separated by the colors or materials, but from what I understand, that is not the case on the linen side of things.
I have heard that certain companies will take different linen-type products together that are acceptable to them, and others want the linen products separated by product before the recycling company comes to pick them up.
I know certain types of linen products that are just not the types that have any value to them when recycled, so they are just thrown away by the laundry.
Like anything else, the market for any product and service will change over time. What could have a high value today recycling-wise may be completely different tomorrow as many factors affect the value of the linen product.
Some of those variables include how good is the quality of the linen that is being returned. Is the pricing/value of the linen higher today due to economic factors or even political unrest?
Factors like these could make the market good today and make it completely unfavorable tomorrow and actually make it where the linen recycling service cannot even be offered to laundry customers without a charge being passed along.
Regarding what the future holds, it is hard to predict the future and to know what other companies may be interested in pursuing, but what I can say is that my company, Streamline Solutions, is currently in the phase of looking to offer our customers a linen recycling program in the near future.
I would love to get into details but until everything is finalized on our end, it’s hard to say how someone like us can help solve this issue for today’s laundry plants. On our end at least, we are hopeful to be able to offer this service to all laundries in both the United States and Canada.
We know that every laundry has some goal regarding helping the environment and saving money whether it is to recycle plastic bags, linen, water, cardboard or anything else.
Whether it is us or someone else, a linen recycling program would certainly be beneficial to any healthcare, hospitality or industrial laundry company.
Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Duane Houvener, ADI-American Dawn Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.
Textile waste is a significant environmental issue, and many organizations and technologies are emerging to address it.
Here are some current opportunities and possible future developments in textile recycling and reuse.
Current Opportunities: Charity donations and emergency relief organizations.
Organizations like the American Red Cross and various other charities accept used textiles for areas in need of hurricane relief and other natural disasters.
Most areas also have opportunities to sell their worn-out textiles to companies for extended use/life. These companies are commonly referred to as the Ragman).
Future Recycling Developments: Advanced recycling technologies.
Chemical recycling processes are being developed to break down textiles into their basic fibers, which can be spun into new yarns.
Innovations in mechanical recycling are improving the quality of recycled fibers, making them more suitable for producing new textiles.
Talk to your current textile manufacturers about any current or future programs and opportunities.
Research into biodegradable materials aims to reduce the impact of textile waste.
Regenerative textiles, which can be broken down and used as nutrients for soil, are also under development.
Governments are starting to introduce policies to encourage textile recycling and reduce waste.
For example, the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan includes measures to improve textile recycling rates.
Industry Collaboration: Collaborations between textile manufacturers, recycling companies and industrial laundries are crucial for creating a sustainable textile ecosystem.
By leveraging these opportunities and supporting future developments, your operation can contribute to reducing textile waste and promoting a more sustainable industry.
Check back tomorrow for the conclusion with advice from experts in commercial laundry, textile/uniform rental, equipment manufacturing experts in commercial laundry, textile/uniform rental and equipment manufacturing.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
