The
TSA plans campaign to improve sustainability
The NHS loses over 80% of its
linen every year. It’s a massive drain
on resources and very much against sustainability targets. Now the TSA (Textile Services Association) is
working with the NHS to put together a programme to help reduce the level of
wastage.
Around 90% of the NHS’s linen,
which includes bed sheets, pillowcases, and surgical gowns, is actually owned
by commercial laundries, so TSA members are acutely aware of the wastage issue
– and the stats. Typically a laundry
will supply the linen, collect it when dirty, then sort it, wash it, repair or
replace it if required, and then return it.
The NHS losses amount to 4 million pieces of linen, which equates to
7,600 tonnes of carbon. It’s not just
the textiles that are lost – to manufacture those 4 million lost pieces will
have taken 24 billion litres of water, the equivalent of around 300 million
full bathtubs.
“It’s a massive problem and a
big black mark against the NHS’s own sustainability targets,” says David
Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “A key issue is
getting NHS staff to understand the value of the linen they use – a lot of the
losses are due to misuse. For example, they shouldn’t be using bed linen
to clean things or mop up spills.”
In conjunction with the NHS,
the TSA is putting together training resources to help staff understand the
value of linen and to explain what good (and bad) practice looks like. One poster shows how to make linen last
longer, listing the types of stains that can render the textile unusable.
Another key issue the TSA is
focusing on is disposable vs reusable gowns. “The sustainability argument is
cut and dried,” says Stevens. “A disposable
gown can be used once, reusable gowns can be used 70 or more times, which makes
them both economically and environmentally the best choice. At end of life, disposable gowns have to be
disposed of, whereas reusable ones can be recycled.” While
around 30% of NHS estate uses reusable surgical gowns, this still leaves
significant numbers that don’t.
Stevens presented the TSA’s
ideas at the recent Healthcare Facilities Management Conference. “The feedback we have had from NHS bosses has
been very positive,” he says. “We are
working with them to find the best way to educate and change attitudes, with
the aim of delivering a more sustainable linen service for the NHS.”
The TSA is the trade
association for the textile care services industry. The TSA
represents commercial laundry and textile rental businesses. Membership
ranges from family-run operations through to large, multi-national
companies. Visit www.tsa-uk.org
for more information.
Press Enquiries:
The Publicity Works: 01263 761000; teaboy@publicityworks.biz
David Stevens, CEO, Textile Services Association,
T: +44 (0)20 3151 5600 M:
+44 (0)7966 531954 E:
david.stevens@tsa-uk.org
Get the latest news on the TSA from tsa-uk.org or from the TSA press office at publicityworks.biz