Latest UKHospitality (UKH) and Textile Services Association (TSA) meeting
focuses on aligning industries’ sustainability roadmaps
UKHospitality and the Textile Services Association are
continuing their joint project to align both industries’ sustainability roadmaps,
and to ensure their collaboration is on course.
The associations’ latest meeting, on 25th June at Regus,
London WC2, was attended by representatives of the TSA and UKH, as well as
major players within the hospitality industry, including Center Parcs, Fraser
Hospitality, Premier Inn and Travelodge.
The areas of discussion spread across the whole spectrum of
sustainability and included carbon
emissions figures, cotton traceability, single use plastics, textiles
recycling, managing linen loss, alternative fabrics and ESG vetting – the reporting
of a laundry’s environmental, social and governance policies.
Also in attendance were the TSA team, including CEO David
Stevens, Jack Quick from UKH, Emma Littlewood of Green Element, who led the
carbon emissions discussion, and Hannah MacVean of Better Cotton Initiative
(BCI), who presented new ideas covering cotton traceability.
“These meetings have brought the hospitality and laundry
industries closer together,” says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. “The sustainability focus is already playing
a significant role as we work together to achieve carbon net zero.”
The removal of single-use plastic is an example of this
successful collaboration. Previously, most
clean laundry was delivered to hospitality sites wrapped in plastic for
protection. Where possible, this plastic
has now been replaced by a variety of innovative delivery methods, removing up
to 100 tonnes of plastic per week, saving 15,000 tonnes of CO2. The meeting was told that this equates to
5,000 return flights from Heathrow to Perth – every week!
A key area for discussion was the increasing interest hotels
have in laundries’ carbon emission figures – so much so that they are now included
in most tender processes. TSA worked
with Green Element to launch the GLARE platform for laundries, which makes the
process of uploading the data to calculate the carbon figures relatively
simple. Hotels particularly liked that
fact that even data ‘per hotel customer’ can be provided to them. The meeting heard that the GLARE platform
will also be useful in determining if alternative fabrics are more
environmentally friendly.
Cotton traceability has been complex in the past, particularly
for businesses looking at more sustainable options. Hannah MacVean told the meeting that BCI is developing
ways to trace cotton not only back to the country of origin, but directly to
the farm, so users have insight and assurance over the provenance of the
cotton. This will also enable the end user to know if BCI cotton is present
within the product, which could not be guaranteed previously. David Stevens says, “We all agreed on the
need to support farmers from an environmental and social aspect. TSA and BCI are working together to develop a
viable solution.”
The meeting also had an update on the Infinite Textiles
scheme, including the TSA discussions with DEFRA about the fact that there are
no end-of-life recycling facilities for textiles in the UK capable of meeting the
association’s criteria and supply. Meanwhile, with 61% of hospitality linen being
lost every year, the TSA has been campaigning on training staff to look after it,
notably with the highly successful Pasha the Pillowcase animation. The figures are improving, but are still
dire. At the meeting, UKH and the TSA
agreed to talk again to the UKHA (the UK Housekeepers Association) to work out
a joint plan of action to continue the campaign.
The next UKH and TSA roundtable meeting will be on 16th
September at the Hampton By Hilton, London, SE1 8XA. It will be attended by representatives from both
laundries and hotels.
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
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