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Regenex has announced its best-ever return rate so far on a bumper batch of hospitality industry towels from Super Laundry in London.
The linen revival specialist has achieved a 95 per cent success rate on 2.6 tonnes of towels from the forward-thinking customer whose 20 plus full-time drivers make more than 100 deliveries every day around the South East. The impressive result compares with typical returns of 75 to 80 per cent on standard consignments.
Regenex and Super Laundry worked together on two conditions that maximised the carbon and money savings involved – and the combination will inform ongoing research and development to benefit future possibilities.
The double-pronged efficiency approach involved baling towels on pallets, rather than using more usual metal cages. Though narrower cages are necessary for moving stock through hotel doors and corridors, they are not needed for Regenex’s factory with its forklift trucks and loading bays.
Secondly, Regenex employed a combination of stain removal and dyeing – a first for a single batch of stock. While the majority of the successfully treated 2.5 tonnes was returned following the patented, gentle multi-bath stain and discoloration removal process, any items that could not be revived to pristine white condition were dyed in rich colours for future spa use.
This approach left only about 100 kilogrammes of stock that could not be returned to circulation, due to rips or tears, and was duly passed on for careful recycling.
Paul Hamilton, Technical Director at Regenex, said: “This is a great example of how Regenex works on bespoke solutions with individual customers. Together with Super Laundry we assessed the consignment, the most efficient and effective way to prepare it for transit, and a choice of two treatments that would lead to maximum yield.”
William Ray, Founder of Super Laundry, added: “We work around the clock, 365 days per year, and we’re always looking to operate more sustainably. We use ozone technology, we avoid chemicals and our processes don’t involve any single-use plastics, anwhere. Working with Regenex is part of this ethos and we were delighted to get the most out of every piece of stock in this consignment, with the help of Paul and the team.”
The exercise saved Super Laundry 7.5 tonnes of carbon and 12.5m litres of water on the manufacture of top-up stock that the laundry would have needed, had the towels been condemned. It also saved a considerable amount of money on the cost of replacement items.
Calculations are based on 5,000 litres of water and 3kg carbon saved per kg processed, on the resources needed to manufacture an equivalent weight of new cotton. Figures assume that the life cycle of the revived linen is doubled.
