Many businesses running laundry operations in-house will be doing so because they want to
retain ownership of the process and results. Improving sustainability by reducing energy and
water consumption or switching products is often an important consideration too. With energy
costs, in particular, soaring what can businesses do to reduce their consumption and save
money while increasing sustainability?
A good place to start is to check that tasks are completed with the right processes, products,
and equipment. This will help ensure optimum efficiency and reduce the need for repeat
washing which avoids additional water heating and electrical equipment running costs let
alone savings in time and product consumption.
Another simple task is to maintain equipment correctly so that it is reliable and energy
efficient. It is important to follow manufacturers? guidelines for daily inspections and arrange
servicing at the correct intervals. Daily tasks might include, for example, checking and
cleaning a machine's pumps and filters to remove blockages that cause inefficiency.
Washing machines used in hard water areas can be prone to lime-scale. This can
accumulate and restrict the passage of water and impact on the equipment's reliability and
limit the efficiency of the heating element. More energy will be required to heat the same
amount of water. In fact, each millimetre of scale inside the heating element will add around
eight to ten per cent on energy costs for a typical commercial machine. Limescale can also
interfere with internal sensors that manage the temperature and the flow of water and
cleaning products, leading to further inefficiencies and wastage. Regular descaling with a
specialist product or switching to formulations that prevent lime-scale will help prevent this
issue.
Another simple way to reduce energy costs is to switch to products that are effective at lower
temperatures. Washing at 40 o C significantly reduces energy costs by up to a third compared
to washing at 60 o C or above. However, healthcare guidance does stipulate that thermal
disinfection is the preferred choice for infected linen. Alternative low temperature
formulations are available for laundry and will deliver payback from day one. Many can be
swapped into existing processes without significant retraining or other changes.
Thus far these considerations have highlighted the energy-saving benefits of using the
correct equipment, products, and processes. But optimised processes at lower temperatures
can also save another valuable resource: water. The first saving is made by avoiding the
need to wash items a second time.
The second saving is by reducing the number of required rinses ? the standard on many commercial
machines is three rinse cycles. If we consider on average for each kilo of linen three to four litres
of water is required to remove residual soiling and chemical from the fabric,
removing a single rinse will save 33 per cent of the water being used and is achievable
using specific product neutralisers.
Time savings are also achieved by the removal of one or two rinse cycles.
Product formulations are another sustainability consideration. Traditional laundry products
have been developed over decades to deliver highly effective, economical, and consistent
results. But laundry operators are increasingly seeking novel formulations with additional
sustainability benefits. This includes, for example, using ingredients from renewable
resources.
Switching to ultra concentrates from traditional liquid formulations can reduce the
volume needed to support a laundry. This leads to smaller pack sizes or fewer deliveries
which reduces the number of transport movements and lower CO2 emissions as well as
minimising storage and handling burdens across the supply chain, all good sustainability
benefits.
Modern packaging also uses fewer raw materials such as plastics and cardboard.
Sustainability is further enhanced when these materials are made wholly or partially from
recycled sources. Packaging is also designed to be easier to sort and recycle after use. All of
this helps to promote a circular lifecycle for packaging which contributes to the sustainability
of laundry products.
Larger businesses running one or more commercial machines and dealing with higher
volumes of laundry can often achieve significant sustainability benefits by tapping into the
capabilities of the latest smart technologies and applications. These systems work in
conjunction with washing machines and dosing equipment to help on-premises laundry
operators reduce costs, minimise rewashes, and enhance results by providing an advanced
set of remote real-time management and diagnostic tools over the Internet. Operators can
respond proactively to deal with issues before they impact on operations and modify settings
to optimise water and energy consumption and the quality of results.
Many of the changes outlined above can be implemented quickly and easily with little or no
additional upfront investment. When more significant change is identified it becomes much
easier justify an investment when energy prices rise because savings offset the costs much
more quickly. Reputable suppliers can advise on the most energy-efficient combination of
their products for specific applications. They will support their claims with proper
documentation and may have tools and calculators to help assess savings.
Laundry forms part of Diversey's Washcraft service that is based on decades of expertise
and experience in delivering highly effective and sustainable solutions for commercial laundry
and kitchen hygiene. Washcraft is a feature of Diversey's display on Stand E30 at The
Cleaning Show. Other sustainable products and services on the stand include the TASKI
swingo 250 and TASKI ULTIMAXX scrubber driers, the SafePack ultra concentrate
system, and the SURE range of plant-based, 100 per cent biodegradable cleaning products.