Cleaning up laundry's dirty footprint

Every year, the global laundry industry washes millions of tonnes of textiles for healthcare and hospitality clients emitting an estimated 62 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. 

The impact of laundry operations on the environment and climate is complex, and occurs at various points along the supply chain. On one hand, the industry needs to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that result from the use of fossil fuels to run machinery, heat water, and dry textiles. On the other hand, significant improvements need to be made in the supply chain to reduce emissions related to textile production, chemistry manufacturing, and equipment development.

The hospitality industry contributes around 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to South Africa's yearly emissions. To meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals, the global hotel industry must reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per room per year by 66% by 2030, and 90% by 2050. 

The NHS generates a massive carbon footprint of 31 MtCO2e, with 80% (24.9 MtCO2e) originating from its supply chain. Linen and laundry services, as well as the repeated procurement of scrubs and linen (of which 80% is lost each year), are significant contributors.

As the world’s first B Corp™️, carbon-neutral laundry service with EN 14065 accreditation, we are proud to support hospitality and NHS services – contributing to sustainability goals, positively impacting ESG credentials, and supporting a healthier planet.

At Oxwash, we prioritise our social responsibility and the positive impact we can make in our communities. Since 2022, we've been measuring our Social Value, assessing our contributions to local employment, skills development, diversity and inclusion, supply chain activity, and community projects. Using the National TOMs Framework, we track our progress, identifying areas for improvement and opportunities to make a difference. 

Our people-first approach ensures the well-being of our employees and the communities we serve. As the cost of living remains a challenge for many households, we recognise the significance of generating social value. 

In 2024, we remain committed to supporting our colleagues, providing opportunities for all, and continuing our community initiatives.

Developed in collaboration with Christeyns, our water reclamation system, known as HydRO, utilises advanced processes like iron removal, water softening, and reverse osmosis to treat wastewater from our washers. It purifies the water for reuse, and also filters out microplastics, heavy metals, and bacteria, reducing freshwater consumption by up to 80%. Coupled with rainwater collection, this innovative technology promises to minimise our net freshwater usage to a mere 0.5 litres per kilogram of linen.

2024 also marked the introduction of our tunnel washer. These state-of-the-art machines, known as 'continuous batch washers,' efficiently clean large volumes of linens, towels, and uniforms. Not only do they conserve water by recycling it within a closed-loop system, but also minimise energy wastage during operation. And, their multi-stage washing process reduces detergent usage and wastewater generation compared to traditional machines.

In 2021 we benchmarked our sustainability performance and created our first roadmap. Since then, we have made significant progress in turning the tide on textile care, but along the way, we have realised that we need to break free from the current system's status quo. To achieve our vision, we must co-create a new model, guided by our core values of integrity, creativity, and unity.

Our strategy remains clear: concentrate on decarbonising textile care within the high-end hospitality and healthcare sectors. We will continue to work on expanding our supply of carbon-free cleaning from our flagship industrial cleaning plant, Big Blue I. Once we demonstrate the profitability of our Net-Zero, first-of-its-kind facility, we plan to secure additional financing to build four more across the UK, ensuring nationwide coverage.

We believe that we must go beyond zero and become a positive and regenerative force for society and the planet.