HOUSEKEEPING Linen Management & Recycling

Currently, the hospitality industry generates more than 100,000kg of linen waste each year. This discard rate is especially high as the criteria is more based on the whiteness of the linen rather than its life cycle. Hotels are taking initiatives, however, much of these discards are improperly disposed. What could be all those innovative ways to recycle linen discards and transform them for reuse or even upcycle them? ponders Keerthana Sundar, Special Correspondent, Clean India Journal.

Hotels and resorts require to have clean sheets and towels for hygiene purposes. A single stain or tattered towel can have disastrous consequences on the reputation of hotels. Much of such discarded linen contribute to textile waste. Engaging a robust textile recycling program, including dying and deep cleaning, can extend the lives of most discarded textiles and prevent their early dumping. The benefits of engaging in such a program include:

•     Less nuisance: Placing collection bins at designated areas for hotel staff to drop off soiled linen, cloth napkins, unwanted hotel sheets, towels, cloth napkins, and other textiles provides a hassle-free disposal method. A designated recycling vendor can pick them up and take care of the discarded items efficiently.

•     Detailed data: With the rising importance of meeting ESG goals, a robust recycling program can help determine the amount of discarded textile waste collected and where it subsequently landed up.

•     Lesser fines and tax incentives: The day is not far where stringent government regulations and fines may be levied for dumping textile waste. Tax incentives will be offered by the government in the near future to improve ESG scores for having an effective recycling/disposal program in place.

•     Improved marketing: There is a significant increase in the number of travellers willing to spend on sustainable brands and prefer booking at establishments that are eco-conscious.

While having a general chat across hotels and hospitals on the sustainable management of discarded linen, Sheera Tamang, Country Executive Housekeeper at Six Senses Bhutan, shared practices followed at her hotel to tackle the discarded linen conundrum. “We make liners for our bamboo linen baskets and use these baskets throughout the property instead of trolleys. Amenity liners for guest rooms and cleaning rags are other ways to utilise discarded linen. The discarded linen is also made use of in our TNT (Tour and Transport) linen to save cost from purchasing new linen for TNT accommodation.”

Going deeper on this subject, Clean India Journal decided to launch an online survey on the things that can be recycled and the best alternatives to enhance sustainability and reusability in hotels.

More than 38% of the participants opted for using smaller bottles for shampoos.

About 29% agreed to having glass water bottles in rooms instead of the regular recyclable plastic bottles.

There is much disparity when it comes to recycling linen. About 29% believed that linen and towels provided in hotel rooms should be recycled. However, a meagre 5% relegated to recycling used mattresses.

While the survey is encouraging as hotels are warming up to adopting sustainable products and supporting recycling initiatives, there is a long way ahead before we can see a change in practices.

Hope there is an urgency placed to enforce sustainable practices and combat the burgeoning rate of waste accumulation and its subsequent harm to our environment.