ALEXANDRIA, Va. — February 23, 2018 — White Plains Linen of Peekskill, N.Y., has been recertified Clean Green, reflecting the company’s dedication to standards for operational efficiency and sustainability. The certification quantifies linen, uniform and facility services’ environmentally friendly performance by confirming an operation launders within TRSA-designated water and energy use thresholds; and verifies use of best management practices (BMPs) in line with the ASTM International environmental laundering standard.

White Plains Linen’s customers can be assured their tabletops, napkins, uniforms, mats and other reusable textiles are washed, dried and finished with processes that maximize sustainability and reduce greenhouse emissions. Clean Green certified operations demonstrate significant commitment to conservation and green operations through these BMPs:

• Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water;
• Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse;
• Using environmentally friendly detergents;
• Removing solids and liquids from wastewater;
• Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting;
• Recycling programs;
• Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel; and
• Spill prevention plans.

White Plains Linen earned Clean Green certification initially in 2014. The designation is valid for three years at a time. TRSA inspects laundry facilities seeking certification and approves documentation of their water and energy use and BMP deployment through production reports they submit to auditors during the inspections. TRSA’s certification management protocol includes auditor training by the association’s inspection program administrator.

Clean Green aligns with the ASTM International standard, Guide for Sustainable Laundry Practices, which recognizes key criteria for the certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work. ASTM’s review of TRSA BMPs verified these as the most effective and practical techniques for a laundry to achieve green objectives.

TRSA members prompted development of the standard, which was vetted in the sustainability subcommittee of the ASTM Committee on Textiles. Top technical experts, scientists and environmental professionals from outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry reviewed the BMPs. ASTM is the global leader in developing and delivering voluntary consensus standards unparalleled in building consumer confidence in product and service quality.

“I applaud White Plains Linen for their ongoing sustainability efforts and maintaining the highest standards in their production and delivery operations,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “Meeting all the criteria for certification is not easy, but the company is committed to industry-leading processes and technologies.”

Posted February 31, 2018

Source: TRSA

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — February 20, 2018 — Milliken & Company has been named a 2017 “Gold Supplier” by office and home furnishings giant Herman Miller Inc. This annual award honors key suppliers for excellence in service to the company, community and environment.

To qualify, suppliers must meet rigorous performance standards in the areas of product quality, on-time delivery, cost savings, diversity, sustainability, business compliance and company culture.

With its long-standing corporate commitment to responsible manufacturing, eliminating waste and delivering innovations that do good, Milliken scored high marks across all categories.

“Milliken is fortunate to work closely with leading brands and manufacturers across all areas of the interiors industry,” said Jennifer K. Harmon, vice president, Milliken Specialty Interiors. “However, getting this award from Herman Miller, a company known for its exacting standards, extremely high quality and corporate social responsibility, is a major honor for Milliken. We share these same values and believe this award will serve as further evidence of the value and service Milliken brings to the table for each of our customers.”

This recognition comes on the heels of Milliken’s expansion of its Specialty Interiors business through key talent acquisitions from the furniture and textile industries and the successful launch of Breathe by Milliken™, the world’s first fluorine-free performance fabric compatible with synthetic and natural fibers.

Posted February 20, 2018

Source: Milliken Specialty Interiors

MUNICH, Germany/DONAUESCHINGEN, Germany — February 19, 2018 — Sympatex Technologies starts a new initiative on sustainability with its long-standing customer RICOSTA: the ecological alternative amongst functional textile specialists provides the traditional company with completely recycled Symptex lining material for the field of children’s shoes for the next season. Thanks to this agreement, Ricosta is the first manufacturer of children’s shoes which adapts its Sympatex line to completely recycled materials. Thus, Ricosta and Sympatex jointly take the next step in their initiative on sustainability. This measure is completed by a joint POS campaign targeted at playfully teaching children plastic and recycling.

The linings which are recycled of up to 100 percent consist of GRS- (global recycled standard) or bluesign®-certified polyester fibers made out of recycled PET bottles. The life cycle assessment is excellent when comparing the production of 1 kilogram (kg) of used recycled polyester fibers with 1 kg of polyester fibres based on crude oil: 32 percent CO2 reduction, 60-percent energy saving and 94 percent less water consumption. Instead of 60 liters only about 3 liters of the rare resource are used.

In line with this, Sympatex has developed a compact children’s mini-book entitled “Sam and the plastic plan“ easily teaching children the importance of recycling. The booklet has been presented for the first time at ISPO Munich at the Sympatex booth. Next winter season, it will additionally be a supplement to each pair of Ricosta/Sympatex children’s shoes of the brands Pepino and Ricosta as well as provided as a sales document for selected Ricosta distributors.

“We think that the youngest of the next generation must have a say as well in ecological issues,” explained Dr. Rüdiger Fox, CEO, Sympatex Technologies. “Since if we don’t close the plastic cycle as soon as possible, they will already be the next generation which will find more plastic than fish in the oceans when they have become adults. And the textile industry can make a significant contribution.”

Posted February 16, 2018

Source: Sympatex Technologies