The greatest environmental benefit is achieved in the laundry. Not for that, when purchasing. Not even afterwards, at the end-of-life. But in the ultimate efficiency of every wash. Day in, day out, year in, year out. Luuk de Win, who runs the laundry together with his brother Stef, explains exactly where Nedlin's profit lies. Why it's bigger than other laundries. And why reusables are important, but the washing process so much more. Disposables are the major blemish on any hospital that wants to operate sustainably. Surgical hats, insulation jackets and surgical blankets that are thrown away after one use are the face of what is wrong with our use of materials. And until recently, they were very popular, mainly because of their price. “Disposables have been incredibly cheap for a long time,” says Luuk. “The purchase price of those items is lower than the price of reusables.” If you include handling and waste, that advantage evaporates. Moreover, during corona, Luuk saw that hospitals suddenly paid the top price for disposables. “Because those products all come from China.” As a result, and because sustainability in healthcare is becoming an increasingly important theme, reusables are now on the wish list of every hospital. The next step in sustainability Nedlin offers a sustainable alternative for the necessary items. Products that last for years, which means that the hospital has to process much less waste and is not affected by the vagaries of the global supply market, so that employees can always have them. Bottom line, these products are even cheaper. Nevertheless, the sustainability gain of washable surgical caps and other products is limited. “Reusables only make up 1 or 2% of the total linen package,” explains Luuk. “The other 98% are already being used again and again.” For that 98%, Nedlin offers a sustainable package. But even that doesn't offer the greatest gain. “If you really want to make a difference, you have to go to a laundry that thinks about the next step in sustainability,” says Luuk. “That is where the most CO2 is saved, even more than in the production of the linen.” And that starts with a sustainable process design in a sustainable building. Energy neutral washing “A washing process consumes a lot of energy. We wondered what we can do with proven technology to reduce our energy consumption as much as possible. We have made fundamental choices. This is only possible if, like us, you start from scratch. In the process we will reuse all the water, so that we only need a small amount of water for evaporation and the disposal of sludge.” The existing Hospitality laundry will be connected to the new water flow. Thickly insulated basins maintain the temperature of the purified water at 40 degrees. Residual heat from ironers, dryers and finishers raises it to 50 degrees. "It just takes a little bit of energy to get it to 60 degrees, the temperature we need for washing." 45% CO2 savings The machines are new and advanced. Dryers have a heat recovery system, ironers do not work with steam, but with burners. Luuk: “If you implement these kinds of interventions integrally, you take enormous steps. Our energy consumption is already much lower than usual in the industry, but we expect to save an additional 45% in the near future. We generate most of the electricity we need with our own solar panels. We are really taking a big hit.” The new Healthcare laundry is also built according to BREEAM Outstanding standards, the certification method for a sustainable built environment. From the building materials to the landscaping, the distance to the bus stop and the 2,564 solar panels on the roof: BREEAM guarantees that Nedlin chooses the most sustainable solution in all aspects of the construction process. In this way, the new Healthcare laundry sets a new standard for sustainable industrial washing in all respects. The other pillars of sustainable textile management - product, transport and end of life - have a relatively small impact, but they also receive plenty of attention. This is apparent from the range of reusables and sustainable linen, but also from the 'campaign against waste' that Nedlin is conducting with all customers, or from the intention to chip part of the flatware in the new laundry for even more insight into the linen flow. . Sustainability pioneer Nedlin also organizes the transport of the laundry as sustainably as possible. Partly by targeting large volumes, partly by closely following developments in the transport sector. For linen that was eventually written off, Nedlin, together with other partners in the industry, set up textile cooperative CIBUTEX. Together with Dibella, Blycolin Textile Services, Edelweiss Groep and Lamme Textile Management, Nedlin is working on circular linen of the highest quality. Cross-industry. Because, says Luuk, “we don't believe in competition for sustainability.” "The payback period is long, so you only put up a laundry like this because you believe in it. Luke de Win This makes Nedlin the sustainability pioneer in the laundry industry. “We are way ahead of the music. You have to. You need people who think differently and are willing to invest in sustainable solutions. The payback period is long, so you only set up a laundry like this because you believe in it, because you understand at a strategic level what is needed to make the chain more sustainable. We do this partly out of conviction, because as a company we find it important to do business not only for ourselves, but also for the next generation.”