For the Planet & Your Guests: Sustainability in Hospitality

Sustainability practices are no longer a nice-to-have or a minor niche. Hotels—independent and brands, large and small, economy and luxury—all must have environmental sustainability measures built into their business. Guests expect it and make their hotel choices accordingly. In a study by Booking.com released last year, “70% of global travelers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, whether they were looking for a sustainable stay or not.”

Hoteliers are taking a number of steps to address the environmental footprint of their operations. From reducing food waste to minimizing water usage, eliminating single-use plastic to conserving energy, there is positive momentum, but it can be daunting to sort through all the options available. Especially when considering the critical factor of cost.

Innovation. Collaboration. Sustainability.

As the hospitality industry deals with the hits from COVID, finding the balance between cost, guest experience, and sustainability is harder than ever. There are many ways hotels can address their sustainability goals without driving up costs. Here are a few other ways Standard Textile can help:

1. Innovative sheeting and terry platforms that require fewer resources and less energy
2. Room linens that will last longer, generating less waste for the hotel facility
3. A demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability within our operations and product offerings

Environmental Sustainability – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

As both a manufacturer and distributor of textiles, we have the opportunity—and responsibility—to ensure environmentally sustainable best practices are in place.  Full control of our global supply chain ensures we can accomplish this at every stage.

When it comes to manufacturing, distribution, and processing, we focus on the 3 Rs – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. Here are a few examples:

Reduce:  We use recycled cardboard (at least 40% post-consumer) to ship our products.

Reuse: Yarn cones and pallets used for shipment of yarn cones are returned and reused by spinning operations and shipping. Over 3.3 million pounds of landfill waste is avoided each year.

Recycle: Waste fiber/fabric created by selvage trimming, cut and sew, and miscellaneous manufacturing operations are recycled. More than 2 million pounds of landfill waste is avoided each year.

Each part of our business (Hospitality, Healthcare, Interiors, and Home Consumers) has a specific area of focus and offers a selection of products and solutions that are better for the environment. For hospitality, we focus on products that are made to last longer and require fewer resources to process.

Hospitality Linens that Support Reduced Waste & Energy Usage

Aa example of collaborative innovation emerged when our partners shared a strong desire for heavier weight towels, without increased energy usage, or cost, for laundering.

Elevations™ and Gradient^® towels are engineered with a Comfort Experience Zone™.  With the Comfort Experience Zone™, the weight of the towel is concentrated in the center of the towel—where it’s needed most—and less on the sides. This reduces unneeded weight overall as well as the resources needed for processing, including quicker dry time.

Utilizing recycled polyester is another way we strive to reduce waste. The Innerloft^® Blanket is made of hypoallergenic blended cotton/polyester ticking and soft 100% recycled polyester fill. Our LuxSoft^® Comforter has a 100% recycled polyester fill. It also dries much faster than other comforters, reducing laundry and energy expenses.

Finally, Paragon™ Cotton Sheets are made from Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) certified cotton. BCI cotton is produced in a sustainable way that cares for the environment and supports workers’ safety and wellbeing.

Extend the Life of Your Sheets & Towels

If you’re familiar with Standard Textile, you’ve likely heard of Centium Core Technology^®. Centium Core Technology^® is our patented fabric formation that reconfigures the base yarns of a woven fabric. The unique construction used across our sheeting and terry collections, including Centium Satin™ Sheets and Vidori^® Towels, delivers unsurpassed durability, longevity, a soft touch, and significant savings due to reduced replacement costs and lower operational expenses.

In short, sheets and towels made with Centium Core Technology^® couple both softness and durability.

Items made with Centium Core Technology^® can hold up to industrial laundering without sacrificing guest comfort or experience. That means the sheets and towels in your guest room will stay in service longer – reducing waste and replacement costs.

Selecting the right products is the first step to extending the life of sheets and towels. Next is making sure they’re laundered properly.

We pre-launder many of our hospitality items with P&G ProLine Tide^®, which is free of phosphates and harsh alkalines, and bypasses the energy and water costs of up-front processing. “Because we wash the product for the first time as part of the manufacturing process, we are able to wash 60% more efficiently than if a hotel washed the product themselves,” shared Standard Textile’s Greg Eubanks in an interview with Hotel Business.  This process, called Room Ready for You^® Laundered with Tide^®, allows you to use sheeting and terry straight out of the box.

Whether you’re laundering your linens on-site or sending them out, make sure your laundry procedures are optimized to help extend the lifespan of your linens. For example, it’s critical to maintain proper par levels in order to give linens time to rest. Optimized par levels and proper processing procedures will reduce the need to replace items as often, making a more positive impact on the environment.   Our laundry experts have developed many resources to optimize hotel laundry operations or you are welcome to reach out directly with questions.

Corporate Social Responsibility at Standard Textile

Standard Textile’s Corporate Social Responsibility mission is to provide a better life for our customers, associates, suppliers, and communities by operating all elements of our business in a manner that is both socially and environmentally responsible. We are proud to respect the environment and support hotels’ sustainability initiatives around the world.