Textile recycling

Last year alone we recycled 70 % of our textile waste and introduced fabrics containing our own recycled fibres. Closing the loop is no longer a only a futuristic vision but everyday work.

Optimising resources for minimal waste

Textile recycling

Our circular business model prevents and reduces the creation of textile waste in many ways. Still, textiles are one of our most significant waste streams. That’s why, we have set an ambitious goal to recycle 100% of our textile waste by the end of 2025. Here’s three ways in which we ensure that your textile service is maintained with optimised resources.

Using resources efficiently

Aiming for net-zero emissions

Recycling textiles and using recycled materials

1. Using resources efficiently

We optimise laundry processes to reduce the use of water, energy, and detergents. Here’s how it works:

Water recycling

In most laundries, water is recycled by recovering it from the rinsing phases and using it again in the washing phase. In a few larger plants with more than one service line, washing and rinsing water of cleaner products is used to wash dirtier textiles.

Energy efficiency

We have installed heat recovery systems in many laundries to collect heat from wastewater and dryers. We also conduct energy audits and surveys to find energy-saving possibilities. Process control procedures make sure that our machines work properly and consume less water and energy.

Automatic dosing system of detergents

Our automatic dosing system helps us to dispense exactly the desired amount of chemicals. The professional detergent suppliers provide us with the latest technology and environmentally sustainable processes and detergents.

Environmental program

Each laundry creates a yearly environmental program

Each laundry creates a yearly environmental program, setting ambitious yet realistic targets for resource usage and find and plan actions for reductions. In addition, we have set a group-level benchmark value and share best practices between the laundries.

Collaboration

To further optimise the washing process, we collaborate with our partners, such as detergent suppliers and in industry-level workgroups of the European Textile Service Association.

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The key to waste prevention

Textiles with a long lifespan

When using materials and products efficiently, and for a long time, we ultimately need fewer resources.

Our waste hierarchy guides us in handling the elimintated textiles in order of priority.

Resourcefulness

Manufacturing, transporting, and disposing of products requires resources. By minimising waste, we also reduce the use of resources. Durability can be ensured through good materials, test washes, user trials, and use of reinforcement patches in high-stress areas of garments.

Durable materials

Reusability

Already in the design phase, durability and recyclability is conisidered. Adjustable features, modular designs, and limited customisations increase the reusability of a garment. Collaborating with suppliers, recycling partners and customers helps us make the most of our textiles.

Sustainability of workwear

Repairing

Repairing and cross-using textiles between laundries and customers helps us get more use out of existing textiles. Simultaneously, we avoid producing new garments. In 2023, we repaired more than 4.8 million pieces of textiles. The proportion of discarded workwear was 2.2 %.

Repairing our garments.

Recycling

The lack of recycling solutions is still a significant challenge where we constantly look for new solutions. Local markets are still in a different development phase regarding recycling solutions, and we must always weigh the benefits of recycling against the burden of transporting waste longer distances.

Recycling our mats

Regulations

Regulators and authorities are setting requirements and supporting textile waste recycling. For instance, the European Union’s strategy for sustainable textiles requires textiles to be designed for circularity, promoting reusability and recyclability. This helps to drive the industry standards forward.

EU circular textile strategy

Reinventing

Our goal is to be a forerunner in sustainable textiles. Proactively developing better solutions together with our partners is our responsibility, and we are always looking for more sustainable options for our business operations. This ultimately benefits both customers and our climate.

Circular economy driving business

2. Aiming for net-zero emissions

We have a long history of increasing energy efficiency, optimising our customer deliveries, and reducing the overproduction of textiles, all of which impact our emissions. Committing to net-zero emissions was a natural next step on our journey towards more sustainable services. It supports the common target of preserving a livable planet for future generations.

Many of our customers share the same values and invest in improving their sustainability. Therefore, we believe it is also crucial to our business continuity to provide them with services that help them reduce their environmental burden.

Collaboration with stakeholders

We can't do it on our own

Most of our greenhouse gas emissions are caused in the value chain. Therefore, it is important to engage our suppliers and partners. We encourage setting ambitious climate targets and acting towards them.

Our net-zero commitment drives our supplier collaboration and we discuss the topics with our customers and support their climate targets. From autumn 2022 to spring 2023, we took part in the SDG Ambition Accelerator programme, arranged by the United Nations Global Compact initiative in the Nordics. In this six-month learning journey with peer companies, we focused especially on Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action, and how to ensure business transition towards a 1.5 °C pathway.

Net-zero target approved by SBTi

Guided by our purpose, we have made a commitment that will guide our decisions for the coming decades. We aim to halve our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Furthermore, to reach net zero by 2050 across our value chain.

In June 2023, our targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. This ensures that the goals are aligned with the latest climate science. Lindström can be considered one of the forerunners and the net-zero target ambitious. At the time of target validation, there were only 260 companies in the world with the SBTi-approved, science-based net-zero target.

Reaching the target requires a lot of work, investments, and innovation. As our own operations form only about a quarter of our total carbon footprint, it’s crucial to work together with stakeholders in our value chain.

3. Recycling textiles and using recycled materials

We strive to recycle 100% of our textile waste by the end of 2025.

Not only do we seek to reduce the amount of waste. We also need to decrease the need to use virgin materials. Many different industries can use textile waste as raw material, including the textile industry itself. Our bold aim is to close the loop, using end-of-life textiles as raw material for new textiles.

The recycling rate and the amount of recycled fibre used in our new products vary quite a lot between service lines. As we increase the amount of recycled fibres, we must find a balance that does not compromise their durability.

To reduce emissions and provide our customers with more sustainable textile solutions, we are committed to increasing the number of purchased materials using recycled and bio-based fibres to 30% by 2025. Due to the progress made in mats and cotton towel rolls, we seem likely to reach this target.