In the latest of our customer case studies, founder of short-stay accommodation provider, uSnooz.com, Glenn Ackroyd, talks about his attitude to re-use and sustainability, and his successful partnership with Regenex.

 How have you seen attitudes to textile waste change during your time in the industry?

Yes and in truth it boils down to the bottom line. Cost – in terms of both carbon and cash.

The more you waste, the more it costs you. As fuel, shipping costs, and inflation bite, margins get squeezed. And you can’t simply push these costs onto consumers because the pound in their pocket is being hammered at the same time.

The greater gain of course is the carbon savings you can make by developing more careful habits with your resources, and the expanding business prospects that go with having a well-thought-out environmental policy.

Can you give me a couple of examples of ways in which you have become more frugal with linen?

Firstly, we have changed our marketing to encourage longer stays. That means fewer changeovers and reduced housekeeping costs. Secondly, we’ve engaged Regenex to recycle spoiled stock that would otherwise require replacement. This is good-quality linen that gets spoiled by sun creams and wine – all the usual suspects for the hospitality industry. We regularly get over 80% of our marked linen back from Regenex. This is a huge cost saving and helps us maintain our profit margins.

How have rising prices and disrupted supply chains affected your business in the last couple of years?

Our housekeeping costs are higher due to fuel rises, but demand is lower as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies. So, it’s a double whammy of increased costs and lower revenue. Naturally, this focuses your attention on money savings to keep yourself competitive.

What difference has using Regenex made for you?

Quite simply, they have reduced our re-supply cost by more than 60%! It’s a real no-brainer. Do you dump your spoiled stock into a landfill or preserve its lifespan and save substantial sums of money and carbon? Any smart business owner would do the same.

I tell all my friends about Regenex and let my dinosaur competitors keep on doing what they’re doing.

This interview was first published as part of our latest white paper, Loving linen longer: Five carbon and money-saving reasons to get the most out of laundry stock, available to download free of charge.