At Regenex, we talk a lot about our mission to encourage the hospitality and healthcare sectors to get the most out of every piece of commercial linen.

That could mean partnering up with us to remove stains from otherwise strong and serviceable items, or enlisting us to dye or re-dye pieces such as towels, tableware, or staff uniforms.

And it’s clear that reasons to develop thriftier habits with stock are stacking up. Usually, Regenex emphasises the environmental benefit of using our services – we recently won an International Green Apple Award for best environmental practice.

There is also the cost benefit to any laundry in minimising the amount of top-up stock to be ordered, which can be outlined via on our handy calculator.

But now instability in global cotton markets is another growing factor in favour of loving linen longer. In 2021, it’s far from guaranteed that laundries can reliably access the right replacement items at a sustainable price.

Laundry and Cleaning Today recently explored some of the complex and continually shifting key issues in a thoughtful editorial feature.

Shortage of processing chemicals have led to drastic price increases in raw cotton recently, and Uyghur labour issues in China mean buyers are reassessing their supply chains.

While demand for soft furnishings increased during lockdowns, Covid disrupted production, and shipping containers – many being reserved for transportation of PPE – were harder to come by. This is all, of course, set against the world’s continuing unsustainable expectations for cheap goods.

In combination, these issues and more – coupled with the ambitious WRAP 2030 sustainability targets for textiles – all point to the need to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Leading businesses, representing more than half of UK clothing and textile sales, have already signed up to Textiles 2030, committing to reducing their carbon impacts by 50%, and water impacts by 30%, as well as working together to introduce more circular approaches to their business.

And we’re increasingly seeing more businesses, including laundries, stepping up to the challenge and working with partners like Regenex to effect real difference.