Our Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

Clean Green TRSA Certified Reusable Textile Industry
Recycle Michigan - Don't Throw Away a Good Thing.

CLS takes environmental sustainability seriously. Since 2014 we have been working on ways to cut down on our utility usage and to execute ways to recycle or repurpose our products. We are always looking for opportunities to partner with our vendors to find innovative ways of being green.

The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) has awarded CLS the Clean Green Certification for several years. This certification acknowledges our commitment to improving our water and overall energy efficiency through conservation efforts.

Environmentally Friendly Upgrades to Our Facility

In addition to our Clean Green Certification, CLS has recently completed a few large projects that have provided major impacts toward improving our environmental sustainability.

OMNI Oxidation Laundry System

One was the installation of the OMNI Oxidation Laundry System. This system supercharges and sanitizes our water, which allows us to reduce the amount of water we use during our wash cycles. This system will allow us to save approximately one million gallons of water every year!

Automation Sort Upgrades

CLS also recently completed a major automation project to help sort our product. Our new system is highly computerized with weight monitoring devices which allows us to make sure every load of laundry we wash is at the proper size. Having proper load sizes maximizes our wash aisle capacity, our chemistry, and our utility usage. In return, our product has a more consistent level of quality to deliver to our valuable customers.

Steam Trap Optimization

In 2020, CLS took advantage of a program that Consumers Energy offers to assess our steam traps to determine if they are working properly. We utilize steam in a variety of areas throughout our Production Process and steam traps need to be checked on a regular basis to avoid wasting valuable energy.

All of this combined with our other recycling efforts and use of green certified chemicals will help CLS reduce our impact on the environment.

 

CLS is a Textile Rental Service Association (TRSA) Certified Clean Green Production Facility

The TRSA Clean Green Certification recognizes companies that demonstrate responsible leadership in sustainability and conservation to protect the environment. The program acknowledges textile service companies continuing commitment to improving efficiency in water and energy conservation and adoption of best management practices for reusing, reclaiming and recycling resources.

Clean Green certified textile service operations meet quality standards for effectiveness in conserving resources, controlling sewer discharges and minimizing environmental impact. A business that uses uniforms, linens, floor mats and other reusable textiles laundered by a Clean Green facility can point to the certification as evidence that these were washed, dried and finished with techniques selected to maximize sustainability.

Industrial-scale laundries are most likely to meet Clean Green standards because they deploy high-capacity washing, drying and wrinkle-removal equipment, so their processes are far more efficient than those of home washing machines or smaller commercial laundries. To obtain the certification, laundries must document their efficiency in water and energy use and deploy best management practices (BMPs) such as:

  • Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water
  • Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse
  • Using environmentally friendly detergents
  • Removing solids and liquids from waste-water
  • Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting
  • Recycling programs
  • Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel
  • Spill prevention plans
  • Preventive maintenance

TRSA Clean Green Certifications

TRSA Clean Green Certification
Continental Linen Service Clean Green Certification 2023
Continental Linen Service Clean Green Certification 2019