Meet Paul Hamilton, the man behind green cleaning company Regenex

Employing around a dozen people, and servicing 25 contract laundry group customers, Regenex uses the chemistry of textile coloration know-how to remove stains and discoloration from commercial linen.

The patented process is successful for up to 80 per cent of the heaviest marks, be they caused by food, rust, fake tan, chemicals, mildew, concrete, dirty suitcase wheels, or dye from other laundry items.

This means that linen, which would otherwise be condemned much too early in its lifecycle, can be returned to stock for many more washes to come.

As well as offering this service to restore pristine, hotel-quality whites, Regenex offers a dyeing or overdyeing option, which has proved useful for turning greying or blemished towels into richly-coloured spa towels and topping up faded tablecloths and napkins.

If items aren’t ripped or torn, Regenex can work with bedding, towels, tableware, and workwear – significantly prolonging the life of every piece of linen.

This is good news for commercial laundry groups wanting to lower their carbon emissions. Regenex calculates that every kg of carbon processed represents a saving of 4kg carbon and 5,000 litres of water. These calculations are based on linen typically halfway through its natural life cycle, successfully returned to stock, compared with a carbon footprint of 8kg associated with the manufacture and life cycle of every kg of new linen.

Paul Hamilton, Regenex’s Technical Director, explains: “We’re now well known in the UK and beyond as the laundry sector’s go-to processors for restoring the pristine whites of stained or marked bedding, towels, tableware, and workwear.

“Our gentle multi-bath system is effective in reviving 75 per cent of such material, so that it can be returned to laundry stock and we’re proud to say that 500 tonnes of this linen have been successfully returned as serviceable linen to date.

“However, another option we can offer is the dyeing of these items to prolong their life, an alternative solution which also conserves the world’s resources and saves laundries considerable money on top-up stock, which typically totals 10 per cent of a laundry’s turnover.

“Because our roots are with long-established textile coloration specialist Bulmer and Lumb, we’ve got the technology and the knowledge to handle a range of linen dyeing requirements.”

Paul adds: “As far as we’re aware, we’re the only company servicing specifically the UK laundry sector in this way. Alongside our blemish removal operations, we’re gradually becoming more renowned for dyeing a wide range of pieces for many purposes and requirements, among progressive laundries who can see the benefit of getting the most out of every napkin, and every towel.

“Now more laundries, healthcare organisations and hospitality companies are waking up to the idea that – unless it is ripped, torn, or simply worn out – binning marked linen is wholly unnecessary, both financially and environmentally.

“Through combining cleaning and dyeing, Regenex can return to stock 100 per cent of any consignment of the dirtiest linens possible, which historically would all have been condemned to waste.”

Regenex is trialling new vacuum packing methods for overseas shipping, minimising space requirements. While the company’s core customers are based in the UK and Ireland, its geographical reach is spreading and talks are under way with large laundry providers in Europe and the Middle East.

Regenex is also collaborating with academic institutions advancing sustainability projects, including one on waterless dyeing using super critical CO2 and another aimed at reducing microfibres shed from fabric during laundry processes.

Paul recognises that with increased emphasis on sustainability and the environment, trends in the marketplace are gradually changing.

He comments: “Where firms used to think a few pieces here and there, in the bin – day in, day out – was no big deal, attitudes are changing, and the industry is much more conscious that waste linen soon adds up.

“White towels typically start greying, or succumb to stains, long before fabric wears out. And tough, polyester tableware supplied in a variety of hues will fade and become less attractive while the items themselves remain serviceable. So, in many cases, re-dyeing items makes textiles as good as new, and fit for many more months or even years’ service in commercial or organisational contexts.

“Minimising impact on the environment requires detailed analysis of all areas of operations – and getting into better habits with linen is a relatively easy and quick way to make a big difference.”

He adds: “Put simply, to reduce carbon emissions, a laundry must hang onto every piece of linen for as long as possible, without compromising customer expectations for clean, blemish-free stock. Unless fabric is damaged with holes or tears, management must strive to avoid any ‘early exit’ of linen at all.”

Like many sectors, the laundry industry is facing challenging times because of the pandemic.

Paul comments: “The laundry sector has been left severely depleted by the disruptions of the pandemic, including reduced business caused by the hospitality hiatus – and this situation is continuing to unfold.

“At Regenex we’re big believers in the power of thrift – making the most of all stock and avoiding unnecessary spend on top-up items. Now the Covid crisis, combined with the climate emergency, means this philosophy makes more sense than ever – and Regenex can help laundries to achieve cash and carbon savings across the whole of their stock, from bedding to workwear, tableware to towels.”

So, looking ahead, how does Paul see the future? He says: “The spotlight on textile waste is only set to intensify – and customers’ eyes are increasingly on the green credentials of the companies they spend their money with. Changing old habits now will pay dividends, both environmentally and financially, in the months and years to come.”