Throughout August, we’ll look at sustainability from several different angles. Some solutions involve advanced technology. Others are surprisingly simple. All remind us that even small steps, taken consistently, can have a lasting impact.
Sustainability From the Ground Up
How Kreussler is tackling energy, water, chemistry and waste
Dry cleaning sits at an unusual intersection of chemistry, energy, water, equipment, and logistics. That makes sustainability less about a single change and more about rethinking how an entire operation works.
From a sustainable plant to product changes, one company is demonstrating what can be done for the environment on an everyday basis.
Making Green Measurable
Green Business Benchmark gives cleaners a way to measure, document and improve their environmental practices.
You can have all the good intentions in the world when it comes to running an environmentally responsible business. But how do you prove to your customers that you’re actually doing it?
One option is Green Business Benchmark (GBB), a program that helps businesses measure and document their environmental practices. America’s Best Cleaners™ has partnered with GBB, so we asked ABC Executive Director Chris White to explain how the program works.
“Who Haven’t We Seen Lately?”
The Most Sustainable Customer Is the One You Already Have
By Francis Flair
When we hear the word sustainability, we often think about energy, water, chemicals, equipment, and waste. Those things matter, but there is another kind of sustainability every business owner should think about: How much of the business you work so hard to earn do you actually keep?
Dry cleaners and laundromats spend a lot of time and money trying to attract new customers. You advertise. You offer promotions. You join community groups. You ask for referrals. Then someone finally walks through the door.
And what do many businesses do next? Go right back to looking for the next customer. That is a problem.
Jensen-Group acquires full ownership of Inwatec
The Jensen-Group has reached an agreement with CMA-Holding Odense ApS, represented by Mads Andresen, to acquire the remaining 30% of Inwatec ApS. Following completion of the transaction, the Jensen-Group will own 100% of the Danish automation and robotics specialist.
Lavatec Launches New OEM Parts Platform
New 24/7 digital storefront gives operators faster access to original Lavatec parts, engineering expertise, and real-time inventory visibility
In an industrial laundry facility, downtime doesn’t stay contained to the maintenance department. A single tunnel washer shutdown can disrupt production schedules, strain labor resources, delay customer deliveries, and quickly ripple across an entire operation. When thousands of pounds of linen move through a system every hour, uptime becomes everything.
Continental unveils new CA-Series dryer line
Continental recently introduced the new CA-Series Dryer, a high-performance dryer line engineered to deliver efficient drying, intuitive operation and long-term durability for on-premise and commercial laundry operations.
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AUGUST ARTICLES: Sustainability
Wash. Dry. Grow.
How one equipment distributor is helping reforest British Columbia, one equipment sale at a time.
By Becca Anderson
While researching a recent article on East Van Laundry in Vancouver, BC, I spent some time exploring the website of its equipment distributor, Bichin Laundry Equipment. One section immediately caught my attention. It highlighted a sustainability initiative that was too good not to share.
Sustainability often feels like a conversation about regulations, technology and energy efficiency. Sometimes, though, it begins with a simple idea that encourages businesses and customers to make a positive local impact.
Driving Sustainability Through Smarter Logistics
How data and integration reduce emissions in the laundry industry
(Reprinted by permission from ABS Laundry Solutions)
Sustainability in the industrial laundry sector is often associated with water usage, chemicals, and energy consumption. While these factors remain critical, a less visible but equally impactful area is logistics. Transport between facilities, depots, and customers represents a significant share of operational emissions.
According to Rob Helsen (ABS Chief Product Officer), optimizing these flows is not just a logistical challenge but a strategic opportunity to reduce environmental impact. By leveraging software, integrations, and smarter data usage, laundry operators can significantly lower their carbon footprint without compromising service levels.
Companies Strut their Sustainability
By Becca Anderson
Sustainability doesn’t have to be a big, flashy program. It can be a series of social media posts that lead people to think and have those “ah-hah!” moments that change their perception and their behavior going forward.
Here are some companies that are putting out the message in simple, accessible ways.
Can Laundry Be Both Sustainable and Profitable?
By Jenny Repfennig
Miele North America (USA & Canada) Regional Marketing Manager – Business Unit Professional)
Sustainability is no longer optional in today’s laundry industry. The commercial laundry industry is increasingly being asked to reduce its environmental footprint while maintaining productivity and cleaning performance. Advances in equipment design are making it possible to pursue both goals simultaneously.
Miele Professional’s current product line illustrates several of the ways manufacturers are approaching this challenge.
Sustainability Makes Headlines
LG Electronics Earns “Top 1%” Sustainability Ranking from S&P Global for Third Year
In May 2026, LG Electronics (LG) received “Top 1%” ranking in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) for the third consecutive year, with a score of 77 out of 100. LG achieved the highest marks in the CSA’s Leisure Equipment & Products and Consumer Electronics industry category.
LG demonstrated consistent performance across multiple criteria, including environmental policies, human rights, supply chain management and customer relations. It also received high ratings in governance, reflecting its transparency and efforts to strengthen the independence of its board of directors.
Prove It!
Sustainability claims are only as good as your proof.
By Becca Anderson
We have published numerous articles about companies and their sustainability efforts. It can all look very good on paper, but where’s the proof? And how do you get it?
For some areas of the industry, the proof comes from independent testing labs, like the Hohenstein Institute, an 80-year-old, third-generation family-owned company based in Bönnigheim, Germany, with labs and offices around the world (including one in Ligonier, IN.)
The average cleaner spends all day dealing with results: stains, shrinkage, damaged garments, customer complaints, regulations, changing chemistry.
Hohenstein spends all day asking:
- Why did this fabric fail?
- Is this chemistry actually safe?
- How can sustainability claims be verified?
- What standards should the industry use?
- How do we prove something instead of just marketing it?
We spoke with Ben Mead, Managing Director of Hohenstein America, to learn more about the role of independent testing labs in the realm of sustainability.
READ IT HERE…
The Missing Link in Circular Fashion
Why garment care matters long after the sale
By Garry Knox, Sustainability Director, GreenEarth
Sustainability in fashion is no longer focused solely on how garments are made. Increasingly, attention is turning to what happens after a product is purchased. As brands invest in resale, repair, rental and take-back programs, garment care is becoming an important part of extending product life and reducing environmental impact.
Sustainability From the Ground Up
How Kreussler is tackling energy, water, chemistry and waste
Editor’s Note: This article was supplied by Kreussler in response to our invitation to tell our readers about the things the company is doing to reduce its environmental footprint. We also ran a social media post in our “Companies Strut their Sustainability” article earlier this month.
Dry cleaning sits at an unusual intersection of chemistry, energy, water, equipment, and logistics. That makes sustainability less about a single change and more about rethinking how an entire operation works.
“For Kreussler, it is of enormous importance to pursue a long-term, and above all, credible sustainability strategy,” says Thomas Zeck, Commercial Director of Kreussler GmbH.
Making Green Measurable
Green Business Benchmark gives cleaners a way to measure, document and improve their environmental practices.
You can have all the good intentions in the world when it comes to running an environmentally responsible business. But how do you prove to your customers that you’re actually doing it?
One option is Green Business Benchmark (GBB), a program that helps businesses measure and document their environmental practices. America’s Best Cleaners™ has partnered with GBB, so we asked ABC Executive Director Chris White to explain how the program works.
The Missing Link in Clothing Sustainability
Fabricare professionals know what happens to garments after the sale. That experience could help the entire clothing industry reduce waste.
By Linley McConnell
Earlier this year, Gibson’s had the pleasure of hosting the leadership team from Fashion Takes Action (FTA), at our new facility. FTA is Canada’s leading non-profit working to make the fashion industry more sustainable and reduce textile waste. Their work helps consumers, students, businesses, governments and industry partners find ways to make clothing more sustainable and less wasteful.
I sat down with Laura Cristinzo, FTA’s Circularity Program Manager, to learn more about their work and how fabricare fits into the conversation.
When Sustainability Meets the Bottom Line
Vale Siegrist is the founder of Circular Club, a membership group that allows families to share quality used children’s clothing, rather than throw it away when it is outgrown. She has thought and written extensively on garment production. This is a reprinted opinion piece.
How Sustainable Is Your Workforce?
If all of your critical knowledge lives inside one person’s head, your business isn’t sustainable.
By Kevin Marois
Our industry has a problem with graying. No, not redeposition. Our workforce is turning gray, and when experienced employees retire, their institutional knowledge often leaves with them.
Who Haven’t We Seen Lately?
The Most Sustainable Customer Is the One You Already Have
By Francis Flair
When we hear the word sustainability, we often think about energy, water, chemicals, equipment, and waste. Those things matter, but there is another kind of sustainability every business owner should think about: How much of the business you work so hard to earn do you actually keep?
Dry cleaners and laundromats spend a lot of time and money trying to attract new customers. You advertise. You offer promotions. You join community groups. You ask for referrals. Then someone finally walks through the door.
And what do many businesses do next? Go right back to looking for the next customer. That is a problem.
