Using fabrics and textiles instead of disposable paper

Why use washable textiles rather than disposable ones? Life cycle assessment studies show that reusable products that are actually reused several times, eco-designed and recycled at end of life have less impact than single-use paper products. In terms of resource consumption, the water-related impact is around 3L of water for a paper napkin and 1L of water for a fabric napkin, including cleaning. The carbon impact of the products, taking into account the amortisation of the washing machine and ironing, is almost equivalent, with a slight advantage for the fabric napkin. Nevertheless, “it is important to bear in mind that the production and cleaning of sheets and towels for the hotel industry in France generate 470 000 tonnes of CO₂ every year, which represents more than 10 million m3 of water consumption and 15 000 tonnes of detergents”, points out Hubert Vendeville, founder of Betterfly Tourism (consulting and training in sustainable tourism). “Cleaning accounts for between 25 and 30 % of the linen’s impact in CO₂ emissions”. For this reason, to reduce the impact, ideally the linen cleaning provider should be located close to the hotel, low-polluting means of transport should be adopted and linen carriers should have a well-established eco-driving approach. It would also be preferable to make sure that the lifespan of the linen and the consumption of water, energy and detergent products per kilo of linen are optimised. Detergent products should be eco-labelled and machines fitted with microplastic filters… Moreover, the choice of materials is also essential, but delicate. “Cotton is thirsty for water and phytosanitary products. Microfibre and polyester release polluting microplastics. Flax, on the other hand, can be grown in France, and its production has less impact”.

Sector:

France