1 Sep 2022

Recycling textile?

This is how we work on circular hotel linen

Blycolin works with sustainable linen. For example, we offer products that are (partially) made from recycled textiles. But what do we do with the textiles that we write off ourselves? That is no longer of the desired quality and is therefore no longer used in hospitality? That is a question that has occupied us for a long time and fortunately we have already found a lot of answers. More and more companies and projects are working on a second life for textiles.

In the hospitality industry, linen passes through thousands of hands. In the hotel, during transport, in the laundry and then all over again. Despite countless efforts to make textiles as sustainable as possible, hotel linen does not last forever. At least, that is how it used to be. Thanks to various partners, innovative entrepreneurs and wonderful projects, our textiles are increasingly given a second life. We have already written about recycling textiles. With our participation in the Cibutex project, we have also recently taken a new step in this direction. There are now a few initiatives in the field of recycling and upcycling of textiles, which we would like to pay attention to.

The Table

Hotel linen can be written off for various reasons. A tear, a frayed edge or visible wear and tear, but also stains that won’t come out in the wash are all reasons for rejection. After all, that is the quality we promise our customers. At the same time, the idea that a piece of fabric is no longer useful is a social convention, an unwritten rule. At The Table, they do not work according to social conventions. Part of our discarded table linen gets a second lease on life there. And what a life indeed! The Table uses stains ands hole for new designs. For instance, by embroidering around it. This is embroidered by Elliz in Company.

Elliz in Company

Some initiatives are suffused with social responsibility, like Elliz in Company, that uses Blycolin’s discarded linen. The company recycles textile into various other products, such as bags, flags, pillows, stuffed animals and Christmas presents. Piece by piece made with not only used textile, but also with the dedication of people with a distance to the employment market. Elliz in Company is close to Blycolin, in Zaltbommel, and also cooperates with The Table.

MARTAN

MARTAN is a sustainable fashion brand that gives a second life to our hospitality linen in a completely different way. And this is really a second life, because MARTAN takes our discarded linen onto the catwalk. Old linen in discontinued colors, stored for years, but also the rejected Blycolin bed linen of Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam was used in the MARTAN collection. No longer a future in hospitality, but at MARTAN, the linen gets a bright new future. On August 31, 2022, this collection was presented during Amsterdam Fashion Week in Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam.

Towards a closed chain

Sustainable textile is a enormous challenge. Luckily, there are many many ways in which we can limit the impact of production, transport and laundry of linen. And by actually utilizing these methods, we gradually come closer to a close textile chain. One in which we have even less waste textile and the textile we do discard is largely re-used.