LEEDS, U.K.—Xeros, the manufacturer of an ultra-low water laundry system, has begun rolling out its ecologically sustainable laundry systems to hotels in North America, including several properties under the Choice Hotels brand and a Hyatt hotel in Virginia. Founded in 2007 at Leeds University, well known globally for its polymer research center, Xeros is headquartered here, with offices in the U.S. and China.
Through the use of polymer-bead technology, the company’s laundry system can reduce water usage by up to 80% for hotel properties, said Xeros. In the U.S., hotels use approximately 2.3 billion gallons of water per month to launder linens. According to Xeros, these savings are approximately the equivalent of one month’s water consumption of every household in Sacramento, CA.
The Xeros patented system uses up to 80% less water, up to 50% less energy and approximately 50% less detergent to clean items, when compared to traditional soap and water methods. Additionally, a Xeros machine washes four commercial laundry loads with the same amount of water used by a traditional machine uses on a single load.
Science brings savings
For example, if a typical 250-room hotel spends $13,926 in water and sewage costs each year on its in-house laundry operation, using a Xeros bead-cleaning system, that same hotel would spend only $3,482 in water and sewage costs over the same period of time, resulting in a savings of $10,444 per year.
“Xeros brings tremendous benefits to leading hotel groups,” said Jonathan Benjamin, president, Xeros North America. “Revolutionizing the way textiles are cleaned begins with robust science and systems, and ends with superior quality and service. In hospitality, helping hotels go green and lower utility consumption is certainly important, but we believe our technology is only as good as the service and team behind it. Xeros and its innovative system is truly a change in the way commercial laundry gets done.”
Individual hotel savings will vary based on utility costs and water rates, according to the company. This is why, in the U.S., Xeros offers a free Site Impact Analysis, (http://info.xeroscleaning.com/hospitality-system-assesment), in which the company collects some basic information about a property’s current laundry operations and provides operators and/or management with an analysis of how much will be saved with a Xeros bead cleaning system.
Green benefits
By combining the beads’ molecular structure with a proprietary detergent solution, dirt from soiled items is attracted and absorbed by the beads, producing cleaner results. The reusable beads have a lifespan of hundreds of washes before being collected and recycled for reintroduction into the polymer supply chain.
Converting to a Xeros polymer cleaning solution ensures that hotels are able to highlight their commitment to the environment and advance their standing as a green hotel, in addition to saving money. Not only reducing their carbon footprint, properties that utilize the near-waterless laundry operations may attract leisure and business guests looking for hotels that utilize eco-friendly technology.
“Our hope is that hotels would be able to tout the green benefits of Xeros,” said Benjamin. “As hoteliers are attempting to showcase their green attributes, our hope is that it would attract people who may not have otherwise stayed at the hotel, bringing in new generations of travelers.”
Hotel groups such as Hyatt have a goal of reducing their water consumption by 20% per guest by 2015, and many other hotels are participating in initiatives such as the Green Key Eco-Rating Program or becoming LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Saving up to 80% of the water used for processing laundry is a first step in reducing water use and demonstrating sustainable, eco-friendly policies and practices.
The company is currently exploring whether its ultra-low water laundry solution would achieve LEED points from United States Green Building Council (USGBC). In the meantime, local utility companies are providing incentives to properties that utilize the Xeros washers.
Xeros initially launched its solution for the industry at the International Hotel, Motel, + Restaurant Show (IMHRS) in November 2013. Sterling Linen Service, a commercial hospitality laundry company in New England, and the Hyatt Regency in Reston, VA, started using the system. As an early adopter of the process, David Elsenman, the Hyatt Regency’s general manager, said, “Xeros has absolutely delivered on the promises of savings and superior performance.”
Other than energy and water, one of the largest costs associated with the hospitality industry’s laundry is the constant need to replace linens and towels, according to Xeros. Traditional washing machines wear out fabrics over time, as hot water, chemicals and mechanical action stress the material.
The company’s bead cleaning systems take the requirement for hot water out of the equation, reduce the amount of chemicals needed with each wash and provide a gentle tumbling action during the wash cycles, delivering cleaner linens and keeping inventory in circulation longer. “Longer-term savings in areas such as linen replacement are also achieved after extended use,” said Benjamin.
Additionally, the Xeros machine removes stains from fabrics more consistently than traditional commercial machines. “There is less spot-treating of stains necessary and less need to repeatedly rewash your linens,” said Benjamin. “We think about laundry that improves the management capabilities and focus of those hoteliers who want to run an efficient laundry system.”
The system also reduces labor. The use of hot water by traditional washing machines causes colors, especially red, to bleed in the wash. Because of this, laundry operations typically have to carefully separate the colored fabrics before each wash cycle can begin. The Xeros bead washing system cleans fabrics using lower temperature water, reducing the risk of color bleed and reducing the need to sort specific colors. The beads themselves also absorb stray dyes in the wash, helping to prevent them from being redeposited on linen.