SURREY, B.C.—Noel Asmar Group, the successful lifestyle brand behind Noel Asmar Uniforms, Pedicure Bowls and Asmar Equestrian, announced their latest sustainability initiative, Hospitality Lifecycle—sustainable textile recycling for hotels and spas.
Noel Asmar Uniforms is the preferred uniform supplier for numerous global hospitality and spa brands and recently received the 2019 ISPA Innovate of the Year Award winner for their collection of sustainable uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles. Noel Asmar Group is taking its commitment to the environment one step further with Hospitality Lifecycle.
The textile industry has a massive annual carbon footprint of 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent, which is more than all international flights and commercial shipping combined. In addition, a truckload of textiles is sent to the landfill or incinerator every second in the world each day.
What Makes Textile Recycling Difficult
Recycling old textiles from the hospitality and spa industry isn’t as simple as you would think. Here’s why:
- The quantity of textiles from hotels and spas go beyond a couple shirts and a set of sheets. For the average 200 employee hotel, approximately 5 to 10 percent of bedding and linen is turned over a month.
- Uniforms and hotel textiles are created with mixed fibers in order to withstand repeat wear and washings. This composition of fabrics must be deconstructed before recycling can occur and often items such as bare zippers, buttons, and accessories need to be removed, sorted, and managed accordingly.
- Donating used goods may seem like a free and easy solution but ultimately passes off the responsibility of ensuring landfill diversion. Many donated products end up in landfills.
- Logo’d garments carry both reputational and security related risks when donated.
Hospitality Lifecycle is an initiative to provide hotels and spas access to practical, cost effective solutions to safely and securely dispose of used uniforms, robes, towels, and sheets through global recycling experts like Noel Asmar Group’s North American partner, Debrand.
Noel Asmar Group recognized their responsibility to find sustainable and creative ways to manage their own textile waste: damaged apparel, fabric bolt ends, notions, etcetera.
Debrand’s eagerness to collaborate with an “out-of-the-box” mindset made them a fitting partner. Throughout this process, curiosity drove Noel to ask properties what they were doing with their expired uniforms. It became clear that companies don’t have established policies for end-of-life textiles. Noel was committed to finding a one-stop service provider for hotels and spas to manage their textile waste. Noel Asmar Group partnered with Debrand to bring Hospitality Lifecycle to life within the United States and Canada.
Debrand Understands Challenges, Barriers
With an intimate knowledge of textile recycling capabilities and innovation, Debrand understands the challenges and barriers facing the apparel and textile industries. They provide knowledge and services for high profile clients across North America including: UPS, Air Canada, Lululemon, Aritzia and other established brands. They are committed to extend the useful life of recycled goods and look for creative ways to use the recycled product. Upcycling recycled material provides the opportunity to create something new and useful such as dog beds, filler for furniture cushions, and insulation for walls to name a few.
“With the textile industry being one of largest contributors to global pollution, industry stakeholders such as the hospitality sector have an incredible opportunity to collaborate and spark significant change. Debrand is proud to partner with the Noel Asmar Group on the launch of Hospitality Lifecycle, a program built to provide the industry with a simple, sustainable and necessary solution to textile waste,” stated Amelia Eleiter, VP Business Services, Debrand.
“Providing data empowers brands to measure and report their environmental impact,” explained Asmar. “Through the Hospitality Lifecycle initiative, Debrand provides a diversion report for properties to track their progress and celebrate their success with partners, staff, and customers alike.”
End-to-end services are provided by Debrand on a cost per pound basis, making it easy to forecast and manage.
“Gone are the days when you can dump product in landfills without environmental and financial costs.” said Asmar.
Individual properties are faced with consolidation options that are both costly and time consuming. Hospitality Lifecycle is tailored for small and large properties regardless of whom they purchase their textiles from.
The Hospitality Lifecycle Process
Hospitality Lifecycle is as easy as 1-2-3:
- Box and ship products directly to Debrand, no minimums or maximums.
- Debrand weighs, processes, and sorts the textiles to allow them to recycle, upcycle, or destroy products safely and securely.
- Debrand provides a monthly or quarterly report on submitted goods from each company.
To learn more about the Hospitality Lifecycle program, visit NoelAsmar.com or to schedule an interview with Noel Asmar contact lifecycle@noelasmar.com. For those interested in becoming global partners contact lifestyle@noelasmar.com.
