ASTM International has published ASTM D7841-13, Standard Practice for Sustainable Laundry Best Management Practices, initiated by TRSA, an organization representing the U.S. textile services industry. According to TRSA, publication of the standard recognizes key criteria for TRSA's Clean Green certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work."The ASTM standard, implemented through TRSA's Clean Green certification, encourages every laundry facility to adopt sustainable, green best management practices," says Joseph Ricci, TRSA president.
The standard codifies the best management practices in the TRSA Clean Green standard as the structural, nonstructural and managerial techniques most effective and practical for a laundry to achieve green objectives (such as preventing or minimizing pollution) while making optimum use of natural resources.
Among the best management practices from the TRSA program incorporated in the ASTM standard:
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions by capturing heat from wastewater stream;
- conserving with water reuse system;
- using environmentally friendly detergents;
- filtering wastewater before discharge to sewer;
- solar energy and energy-efficient lighting;
- recycling programs;
- rerouting trucks to save vehicle fuel.