Dissemination
To disseminate the project result we have participated in industry exhibitions, published articles in relevant media, cooperated with the European Textile Services Association, held interactive multiplier meetings, we will present our results at Texcare in Frankfurt in November 2024, and more.
Activities
Here you can find different communication activities focussed on employees in the textile service industry, member companies and other stakeholders. Click a category below to filter the list.
Away from darkness and haze – Welcome, dear Autumn meeting
Surely there is something special about an Autumn meeting? The darkness and haze at this time of year feels like an eternity if it wasn’t for a happy break in the team of good friends and colleagues at Northern Europe’s biggest event – our Autumn meeting – reinforced this year by the Danish BVT. We had returned to Halland and the city of the three hearts, Halmstad.
It was also particularly rough on this day, November 16, when the clouds opened with rain mixed with snow.
Great to get into the warmth of Halmstad Plaza – a new large conference hotel – just a stone’s throw from Halmstad C. The conference area itself was inaugurated as late as the autumn. Chairman Michael Sandin could state that with 200 participants, 45 exhibitors, 140 at dinner, this was a record meeting. Among the participants were representatives from about ten EU countries reinforced by friends from Norway, the UK and the USA, Michael noted before handing over to our opening speaker Urszula Hansson, municipal councilor who warmly welcomed us to the city.
Seat on stage then for Cecilia Tall, program manager RE:SOURCE who told us about the current state of the planned producer responsibility and how we are moving forward. It was a suitable transition to the genuine multiplier event for our Erasmus+ project The new Scandinavian Quality Control model.
The project consists of six activities
- Developing a Scandinavian Quality Control model
- Production of educational material
- Physical project meetings
- Reference group meetings
- Project management
- Dissemination
At the meeting, Anna Bernstad gave an account of the future scouting that is done for input to the upcoming authorization checks with the focus areas
- EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles
- PFAS – The proposal for a ban and current situation
- Development of the authorization process and training materials
Finally, during this event, Charlotta Duse showed the project’s website scandinavianqualitycontrolmodel.com which is available in three languages: English, Danish and Swedish.
Then a place on stage for Claus Nissen from NissenManagement and Beirholms Vaeverier with the title From a laundry advisor perspective: Exploit immediate potentials in the laundry industry. It was immediately noticeable that it was a sought-after hands-on lecture. Claus has a long professional career behind him, including at Berendsen, and he ended by giving concrete tips on what he would do if he were to start his own business. The starting point was that after all, 85% of the cost of textiles is from handling while 15% comes from purchasing – it’s about digging in the right place.
The last session before lunch went to Kenneth Sjökvist and Martin Andersson from EnRival. Kenneth immediately felt at home as a former washerman from the then Tvättman, Ekotvätt Bergmanngruppen and Milliken. EnRival is a local employment agency that helps match employers and job seekers.
After an hour of networking and visiting all the exhibitors in connection with the lunch, we got to meet Enjay and one of the founders Nils Lekeberg. One for N as in Nils and jay for J as in Jesper, the other founder. Enjay is behind Lepido, a Swedish-developed, extra durable “heavy-duty” heat exchanger. It makes it not only possible, but also profitable to recover energy from polluted exhaust air. Turning waste into watts. The Swedish way to recover excess heat. Rarely has a Swedish start-up been written about and appreciated as much as Enjay. If it’s not in Forbes or Dagens Industri, it’s in Sydsvenskan and other local media.
The day from the stage was concluded by Daniel Brämhagen, EY, and the headline Neurodiversity What happens when great minds don’t think alike?
Daniel emphasized the value of being able to be yourself and that we must take advantage of everyone’s skills and talents. In the end, it’s about growth and profit in addition to giving everyone an opportunity.
That was the end of the official program. The chairman thanked all speakers, participants and our event sponsors Beirholms Vaeverier, KrimProd with the elegant delicacy boards as speaker gifts and Kalle-Ville Lampi from Maxi-Press.
Tasty coffee and nutritious visits to the exhibitors before the evening ended with dinner in the Angelini restaurant and Blue Sky Bar, where the roof terrace offered a unique view of the city and the sea. Gone was darkness and haze. Here was the joy and warmth.
The Scandinavian Quality Control mentioned in the Laundry Ledger
The Laundry Ledger writes about our upcoming Autumn Meeting, with a strong emphasis on the New Scandinavian Quality Control Model. Read the entire article here: https://laundryledger.com/swedish-textile-service-assoc-autumn-meeting/
EPALE Community Conference 2023 – Bloom! Skills for the future
On October 10-12, a well-attended conference was held with participants from all over the EU, including Sveriges Tvätteriförbund, as part of Erasmus Days.
The conference consisted of morning and afternoon sessions and a workshop in the afternoon.
Among the speakers were Clare Stark who is the UN Coordinator for UNESCO for Emerging Technologies, Gert Biesta who is a professor at Maynooth University and the University of Edinburgh, and Bolarmaa Tumurchudur-Klok who works as a Skills specialist at the ILO.
They highlighted themes such as competence, democracy and participation under the points:
EMPOWER. Workforce with the right skills.
ENGAGE. Skills for democratic life
INCLUDE. Inclusive skills opportunities
Other themes touched on were how to increase green and digital skills for adults, democratic education for a democratic society and how to empower vulnerable groups through non-formal education.
Many thanks to the EPALE group for well-organized and intensive days.
Read more about the conference and EPALE:
epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/epale-community-conference-2023-bloom-skills-future
Celebrate ErasmusDays 9 – 14 of October 2023
In October, we pay extra attention to ErasmusDays and the project The new Scandinavian Quality Control model. The project, which is co-financed by the EU via Erasmus+, started on 1 January 2023 and will run until 31 December 2024.
Sveriges Tvätteriförbund and BVT – Brancheforeningen for Vask og Tekstiludlejning, have started a collaboration and exchange of practices aimed at creating a forum for knowledge sharing and comparison of current Scandinavian authorization/quality control models for the laundry and textile service industry. This is a basis for further progress and the development of new quality control models that comply with sustainability aspects as well as European standards.
Both associations carry out annual quality checks of their members. The checks ensure that members maintain high professional, corporate and environmental standards. Throughout this collaboration, both parties strive to exchange experiences and ideas, to create new, innovative and joint curricula or courses for business, industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (incl. entrepreneurship), and quality assurance.
The project, which is co-financed by the European Union via Erasmus+, started on January 1, 2023 and will last until December 31, 2024. Read more here.
Read more about EramusDays here.
Press release: Second physical meeting of The new Scandinavian Quality Control model
On a sunny summer day the project working group, members, and other stakeholders of The new Scandinavian Quality Control model met at the BVT office, in downtown Copenhagen.
The agenda consisted of insightful presentations and discussions in the areas of analysis of usage of water, electricity, chemistry and oil/gas in industrial laundries, the newest regulation and trends regarding PFAS and EU’s strategy for environmental pollutants, and reduction of microplastics in industrial laundries.
Another important topic discussed during the meeting was the future EU legislation regarding sustainable businesses. The presentation focused on ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) as well as ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation).
Other presentations focused on the management and recycling of textiles, the possibilities for lower washing temperatures and hygiene requirements, and how to include this in a future control model.
Inclusion and environmental sustainability are key factors in the project
Inclusion and diversity are at the heart of the project. Accessibility and inclusiveness as means to open up for people with fewer opportunities are to be involved in all project activities.
The project will also explore environment and climate change since the majority of the requirements in the authorisation controls are related to environment and sustainability. By giving employees access to information about why the quality requirements in the process are important, and developing their skills on how to save resources and reduce energy, they can become true agents of change.
Knowledge sharing and new quality control material co-funded by the EU
The Swedish and Danish partnership for cooperation and exchanges of practices aims to create a forum for knowledge sharing and comparison of current Scandinavian quality control models for the textile services industry. This can serve as the foundation for further progress and development of new quality control models that comply with aspects of sustainability as well as European standards.
Both The Swedish Textile Service Association and The Washing and Textiles Service Association of Denmark currently execute yearly quality controls of their members. The controls ensure members hold high professional, corporate and environmental standards.
Throughout this collaboration, both parties aim to exchange experiences and ideas – creating new, innovative or joint curricula or courses ; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship) ; Quality Assurance. The project, which is co-funded by the European Union via Erasmus+, started the 1st of January 2023 and will proceed until the 31st of December 2024. One major multiplier event is the joint autumn meeting that takes place on November 16 in Halmstad, Sweden. There, the project results will be presented to members who will have the possibility to interact and give feedback on the work forward. The grand finale will be a presentation at Texcare in Frankfurt, November 2024.
The organisations
The Swedish Textile Service Association (Sveriges Tvätteriförbund) is an independent industry organisation representing members in both Swedish industrial textile services and consumer laundry services. The association has a long and proud tradition. Together with its members, totalling approximately 70 textile service businesses and 60 suppliers, the association pursues an active agenda focused on the future. The association’s members account for approximately 90% of the total domestic industry turnover. The Swedish Textile Service Association wants to make a difference for its members and society at large.
The Washing and Textile Services Association of Denmark (Danish: Brancheforeningen for Vask og Tekstiludlejning, BVT) is a professional interest and service organisation for industrially run laundries in the private and public sectors, as well as suppliers to laundries. The Association is part of the Confederation of Danish Industry as part of the Industry Community DI Service. Part of its responsibilities include securing the members’ interests in industry matters and to create and maintain a good reputation for the laundry industry.
For more information, please contact
Lasse Rafiq Hangaard
Industry consultant, BVT
(+45) 5218 5990 (Mobile)
laha@di.dk
Danske Vaskerier – BVT
Daniel Kärrholt
CEO Sveriges Tvätteriförbund
(+46) 705 11 36 85
daniel@tvatteriforbundet.se
Tvatteriforbundet.se
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
International Linen & Uniform Service Day
On August 9, we celebrate International Laundry and Textile Service Day!
Infinite Laundry has teamed up with TRSA to promote International Linen & Uniform Service Day (ILUD) on August 9th. This day is celebrated by professionals in the textile service industry all over the world.
On August 9, the very first electrically powered washing machine was patented
On August 9, 1910, “Thor”, the very first electric washing machine, was patented by Alva J. Fisher. This marked a turning point for use worldwide. Since then, laundry and textile services have become invaluable pieces of the puzzle in logistics chains worldwide.
Make the industry visible
The idea of ILUD is to draw attention to the profession, the people and the place that textile service has in our global society, and in this way make customers appreciate and demand our services. As well as expanding their use with additional hygienically clean and reusable textile solutions for the future. Coral Undzis, social media director at Infinite Laundry, conceptualized ILUD.
“It’s time we celebrate our industry’s work with and recognize the ‘heroes-behind-the-heroes’ for their important work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” said Undzis.
Many thanks to our friends at Infinite Laundry – Steve, Jeff and Mitchell. Read more at infinitelaundry.com
Contact us
If you want more information about the project or if you have a question , don’t hesitate to contact us.
Daniel Kärrholt
CEO, The Swedish Textile Service Association
- Email: daniel@tvatteriforbundet.se
- Phone: (+46) 705 11 36 85
- Website: Sveriges Tvätteriförbund
Lasse Rafiq Hangaard
Industry consultant, The Washing and Textile Services Association of Denmark
- Email: laha@di.dk
- Phone: (+45) 5218 5990
- Website: Danske Vaskerier