Environmental and social sustainability involve major challenges and major opportunities. As awareness of environmental and social possibilities increase, sustainable solutions become a necessity in every company’s plans and management – as well as an important means of competition.
A 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 form the basis for progress and development of new Quality Control models that comply with different aspects of sustainability as well as European standards.
One very important part is social inclusion – how do we promote equal opportunities and access, inclusion, diversity, and fairness.
The two project partners, The Swedish Textile Service Association (Sveriges Tvätteriförbund) and The Washing and Textiles Service Association of Denmark (Brancheforeningen for Vask og Tekstiludlejning), will also develop supplementary educational material connected to the Scandinavian quality control models that will help organisations and their workers achieve sustainable methods.
On March 29th, the first out of four physical project meetings took place in Malmö. Various stakeholders, such as members, communications experts and third party representatives that do the annual controls discussed how to proceed with the activities within the project.
An inspirational speech was given by Jan-Olov Kindvall, from the Swedish top football club Malmö FF, on how a leading football club works with inclusion and other key objectives.
Both The Swedish Textile Service Association as well as The Washing and Textiles Service Association of Denmark currently execute yearly quality controls of their members. These 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.
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.
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.
