APRIL 2020
Late News Laundry/linen service events postponed, canceled due to COVID-19 CHICAGO — The Association for Linen Management (ALM); Messe Frankfurt; TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services; and the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) have postponed or canceled events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ALM postponed its IMPACT 2020 Conference, scheduled for March 23-25. The association says an alternate date for the conference was to be announced no later than March 27. Messe Frankfurt postponed Texcare International 2020 from June to November, and further details will be released when available. TRSA canceled both the 10th Annual Legislative Conference, March 25-26 in Washington, D.C., and the Canadian CEO/ Executive Roundtable, April 15-16 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Finally, TCATA decided to cancel its April 29-May 2 Annual Conference, which was to take place at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina. ALN
Weed in the workplace Employers struggle with growing marijuana use and creating good policies BY PHILLIP M. PERRY NEW YORK — Illicit drugs are increasing in the workplace, and marijuana is leading the way. What should employers do The answer has become more complicated with the growing number of states legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use. Should drug tests even include marijuana anymore If they do, and evidence of marijuana use pops up, should employees be penalized And further o employers have to accommodate for the medical use of marijuana under the federal Americans with isabilities Act or state human rights laws
IMPAIRED WORKERS Such questions are moving to the front burner as employers face a greater risk than ever from a growing culture of impairment that shows no signs of tapering off any
Employers face a greater risk than ever from a growing culture of impairment that shows no sign of tapering off, with workforce drug positivity continuing to reach higher levels. (Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)
time soon. Workforce drug positivity hit a 1 -year high in 201 , according to a new analysis from uest iagnostics, a leading provider of drug test information. For a growing number of individuals, cannabis has become the illicit drug of choice.
“Marijuana is the second most widely abused substance nationwide, after alcohol,” says Amy Ronshausen, executive director of rug Free America Foundation Inc., St. See WEED on Page 6
Wastewater systems and laundry operations From heat capture to contaminant removal, wastewater systems continue to improve and help the industry BY MATT POE, EDITOR
Kemco says its Reverse Osmosis (RO) System can produce a high standard of treated water for laundries utilizing a wastewater system. (Photo: Kemco Systems)
CHICAGO — The past 10 years have seen an extensive expansion of water reuse treatment systems. Water reuse systems have been applied to centralized and decentralized scales, and water has been reused for a wide range of activities, such as agricultural/land application, commercial/industrial processes, toilets, and even potable water. To keep costs down, industry is shifting focus toward reuse systems that are fully automated, have minimal operator requirements, require few chemicals and use semi-permanent filters. And as wastewater treatment systems improve, laundry and linen services are making use of them to drive down costs and be more environmentally responsible. See WASTEWATER on Page 10
Volume 46, Number 4
INSIDE Panel of Experts In this issue, the experts tackle ways for laundries to examine and improve customer service.
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www.americanlaundrynews.com
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Environmental Sustainability A look at the issues laundries face and how to be proactive about them.
The Newspaper of Record for Laundry & Linen Management
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Sustainability and Client Demand ARTA’s Nancy Jenkins starts the conversation on sustainability, reusable textiles.
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