ISO 14001 at Our Cheltenham Laundry: What It Means for Your Environmental Reporting

For many organisations, environmental reporting is becoming an increasingly important part of tender submissions, supplier assessments and sustainability reporting. Customers are often asked to demonstrate how their supply chain manages its environmental impact and reduces risk. When buyers look for an eco-friendly laundry provider, they increasingly need evidence to back the claim.

In our recent workwear survey, 85% of customers told us that sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues play a part in their organisation's procurement decisions. This is where ISO 14001 can help.

What Is ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is the world's leading standard for environmental management systems (EMS). It provides a structured framework for organisations to identify and manage their environmental impacts, comply with environmental legislation, monitor performance and drive continuous improvement.

Rather than prescribing specific targets, the standard requires organisations to understand their environmental impacts, set appropriate objectives and demonstrate progress through regular independent audits.

This independent verification is why ISO 14001 is widely recognised and valued by procurement teams and sustainability professionals.

What does an environmentally friendly laundry look like in practice?

Commercial laundries have several key environmental impacts. At our Cheltenham workwear laundry, our environmental management system covers:

• Energy use for heating water and operating washers, dryers and finishing equipment
• Water consumption across daily laundry operations
• Wash chemicals, including storage, handling and spill prevention
• Waste management, from packaging to garments reaching end of life
• Vehicle emissions generated through collections and deliveries
• Supplier management, recognising the environmental impact of purchased goods and services

For each area, we identify risks and opportunities, monitor performance, assign ownership and set improvement objectives. Regular internal audits and management reviews are supported by an independent assessment from BSI.

What Does the Certification Cover?

The Cheltenham certification covers the supply, rental, laundering and transportation of garments, dust mats and related products, whether owned by CLEAN or by customers.

The certification remains valid until August 2028, subject to annual surveillance audits and a full recertification assessment at the end of the cycle. Passing the first annual audit demonstrates that the system is embedded in day-to-day operations and continues to meet the standard's requirements.

Customers can independently verify certification status through the BSI Client Directory.

How Can Customers Use This Information?

Many organisations simply need credible evidence they can provide to their own customers, procurement teams or sustainability stakeholders. ISO 14001 supports this in several ways.

Supplier Approval and Tender Responses

Supplier questionnaires frequently ask whether providers operate a certified environmental management system, particularly where a contract asks for environmentally friendly laundry services. Our ISO 14001 certification provides independently verified evidence that can support procurement and tender submissions.

Scope 3 Carbon Reporting

Scope 3 emissions include emissions generated throughout an organisation's value chain, including purchased goods and services. Effective reporting depends on suppliers having robust environmental management processes and reliable environmental data.

Our ISO 14001-certified system helps ensure that environmental information is managed through a structured, independently audited process.

Reduced Operational Risk

Environmental incidents can disrupt service and create additional risks for customers. By identifying potential environmental issues and planning appropriate controls and responses, ISO 14001 helps reduce these risks.

This complements CLEAN's wider resilience measures, including dual-fuel capability, backup generators and alternative water supply arrangements across our sites.

Part of a Wider Sustainability Strategy

ISO 14001 at Cheltenham forms part of CLEAN's broader sustainability programme.

Through our Sustainable 7 strategy and CLEAN Sustainability Matrix, we continue to drive improvements across environmental, social and governance performance. We publish an annual ESG Report, have reduced CO₂ emissions by 25% against our 2019 baseline, and have maintained our EcoVadis Silver rating since first achieving it in December 2025, reinforcing our position among the top 15% of companies assessed globally for sustainability performance. We also hold ISO 9001 certification for quality management.

"Every year, our customers are asked for more detail about their supply chains, and they need suppliers who can back up what they say with independent evidence. ISO 14001 at Cheltenham gives them that, in a form they can put straight into a tender or supplier assessment. That comes from steady, everyday work by the Cheltenham team, who have now taken the system through BSI's certification assessment and its first annual audit. We will use what they have learned as we bring the same approach to our other sites." 

Kevin Godley, CEO, CLEAN Linen & Workwear

Looking Ahead

Our Cheltenham laundry is the first CLEAN site to gain ISO 14001 certification, and this achievement will help inform future environmental initiatives across our business.

As this programme develops, we will continue to share updates and progress.

If you would like a copy of the Cheltenham ISO 14001 certificate for your supplier records, would like to discuss environmental data to support your reporting requirements, or are looking for an eco-friendly laundry partner, please call 0330 818 7008 or email info@cleanservices.co.uk.