Sustainability
Carbon Neutral Laundry You Can Put Your Name To
The UK's first certified carbon neutral commercial laundry — independently verified to ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14068-1, and achieved 15 years ahead of our 2040 target.
131 tCO₂e
Lower emissions in 2025 on a market-based basis — a 5.61% cut, or 28 cars off the road for a year.
100%
Renewable electricity across every site, REGO-certified.
25.35%
Less water used per tonne of textiles processed since our 2022 baseline.
87.62%
Reduction in waste to landfill — four years ahead of the 2029 target.
2025 reporting year. Greenhouse gas inventory prepared to ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol and verified by NQA Certification Limited. Published February 2026.
At Aberdeen Laundry Services, sustainability isn’t a project — it’s how we do business. Since 2019 we’ve asked ourselves not just “Is this good for business?” but “Is this the right thing to do?” That values-led approach has shaped every decision, every investment and every milestone — and in 2025 it made us the UK’s first certified carbon neutral commercial laundry, 15 years ahead of our 2040 commitment.
For the healthcare clients, care homes, hospitality venues, education institutions and public sector bodies we serve, that means the textiles you use every day arrive with independently verified environmental credentials — and the data behind them, ready to use in your own tenders, ESG reporting and social value submissions.
Our 2025 Sustainability Report
Complete transparency. Measurable progress. Ambitious targets.
The full report sets out our verified environmental data, our assessment against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our governance structure, our science-based targets — and, candidly, the areas where we still have work to do.
Our Vision
-
To lead the UK textile services industry by proving that operational excellence, environmental stewardship and social responsibility aren't competing priorities — they're the foundation of sustainable growth.
Our Mission
-
To deliver unmatched textile services by innovating with integrity, sustainability and care for our people, our environment and our communities — raising industry standards and inspiring change in responsible business.
Our Environment
In 2025 we became the first commercial laundry operation in the UK to achieve independently verified carbon neutrality, certified under ISO 14068-1 and quantified to ISO 14064-1 — 15 years ahead of schedule. Here is what we did, how it was checked, and where we still have work to do.
Carbon reduction
Total emissions down 5.61% market-based, or 4.06% location-based — a cut of 131 tCO₂e. Gas down 7%, grid electricity down 10%, diesel down 16%. A further 1,800 tCO₂e retired through verified offset projects.
Energy Innovation
13.1% of our production electricity now comes from our own solar PV, and 100% of what we buy is REGO-certified renewable. At East Kilbride we export 38% of what we generate back to the grid.
Water Conservation
25.3% less water per tonne of textiles since 2022 — 3,750m³ saved for every 1,000 tonnes processed, or about 1.5 Olympic swimming pools a year.
Circular Economy
87.6% less waste to landfill, four years ahead of our 2029 target, with Infinite Textiles certified status and a zero-landfill commitment.
Growth & How We Count
Our 2020 baseline was 1,421.29 tCO₂e. In 2025 our total footprint across all three scopes was 2,202.60 tCO₂e on a market-based basis. Our absolute emissions are higher than our baseline, and we are not going to bury that: the business has grown, and 2025 was the year we fully integrated our East Kilbride site. What has fallen is our emissions intensity — the carbon behind every tonne of textiles we process — alongside year-on-year absolute reductions in gas, grid electricity and diesel.
We report on two methodologies rather than choosing the flattering one. Location-based reporting uses the average carbon intensity of the regional grid and puts our 2025 emissions at 2,254.31 tCO₂e. Market-based reporting recognises that we buy 100% REGO-certified renewable electricity, and puts them at 2,202.60 tCO₂e. Both are valid, and we publish both.
How We Achieved These Results
These reductions didn’t happen by accident. They’re the result of investments and operational changes made systematically across all four sites over the past 18 to 24 months.
-
Smart Fleet Strategy
Our fleet runs on route optimisation software with telematics, and we monitor emissions monthly from both our vehicles and our boiler systems. That data is what delivered a 16% cut in diesel consumption with no loss of service quality. Vehicles have been assessed and identified for replacement as we work towards a fully green fleet by 2040.
-
Energy-efficient Equipment
A full energy audit identified where our natural gas use could come down, and we acted on it: LED lighting, low-temperature detergent systems and heat-recovery dryers are now installed across all four sites. These cut energy demand at source rather than offsetting it later — which is why natural gas fell 7% and grid electricity 10% in a single year.
-
On-site Renewable Generation
Solar PV now generates 13.06% of the electricity we use for production, reducing our reliance on the grid and the transmission losses that come with it. At East Kilbride, 62% of what we generate powers the site directly and the remaining 38% is exported back to the grid — so we're not only lowering our own footprint but contributing clean energy to the wider network.
-
Ozone and Biodegradable Detergents
Ozone systems operate in every one of our laundry facilities, which lets us wash effectively at lower temperatures — less heat, less energy, the same hygiene standards. Alongside that we've completed a full switch to biodegradable detergents, reducing the environmental impact of what leaves our sites as well as what goes into them.
-
Circular Economy Leadership
We were one of the first commercial laundries in the UK to achieve Infinite Textiles certification, which means textile lifecycle management is designed into how we operate rather than added on afterwards. Every item is kept in productive use for as long as possible instead of becoming waste — and it's why our waste to landfill fell 87.62% in a year, four years ahead of target.
None of these are one-off gains. They’re permanent changes to how we operate, and they’ll keep delivering as the business grows.
Independently Verified
None of these numbers are self-declared. Our greenhouse gas inventory is prepared to ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol — the two methodologies used by the UK Government and its public agencies — and independently verified by NQA Certification Limited. Our carbon neutrality is certified under ISO 14068-1. Our offsetting is delivered through Carbon Neutral Britain: 1,800 tCO₂e retired in August 2025 via the Climate Fund portfolio, certificate BCNB-05722, under credits issued to the Clean Development Mechanism, VCS Verra and Gold Standard.
Biodiversity & Natural Resources
Offsetting is the last step in our approach, not a substitute for the first ones. We avoid and reduce emissions wherever we can, and only offset what we cannot yet eliminate.
A minimum of 10% of our offset budget goes to UK biodiversity projects through Carbon Neutral Britain’s Woodland Fund, supporting native woodland creation, hay meadow restoration and coastal sea kelp recovery. Projects are triple-verified by satellite monitoring, AI validation and independent audit, with sequestration designed to last 100 years or more.
Our Science-based Targets
Our targets are validated under the Science Based Targets initiative framework, measured against a 2020 base year.
-
Near term, 2030-2040
Reduce absolute Scope 1 emissions by 23.1% against our 2020 baseline. Use REGO-certified renewable electricity exclusively to address Scope 2 - in place since 2025. Remain carbon neutral, investing in carbon removal and offset technologies.
-
Long term, 2030-2040
Reduce absolute Scope 1 emissions by 42.6% against our 2020 baseline. Reduce Scope 3 by sourcing all relevant products from verified carbon-neutral suppliers, once a dependable supply network exists. Reach net Zero across our entire value chain by 2040.
-
Also committed by 2030
A 25% reduction in water consumption and a 30% reduction in carbon intensity. Solar generation across all four sites. Elimination of microplastic discharge through advanced filtration.
Progress against every target is reported annually and independently verified.
Our People
100+ people, 14 nationalities, four sites and one standard of treatment. Fair work isn’t a policy we published — it’s the reason people stay.
Representation
14 nationalities across 127 colleagues. 40% identify as being from a minority ethnic group, and our leadership team is 40% female.
Fair Work
A Real Living Wage Scotland employer since 2023, with 30 guaranteed hours and structured shift patterns, and Fair Work First principles formally adopted.
Wellbeing
Free mental health support, remote GP appointments, a 24/7 helpline and financial guidance through Unum Help@Hand, plus health insurance and death in service cover.
Skills
2,071 hours of training in 2025, and £120,000 committed to a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of the West of Scotland.
Research & Why A Laundry Funds It
Our core equipment hasn’t changed much in decades. How we use it has — and we invest in research to keep pushing that.
In 2025 we began a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of the West of Scotland, funded through UKRI at £350,000 with £120,000 committed by us, including a 30-month research associate post. The work examines how digital tools can improve reporting, automation and efficiency across the laundry process, and where new energy-efficient equipment is viable.
Alongside it, a University of Dundee MEng student spent three months with us on a waste heat recovery project, and our partnership with Interface supports detailed process mapping across every site — profiling energy use at each stage, at each plant, to find where real efficiencies are left. We’re also working with Timewise on a three-year project developing shift patterns that support wellbeing and financial security in an industry whose demand rises and falls with the seasons.
Four Pillars For Inclusive Growth
-
Enhance Inclusion Programmes
Cultural awareness training, mentorship and employee-led support groups.
-
Support Gender Equality
Work-life balance policies, fair progression and equal representation.
-
Develop Our Frontline
Training and leadership pathways for production operatives.
-
Representation in Leadership
A senior team that reflects the workforce it leads.
Gender Representation: What Changed in 2025, and What We Are Doing
Female representation stood at 42% in 2025, down from 50.6% in 2024. The shift was driven by a higher volume of male applications for engineering and technical roles, and we are not going to present it as anything else. Our response: promoting vacancies more widely across all departments, reviewing our recruitment practices, and spotlighting the women already in technical and leadership roles at ALS. Maintaining gender balance in traditionally male-dominated sectors takes proactive, sustained effort — not a statement.
Community & Society
Being a good employer and a good neighbour are the same job. Here’s what that looked like in 2025.
-
Our partnership with Homeless Project Scotland supplied the linen behind 12,045 beds — £60,947 of in-kind support, and an estimated £602,250 of social value.
-
We gave £750 to the Fashion & Textiles Children's Trust, which supports children whose families work in our industry.
-
90% of our suppliers are local businesses — 277 of 306 — with £2.9m of our £4.5m annual procurement spend going to Scottish partners.
-
We are a signatory to the Buy Social Scotland Pledge, and introduced a Community Benefits Plan setting out how we measure our social value.
-
We are an Armed Forces Covenant signatory and hold the Bronze Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
-
We sponsor the Applications of Mathematics Award at Northfield Academy, take part in beach cleans along the Aberdeen coast, and supported Aberdeenshire Council during Challenge Poverty Week.
-
In January 2025 we assessed our operations against all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. We found a direct positive impact on 11 of them, an indirect positive impact on three more, and no negative impact on any.
Our Governance
Values-led, independently verified and accountable. Governance at ALS isn’t box-ticking — it’s the structure that makes every other claim on this page checkable.
Integrity
Honest, transparent and ethical practice — the basis of every relationship we hold.
Innovation
Continuous improvement in our processes, our technology and the solutions we offer.
Customer Focus
Our customers sit at the heart of how decisions get made.
Sustainability
Minimising our environmental footprint in everything we do.
Accountability & Oversight
Someone is accountable for every claim on this page.
-
We operate a flat structure rather than a traditional hierarchy, so every part of the business has an equal voice in how decisions get made.
-
Our greenhouse gas data and our carbon neutrality are verified annually by an independent third party, NQA Certification Limited.
-
70% of our people responded to our 2025 employee survey, and their answers fed directly into our materiality assessment — the process that decides which issues we prioritise.
Our Materiality Assessment
Every business has to decide which issues matter most. In 2025 we did that formally, rather than by instinct.
Working to KPMG’s Global Materiality Assessment Framework and GRI principles, we narrowed a long list of 66 topics through structured interviews, an all-employee survey that 70% of colleagues responded to, and feedback from customers representing 60% of our revenue.
Eleven topics came through as material; another 29 sit on a watch list we review quarterly. The eleven are signed off by our senior team and built into how we manage risk, plan and measure performance — so they shape decisions rather than sitting in a report. We will run the assessment again in 2026.
Policies Introduced in 2025
Good intentions need something written down behind them. In 2025 we introduced or updated twelve:
-
Carbon management plan & policy
-
Energy policy
-
Environmental services policy
-
Environmental services advocacy policy
-
Biodiversity policy
-
Pollution policy, with transport pollution control measures
-
Sustainable procurement policy
-
Water conservation policy, set against a new baseline
-
Waste management policy
-
Transport policy
-
Fair work policy
-
Company-wide training policy
We also updated our Net Zero 2040 plan.
Independently Verified
Multiple certifications, held and audited — so the claims we make are ones you can put in your own reporting.
Global Frameworks We Uphold
-
UN Global Compact
Active signatory, with our 2025 Communication on Progress submitted.
-
Science Based Targets Initiative
Near-term and long-term targets validated.
-
Global Reporting Initiative & GHG Protocol
The internationally recognised methodologies behind everything we report.
-
Fair Work First
The Scottish Government framework, formally adopted across our operations.
-
EcoVadis Silver
Rated in the top 15% globally for sustainability performance.
-
The Climate Pledge
Committed to Net Zero across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement.
Ready To Put Your Name To A Sustainable Supply Chain?
Whether you’re writing an ESG report, answering a tender question on Scope 3 emissions, or simply want a laundry partner whose numbers stand up to scrutiny, we’d be glad to talk. Come and see one of our four Scottish sites for yourself.
Contact Us Today
Sustainable Laundry: Common Questions
Is Aberdeen Laundry Services really carbon neutral?
Yes. In 2025 we became the first commercial laundry operation in the UK to achieve independently verified carbon neutrality, certified under ISO 14068-1 with our greenhouse gas inventory quantified to ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol. Verification was carried out by NQA Certification Limited. It is a certified position, not a self-declared claim.
What does ISO 14068-1 certification actually mean?
ISO 14068-1 is the international standard for carbon neutrality. It requires a carbon management plan with science-based reduction targets, systematic measurement of emissions across all scopes, demonstrated reductions through operational change, offsetting of unavoidable emissions through verified projects, and annual third-party verification. It is the difference between a measured position and a marketing statement.
Can I use your sustainability data in my own ESG reporting or tender response?
Yes. Any textiles we service are processed with a verified carbon neutral footprint, which gives you a credible way to reduce your own supply chain emissions. Our full 2025 Sustainability Report sets out the underlying data, and our marketing team can supply supporting documentation for tenders and ESG submissions on request.
Where do your carbon offsets go?
We offset through Carbon Neutral Britain, using projects certified to the UN Clean Development Mechanism, Verified Carbon Standard and Gold Standard. A minimum of 10% of our offset budget goes to UK biodiversity projects through the Woodland Fund, supporting native woodland creation, hay meadow restoration and coastal sea kelp recovery.
Is reusable linen better for the environment than single-use?
In most settings, yes. Professionally laundered reusable textiles cut clinical and general waste, are washed at industrial efficiencies that use less water and energy per item than domestic laundering, and stay in productive use for years. Our Infinite Textiles certification covers how textiles are kept in the circular economy rather than sent to landfill.
What are your sustainability targets for the next five years?
Our targets are validated under the Science Based Targets initiative framework from a 2020 base year. By 2030 we will cut absolute Scope 1 emissions by 23.1%, reduce water consumption by 25% and carbon intensity by 30%, and integrate solar generation across all facilities. By 2040 we will cut absolute Scope 1 emissions by 42.6% and reach Net Zero across our value chain.
Which environmental certifications do you hold?
We hold ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management, ISO 14064-1 for greenhouse gas quantification and ISO 14068-1 for carbon neutrality, alongside an EcoVadis Silver rating and Infinite Textiles certification for circular economy performance. We are also an active signatory of the UN Global Compact.
Can you help us reduce our own environmental footprint?
Yes. Because your textiles are processed with a verified carbon neutral footprint, switching to us lowers your own supply chain emissions without you changing anything else. Beyond that, our Linen Hire Good Practice Guide sets out how to get more life out of every item and cut unnecessary washing — practical steps for the people handling linen every day. Ask us for a copy.
Reduce Your Own Footprint, Not Just Ours
Our Linen Hire Good Practice Guide sets out how to get more life out of every item, cut unnecessary washing and reduce the environmental impact of the linen you already have. Written for the people who handle it every day.