The prestigious boarding school has over 1,300 pupils

Laundry chemical and engineering specialist Christeyns UK has helped Eton College in Windsor meet its environmental goals with a new water filtering system.

Eton College, the prestigious boarding school in Berkshire, has been educating for the future for over 600 years. Founded in 1440, this outward-looking institution with over 1,300 students, has a proud history and rich heritage, yet embraces innovation in its pursuit of excellence and the provision of a well-rounded education.

However, it is not only forward thinking in its educational goals but also in the operational day to day running of the college and its commitment to sustainability.

In 2017 the college cut its energy costs by replacing lamps and fixtures that led to a reduction in their carbon footprint by 61 per cent. Earlier this year the college tackled the issue of water saving with the installation of a new storage and filtering system, Lint X.

Renowned for its innovative water and energy saving systems, Christeyns installs equipment in commercial and on-premise laundries across the UK and Ireland that complement the use of its patented Cool Chemistry and other detergent programmes.

Eton College has had a laundry onsite since 1881 and has been using Christeyns’ chemistry for almost a decade. A dedicated team of 30 run and maintain the laundry that processes 50,000 items per week which includes everything from rugby kit to chef’s outfits. Items are sorted, washed, ironed and then individually repacked for each student.

“As a whole, both the school and the pupils are focused on improving our environmental commitment,” states facilities manager Paul Bayley. “Addressing water usage was one of the initiatives that came out of a recent meeting, realising that the old tank system was way beyond being efficient.” Christeyns water and energy specialist Brett Cartwright analysed the current provision and needs of the college and a Lint X Compact was installed and up and running ready for the students return post lockdown.

The new unit will save the site around a third of their water usage which over the course of a year will represent a considerable saving and go a long way towards meeting the college’s sustainable targets.

Lint-X Compact comprises a pair of tanks for storing and filtering used water from the washing process, typically water from the press tanks and rinse water tanks of the continuous batch washers (CBWs).

The unit operates between three to five pumps and a freshwater valve in order to supply several washing machines with filtered, but used water, thus reducing the freshwater consumption in a laundry.

Bayley continues: “Christeyns carried out a very professional installation of the Lint-X unit despite the challenges imposed due to lockdown. The whole process went very smoothly and I look forward to seeing the longer term impact on our water usage.”

Sustainability is a way of life, not just relevant to laundries. With the help of Christeyns, Eton College is setting the right example for other educational institutions, for its pupils and for the wider community.

A dedicated team of 30 run and maintain the onsite laundry that processes 50,000 items per week

Eton College in Berkshire