Green Button at the Hotel Kaiserhof
In September, the Green Button – the state textile seal for sustainably produced textiles – celebrates its first anniversary. The topic of sustainability is gaining increasing attention in general, especially in the hotel industry, a positive and very important development. The Hotel Kaiserhof in Münster, a grand hotel from the very beginning, is now also the first hotel in Münster to take a sustainable approach to linens by using Green Button-certified textiles.
Tradition and Sustainability at the Hotel Kaiserhof
The traditional Münster-based Hotel Kaiserhof operates sustainably in every respect. One aspect of this consistent change process that isn’t immediately apparent: the bed linens are being replaced with sustainable textiles certified with the state-run Green Button seal. The Kaiserhof is thus the first hotel in Münster to take this sustainable approach to linens.
Focus on Sustainability
The family-run, 4-star superior Hotel Kaiserhof has been one of the top addresses in Münster for 125 years. “Sustainability is an ongoing process for us. Energy-saving measures, consistent waste separation and waste avoidance, a focus on products from local producers, and much more – the Kaiserhof has been offering all of this for a long time,” says Anja Fenneberg, who runs the traditional hotel together with her husband, Kay. “With our new concept, however, we are now well ahead of the general trend toward greater sustainability when it comes to textiles!” “Even though many hotels already save energy and wear and tear by allowing guests to choose whether their laundry can be reused, many still don’t think about the origin of the textiles,” adds Moritz Wildschütz, managing director of the Münster-based laundry company Sicking, which has been supplying the Hotel Kaiserhof with rental textiles in a decades-long partnership.
A good feeling all around
There is enormous potential, especially in the textile supply chain, to do something “really well.” The Green Button is the first government-certified textile label to offer guidance in the procurement of socially and ecologically sustainably produced textiles. Not only are the production steps “dyeing and bleaching” and “cutting and sewing” tested by independent testing institutes, but the company itself is also audited according to precisely defined and verifiable sustainability criteria. The manufacturer of the linen for the Hotel Kaiserhof, Dibella from western Münsterland, is an absolute expert in sustainability and was the first company in the textile rental sector to have its products awarded the government-certified Green Button seal for compliance with the testing criteria. “For us, sustainability is more than just a trendy topic,” says Ralf Hellmann, Managing Director of the Bocholt-based company, “we are a pioneer in the Green Button program and will very much welcome further tightening of the criteria in the long term, making the entire supply chain, right down to the raw material, traceable for the end consumer. This transparency enables us to implement our CSR goals at all stages of the supply chain and gives our customers the certainty that they are using responsibly produced textiles.” The Sicking laundry rents out Dibella bed linen certified with the Green Button to the Hotel Kaiserhof. “This means we can consistently offer our customers the sustainability that we have lived for years with our environmentally friendly, certified washing processes, even in the area of textiles,” says Moritz Wildschütz. This is a good certainty that guests of the Hotel Kaiserhof will also be able to enjoy in the future: the changeover to the bed linen was well planned during the corona-related shutdown and will now take place in August.
About the Green Button
The Green Button is the government seal for sustainably produced textiles. 46 demanding social and environmental criteria must be met – from A for wastewater limits to Z for the prohibition of forced labor. What’s special about it: In addition to individual textiles, the entire company is always audited. Individual showcase products are not enough. The entire company must act sustainably. The government sets the criteria and conditions for the Green Button – this creates clarity and trust. Initially, the Green Button covers the production stages “dyeing and bleaching” and “cutting and sewing.” In the future, the criteria will be expanded to include other production stages in the textile supply chain.
About Dibella
Dibella has been a competent textile service partner throughout Europe since 1986, specializing in particularly durable and industrially processable contract textiles for the hotel, catering, and healthcare industries. The name “Dibella – longlife textiles” reflects this philosophy. Since 2010, Dibella has consistently expanded its offering to include sustainable contract textiles, enabling customers to assume social responsibility right from the textile procurement stage. Membership in numerous organizations such as the UN Global Compact, Textile Exchange, and MaxTex underscores Dibella’s commitment to sustainability.
About Sicking Laundry
Sicking Laundry from Münster is a professional and efficient partner for state-of-the-art textile care and textile logistics. Established since 1923, the company is one of the leading laundries in Münster and North Rhine-Westphalia. Honesty, reliability, and quality have always been and remain the foundation of Sicking. Qualified employees, state-of-the-art technology, and high hygiene standards ensure customers perfect quality at the right price. All of this is achieved with conviction using only hygienic, certified washing processes that protect both the environment and textiles. The use of sustainable rental textiles underscores the high ecological importance.