IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 803 
Expressing the support of the House of Representatives regarding the merits 
and benefits of the Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) 
program, which improves the environment through textile services indus-
try wide conservation of water and energy, reducing pollutants, and 
using safer surfactants. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2009 
Mr. SPACE (for himself and Mr. TERRY) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the support of the House of Representatives re-
garding the merits and benefits of the Laundry Environ-
mental Stewardship Program (ESP) program, which im-
proves the environment through textile services industry 
wide conservation of water and energy, reducing pollut-
ants, and using safer surfactants. 
Whereas LaundryESP is a voluntary pollution-prevention and 
resource-conservation program where members are en-
couraged to participate through a variety of initiatives, 
including— 
(1) the establishment of recycling, reuse, and recov-
ery programs in each plant; 
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•HRES 803 IH 
(2) implementation of best-management practices to 
conserve resources and reduce pollution; 
(3) self-assessments of operations and environmental 
compliance; 
(4) use of environmentally beneficial chemicals; 
(5) installation of more efficient equipment; and 
(6) education of and partnerships with customers to 
reduce pollutants; 
Whereas LaundryESP encompasses 170 textile service com-
panies and 750 laundry plants which account for the ma-
jority of the industry’s production serving light, heavy, 
and high-technology manufacturing, hospitals, medical 
clinics, hotels, transportation industries, retail businesses, 
and restaurant services; 
Whereas LaundryESP is a cost-effective and flexible program 
in which textile services industry companies can improve 
their environmental performance; 
Whereas LaundryESP is designed to arrive at more efficient 
use of resources including water, energy, and wash 
chemicals through innovative, new approaches; 
Whereas the primary goal of LaundryESP is to facilitate the 
textile services industry’s continued commitment to envi-
ronmental protection, built on a foundation of strengths 
in recycling and reuse; 
Whereas LaundryESP over the past decade has resulted in— 
(1) 41 percent increase in textile service production 
(12.16 billion pounds of textiles processed today vs. 8.62 
billion a decade ago); 
(2) 43 percent pollutant reduction (17,500 lbs. of 
pollutants, as measured by pollutant equivalents, did not 
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have to be treated at the local wastewater treatment fa-
cility); 
(3) 28 percent reduction in water use (translates to 
a savings of 26 billion gallons which would serve the 
water needs of 700,000 people per year); 
(4) 15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (the 
equivalent of taking 220,000 cars off the road every year 
over the decade); and 
(5) 14 percent decrease in total energy use (the 
equivalent of the total amount of electricity used annually 
by 450,000 United States homes); and 
Whereas the textile services industry has been working ac-
tively with the Environmental Protection Agency to pro-
mote ‘‘green’’ environmentally friendly business practices 
industry wide, and the Environmental Protection Agency 
has reviewed LaundryESP and found significant progress 
in water and energy conservation, pollutant wash chem-
ical reductions, and greater use of environmentally 
friendly wash chemicals: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives com-
mends LaundryESP and the textile services industry for 
their voluntary industry wide commitments to use less 
water and energy, use more environmentally friendly wash 
formulas, and significantly reduce pollutants, producing 
an excellent example of a conservation and environmental 
protection program that fosters innovation, corporate 
stewardship, cooperation with regulatory authorities, and 
a willingness to change. 
Æ 
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