ARTA FOUNDER Nate Belkin, PhD, may be retired but remains prolific writing to make the case for reusable textiles.
Most recently, his articles were published in the prestigious Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, September 2007 issue, and the November 2007 issue of Textile Rental magazine.
I recently caught up with Nate on the phone and asked him for his views on the greatest challenges facing the industry and how ARTA can best help its members.
Here's what he had to say: The greatest challenge facing the industry in 2008? It doesn't matter who is doing the laundering — an institutional or commercial operation — the main challenge confronting the industry has been and remains to create greater appreciation and awareness of reusable textiles.
One of the obstalces to meeting this challenge is that many of the people on the customer side have only known disposables.
The attention that was directed to the quality of textiles products was totally different 50 years ago and that's not. Organizations like the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council recognize this and are working to improve the situation.
What's your wish for the industry?:
I would like to see the industry regain some of the market share it has lost to disposable products. For this to happen, we need to create awareness in the user community.
Most important learning?:
Everything takes dedication and a lot of hard work. Nothing comes easy.
American Reusable Textile Association
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