Envac’s automated soiled linen collection system helps hospitals reduce manual handling, improve hygiene, lower contamination risks and improve logistics with 24/7 sealed pipe transport.
Traditional soiled linen collection often relies on manual transport using bags, trolleys, elevators and temporary storage areas. In busy hospitals, these flows can overlap with those of patients, visitors and healthcare professionals, increasing exposure to pathogens and odours while adding pressure on hospital logistics.
Envac’s automated soiled linen collection system helps hospitals move soiled linen more safely and efficiently. Linen is deposited close to where it is generated and transported via a closed pipe network, reducing the need for staff to manually move contaminated materials across the hospital. This helps minimise physical contact between staff and contaminated materials and supports infection control.
A study conducted by Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems students Simon Britzelli and Kylie Aziz at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm examined how automated, hermetically sealed laundry and hospital waste management systems affect microbial presence compared with conventional hospital waste handling.
The study, titled “Automated Hermetically Sealed vs. Conventional Waste Management Systems in Hospitals: A Comparative Study of Microbial Presence,” compared two working Swedish hospitals: one equipped with Envac’s automated system and one using a conventional method. The students measured bacterial contamination using colony-forming units, or CFU, which are used to indicate the presence of viable bacteria.
The findings showed that the hospital using Envac’s soiled linen collection system recorded a 49.3% lower average CFU count and a 6.10% lower median CFU count compared with the hospital using conventional waste management methods. The results suggest that automated, hermetically sealed systems can help reduce microbial contamination in hospital environments.
What are CFU levels?
CFU stands for Colony-Forming Units. It is a way of measuring bacterial presence by estimating the number of viable microorganisms in a sample. In the KTH student study, lower CFU levels indicated lower measured bacterial contamination in the hospital using Envac’s closed pipe system.
Soiled linen can carry bacteria, odours and other contaminants. When bags are moved manually through shared hospital spaces, every handling point can add complexity to infection-control routines. Envac’s automated linen collection system reduces this exposure by transporting soiled linen through sealed pipes. This helps keep contaminated material flows separated from everyday hospital movement and reduces the need for staff to lift, push or transport heavy bags through corridors and elevators.
Hospitals operate around the clock, and soiled linen collection needs to keep pace. Manual collection rounds can create bottlenecks, occupy elevators and require staff time that could be redirected to higher-value work.
With Envac, soiled linen can be deposited near the source as needed. The system then automatically transports it to the collection area, helping hospitals reduce internal trolley movements, free up logistical capacity, and maintain cleaner flows throughout the facility.
Soiled linen management affects far more than laundry logistics. It influences hygiene, staff time, elevator use, storage needs, operating costs and the overall movement of materials through the hospital. Envac’s Healthcare ROI Calculator helps hospitals estimate the operational and financial impact of automated waste and linen collection. The calculator compares manual waste and linen handling with an Envac automatic system and provides a view of potential payback time, space savings and released staff time.
Healthcare Huzhou, China
The Huzhou Central Hospital is in charge of providing medical care to over 4 million individuals. Envac’s automatic waste collection system provides an efficient solution for managing general waste and soiled linen in the hospital, creating a safer and cleaner hospital environment.
Envac’s automated linen collection system minimises the spread of infections, reduces manual handling, and enables a cleaner and safer environment for patients and staff. By utilising separate, sealed pipe networks, materials can be swiftly transported without the need for trolleys or carts. This approach minimises pathogen spread and reduces operational costs, improving cleanliness, safety, and space efficiency. Our commitment to automation and sustainable technology reflects our dedication to creating safer, more hygienic healthcare environments.
Our experts are ready to help with any questions you may have about the linen system.
In hospitals, Envac can transport general waste, kitchen waste, soiled linen, and infectious waste from load stations on each floor through sealed pipes to a central collection point. This reduces manual handling by carts or trolleys and supports improved hygiene.
Envac technology is installed in more than 180 hospitals worldwide.
Key hospital benefits include reduced manual waste transport, improved hygiene, safer handling of infectious waste, lower operational costs, improved staff productivity, and reduced movement of waste through patient areas.