Closing the Loop in Healthcare: ACT and Gertrude’s Recover Two Tonnes of Textiles

Healthcare sustainability goes beyond energy and water. It also requires rethinking what happens to materials such as linen and staff uniforms when they reach the end of their original use.

Africa Collect Textiles was featured in Bizna Kenya for its partnership with Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, through which two tonnes of used textiles have been diverted from landfill for recovery and recycling.

The partnership enables the hospital to apply circular-economy principles to its linen and staff uniforms. Instead of being discarded as general waste, the textiles are collected and directed towards appropriate recovery pathways.

The initiative formed part of Gertrude’s wider sustainability programme, highlighted during its five-day Go Green Week. The campaign encouraged healthcare facilities to make environmental sustainability part of everyday operations rather than treating it as a separate activity.

Why this Matters

Hospitals use large volumes of linen, uniforms and other textiles. Without structured recovery systems, these materials can end up in landfills even when they still have value.

The partnership shows how healthcare institutions can work with specialised textile-recovery organisations to manage their materials more responsibly. Diverting two tonnes of textiles from landfill reduces waste, supports material recovery and demonstrates a practical circular solution that other healthcare facilities can adopt.

It also highlights the importance of cross-sector partnerships. By combining Gertrude’s commitment to sustainable healthcare with ACT’s textile collection, sorting and recovery expertise, the initiative turns an operational waste challenge into measurable environmental action.