Collection depots for used garments
The collection of dirty garments is often a non-transparent process with little control. The use of automated collection depots allows for collection at a central point, thus saving space. By controlling the process of garment distribution, less garments are also needed, which further saves space.
Collection depots are often built into the wall so that the dirty garments are stored in a dirty area. LCT-Textilligence also has a collection depot in a cabinet version. This collection depot can be placed at any desired location as long as power and network are available. Because users are more or less obliged to hand in the garments at a collection depot, a collection depot is space efficient.
Benefits of a collection depot
There will be a collection depot for used or dirty garments at each distribution system. This system registers the garments that are handed in. By handing in garments, a user gets credit to get clean garments out of the system again. This is known as the dirty for clean principle. If a user has no more credit, no clean garments are given out. The user must then first hand in garments in order to immediately receive credit online for clean garments.
The collection depot is therefore an essential part of the system. Without a collection depot and credit system, users can keep the garments and return them whenever they want. The collection depot keeps the flow of garments moving and has a number of advantages:
- No decentralised dormant stocks of dirty/used garments at the end user’s premises
- Even supply of washing to the laundry
- Preventing that garments are left lying around in cloakrooms
- Preventing loss and destruction of garments
RFID chip labels
A collection depot for dirty garments is available in many variants. In each variant, the RFID chip of the garment is read and the garment is deducted from the user’s account and kept as a statistic. After handing in, the status of the garment changes to “Returned”. At the collection depot, the user is often notified of his new credit.
If a user accidentally returns the garments to the laundry using another method, the credit will still be added, but only when the garment is loaded back into the system. With some laundry software suppliers there is also the possibility to import the chip scanning from the washing process. As a result, users of garments that have missed the collection depot get credit for clean garments faster, namely when they are scanned in the laundry.
User-friendliness
In principle, the handing in should be quick and effective. The user has finished work and wants to get rid of his garments before going home. LCT also always recommends a collection depot at strategic locations. A user can easily make a small detour to get clean garments. Dirty garments are what the user wants to get rid of at the place where they change or on the way out. LCT also recommends a collection depot in the vicinity of the distribution point. A group of users hand in their dirty garments when they come to collect clean garments.
Signal code
When handing in the garments, the user also has the option of giving the garment a digital reference (signal). Garments marked with a signal will not be put back into circulation until the signal has been removed from the garment.
For more information, please contact us. You can also consult our website for information about the possibilities.