Investing in Sustainability at Atkinson Dyeing

Atkinson Dyeing has had substantial investment into sustainable initiatives, with various building and process improvements put in place to increase efficiency and reduce carbon footprint.

In 2019 Atkinson Dyeing was purchased by woollen mill AW Hainsworth to guarantee the sustainability of the company’s yarn dyeing supply chain. Hainsworth is dependent on package dyeing for a range of products, and the acquisition of Atkinson ensures a continuous and secure supply of dyed yarns which in turn benefits customers.

Commercial Director Rob Taylor said, “Since Atkinson was acquired two years ago we have invested in a range of sustainable initiatives to improve their efficiency and bring them in line with AW Hainsworth. As a result the Atkinson facility is now a safer, more welcoming and more sustainable environment.”

One major improvement was the installation of a new boiler. With the support of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership ReBiz scheme, the dyehouse’s old gas boiler has been replaced with a cheaper and more efficient one. This has reduced the amount of energy used by 64%, saving greatly on costs.

Traditionally, all the dyeing and winding machines at Atkinson run on motors that are set to ‘on’ or ‘off’. In 2022 inverters were installed, which regulate the flow of electrical power and reduce the initial load, meaning the machines don’t need to run on full speed to begin with. The inverters also track the electricity and money saved, which in the first year has amounted to 296,000 kW/h and £40,000.

Until this year, the Atkinson site had single glazing window units, many of which were broken – making the working environment cold and unpleasant for employees. Now double glazing has been installed across the whole site, making it more energy efficient and easier to heat.

A large section of the roof has been replaced to remove existing concrete corrugated panels. The new roof panels include 100mm of insulation inside to better hold in the heat. This approach to everyday repairs, where a more sustainable option is found, has been implemented across the Atkinson site.

Previously the site’s fork truck ran on diesel, which used a lot of fuel and also produced fumes. This has now been replaced with an electric truck which can be charged and runs very cleanly, improving the environment for employees.

Finally, every single light bulb across the site has been replaced with an LED bulb.