As Final EPA Rule Nears, Laundered Wipe Group Study Downplays Risks

As the Environmental Protection Agency moves closer to completing a long-stalled rule to ease waste-handling requirements for reusable and disposable industrial towels, the group that represents the reusable wipes sector is touting a study that suggests that laundered reusable shop towels pose little to no health risk to workers relative to risk values set by EPA. The Textile Rental Services Association of America (TRSA) June 29 issued a risk analysis sponsored by consulting firm ARCADIS that challenges a 2011 Gradient Corp. analysis for disposable wipes manufacturer Kimberly-Clark Corp. The e