Are you looking into disposing of and recycling old uniforms responsibly? We all know that uniforms have a life span and once they have performed their job they are no longer needed. Presenting your employees and your business in a professional and expert manner means that out uniforms only last so long. Daily ware and tare contribute to uniforms no longer being considered professional and need to be sent to the uniform grave yard. Perhaps your branding has been updated and the older uniforms are no longer needed or aren’t complying with safety standards so you need to upgrade? Regardless of why we all have uniforms that reach the end of their life one way or another.
But, what can you do with your uniforms? Keep reading to see what you can do with your old uniforms that won’t have a negative effect on our environment and the planet!
More and more people are becoming responsible consumers with more awareness around where our unwanted clothing is ending up. Unfortunately Australia is still yet to develop an innovative program that responsibly recycles items including textiles. We are, however, increasingly seeing businesses taking this responsibility on and implementing recycling programs and initiatives themselves.
4 WAYS YOU CAN BUILD A SUSTAINABLE UNIFORM SOLUTION
- QUALITY: Use more durable fabrics and better quality pieces in your uniform solution which will increase the life span of your garment reducing the amount of uniform replacements each year
- RECYCLE: Using a third party recycling centre that will take your uniforms and repurpose them for other textile based products
- PROTECT: Of course working in the trade and construction industry uniforms will need to be washed regularly. If you can rotate your uniforms to help protect their quality and longevity, always follow the care instructions
- REPAIR: If you have a small rip (that isn’t overly visible) or a missing button these things can easily be repaired if you can mend it, mend it
RECYCLING CENTRES
If your uniform has come to the end of its lifespan and you’re looking into recycling old uniforms responsibly there are amazing organisations that take uniforms to be shredded and repurposed into other products. An example of such an organisations is Worn Up. You can watch a short clip here from The Project interview with Waleed on recycling old school uniforms with Worn Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMCf0fUdCfE
There is a cost associated with donating uniforms to be recycled which covers the costs of collection, transportation and development of new ways of using the clothing. You can also use your companies actions as a powerful business tool. For example, advertising to your customers and the wider community that you partner with an association like Worn Up and that your business considers its impact on our environment and future promotes trust and confidence in your brand. As a community individuals are becoming increasingly interested in ways that they can support other businesses to do the right thing by our environment.
PRODUCT MATERIAL KNOWLEDGE
When selecting key pieces for your uniform solution in regards to cotton and other synthetic textiles to see what will suit your business best, have a longer more durable life span head to this blog to read what’s the best fit for your business https://redrooaustralia.com.au/cotton-vs-synthetic-fabrics-the-pros-and-cons/
The world is your oyster. You can recycle mobile phones, printer cartridges, e- wasteland more! If you want to reach out in regards to recycling old uniforms responsibly or purchasing more sustainable and durable pieces for your uniform you can contact us here we would love to hear from you
