How Your Custom Uniform Can Improve Your Companies Carbon Footprint
Sustainable workwear can not only positively impact a company’s brand image, but also reduce the amount of waste they produce. As ethical workwear suppliers, we are always thinking about the planet and prioritising how to minimise ‘our environmental footprint as well as the health and safety of our employees and the public’.
Companies are deciding on more environmentally-friendly practices, but what does being more ‘sustainable’ mean in the world of business? Sustainability ‘refers to doing business without negatively impacting the environment, community, or society as a whole’. The idea of being more eco-conscious can include many different facets of a company, including their uniform waste.
Choosing Sustainable Materials
With so much information out there, we have become increasingly aware of how our choices can impact the environment – and what we wear is no exception. With the development of bespoke uniforms, the option for sustainable fabrics has become more popular.
Standard uniforms are typically made from ‘synthetic materials like polyester, which contribute to plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, and bamboo are easier to dispose of and also possess significantly lower carbon footprints.’ Sustainable material has become much more readily available in the past few years, and as experts in the world of uniforms, we’ve noticed a significant rise in their demand.
As mentioned above, we have seen a significant increase in the use of organic cotton, recycled cotton and bamboo. Organic cotton is popular because it uses less water then traditional cotton and it can also be grown without using any harmful pesticides. Recycled cotton also uses less water and can be made from reprocessing cotton waste from other old clothing with new fibres. Both of these fabrics can reduce the environmental impact of making uniforms.
Much like both of these sustainable fabrics, bamboo is also favoured because it’s eco-friendly. Bamboo grows extremely quickly, which means it can keep up with the ever growing need for fabric. Not only that, but bamboo is also very absorbent. This is ideal for any employees in an active field, where they may require the moisture-wicking properties of bamboo.
Designing With Longevity In Mind
Designing a custom uniform with longevity in mind is beneficial for many reasons. Firstly, longer-lasting materials can save a company money. Without the outgoing cost of replacing uniforms, companies can become much more efficient and reduce costs in the long run.
A bespoke uniform, designed with a set industry in mind, can also prevent general wear and tear. Restaurant uniforms are a great example. For those who work in hospitality, uniforms ‘need to be durable, comfortable, stylish and safe’. However, it’s also important to consider the environmental-friendliness of these workwear pieces too. With so many employees in the hospitality sector ‘the impact of each uniform made using environmentally friendly methods is multiplied a thousandfold.’ A thoughtfully designed uniform can help minimise waste and reduce its impact on the planet.
Recycling & Reuse Programs
Did you know that ‘100 billion items of clothing are made every year and only 1% of all clothing is recycled effectively’? This means that there are entire ‘rubbish trucks worth of clothing entering landfill every second and we understand the importance of making sure your uniforms aren’t contributing’.
With these scary statistics in mind, it’s important to consider how your business recycles uniforms. In our ongoing efforts to protect the planet, there are many readily available ways to repurpose a brand’s old workwear. One of the quickest and easiest options is to turn unwanted uniforms into textile rags. Whilst this is something that can be done without much effort, this also means that eventually, these garments will still be thrown away when they no longer have purpose.
Where we are seeing the previously mentioned statistic is through many companies choosing to put their unwanted textiles in landfill. In fact, uniforms and other clothing actually occupies a significant portion of global landfills everywhere.
So, what is the best way to dispose of unwanted clothing and uniforms? The Northern Railway have taken innovative measures in this field and have opted to repurpose their old uniforms into insulation. Branded as ‘shredded heat’, their uniforms are set to be ‘shredded and turned into ‘further life products’ such as insulation and sound-boarding as part of a new environmental push by the train operator.’ With over 7,000 workers, not burning or taking their textile waste to landfill will significantly reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
JSD’s Recycling Initiatives
Here at Jermyn Street Design, we offer another route companies can take when it comes to disposing of custom uniform. Our recycling program was put in place to prevent uniforms ending up in landfill.
For example, all Jet2 uniform fabrics are now recycled and a ‘care initiative to extend durability is being trialled and garment packaging has been reduced and replaced with recycled materials’. In addition, we continue to support Jet2 in their mission to be more sustainable, by continuing to ‘take back and store a system for Jet2 uniforms at the end of the holiday season, extending the life-span of garments among returning seasonal staff.’
As bespoke uniform suppliers, we understand the many elements of making a uniform durabile. Our aim is to always ‘design uniforms which are both sustainable, have a long lifespan, and contribute to employee well-being’. Even when a uniform is ready to be retired, we will help our clients find a sustainable option for their disposal process. Built into all our products and bespoke uniform design services is our belief that every uniform can be made environmentally-friendly, from our ‘eco-aware designs and responsible manufacture to planned end-of-life disposal’.
Jermyn Street Design – Bespoke Uniforms Designed Around Your Needs
If you are looking for a bespoke uniform to be designed for your team, we are here to help. From concept to creation, we can assist your business in producing workwear which not only encompasses your brand’s message and professionalism, but also keeps the planet in mind.
Our process includes four stages; the research and workwear design stage, further development and manufacturing, getting the custom uniform to your employees and logistics. Here at Jermyn Street Design, we always put the planet first. Throughout our process, we make sure to include our sustainable practices and will continue to assist companies long after their uniforms have been created. Get in contact with our team now if you are looking to improve your company’s image and your approach to sustainability.
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