Workwear recycling for your business or brand.
Find out more about how we can help
With incredible service and sustainability as standard. We make recycling your branded uniform or merchandise easy.
Trusted by the worlds best:
Workwear recycling and more
Whether you need to recycle branded work uniforms or unsold retail and merchandise products, we can help. Here are some of the reasons top brands trust us for their clothing recycling.
No minimum order
No matter how big or small your business is, we can help.
Built on sustainability
From day one of business it’s been our focus, it's in our DNA.
Responsive support
Our team of experts are here to support you every step of the way.
One-off collections
No need for a bin system or complex setups.
UK wide coverage
We’ll collect from you no matter where you are in the UK.
Less than 1% of all clothing products that are produced globally get recycled. This has resulted in the equivalent of one lorry load of textiles being thrown into landfill every second. Most of these materials could be used again, whether through reuse or recycling.
Retailers and charity shops have begun to tackle this issue for consumers, however, workwear, uniforms and promotional clothing have been almost entirely overlooked.
Recycling branded workwear
We understand that your branded workwear needs to be handled securely. If your garments cannot be reused, we securely shred them and reuse the fibrous material in other products, which prevents the need for new materials to be produced and diverts the clothing garments from landfill. This allows us to recycle almost everything we sell whether it's PPE, or organic T-shirts, without the common limitations associated with re-manufacture. Additionally, we do not limit this service to garments produced by us. If you purchased your non-hazardous workwear from another supplier, we’d be happy to recycle it for you.
How does recycling work uniforms work?
It works in three simple steps:
1.
We’ll need a little bit of information from you, such as the products you’d like to recycle, the quantity and their composition (you’ll find this on the product labels).
2.
Once everything is approved, we’ll come and collect your old workwear and recycle it securely for you.
3.
Within around 12-14 working days of receiving your workwear, we’ll issue a certificate of destruction.
We help you every step of the way. So if there is anything you’re unsure about or need assistance with, we’re always here to support you.
How do you recycle workwear?
The way we recycle workwear depends on its composition. We have a number of recycling routes, including the following:
In this instance, we use a mechanical process whereby the garment is shredded and/or combed to produce shoddy, which is then turned into a ‘non-woven’ pad or felt. This can be used in many applications requiring filling or insulation.
This is the perception most have when talking about recycling, this is where the product is re-spun into a new fabric. This only works with 100% cotton with a long fibre length.
This is a growing technology where a chemical process can enable the recycling of garments back into fabrics. This is most commonly used with fabrics that are made from a single material rather than blended fabrics.
Charities facilitate a number of recycling options, whether it’s using the shredded garments for roll mat filling or filling for other products or repurposing and upcycling unbranded stock. Charities ensure that old unwanted products can be recycled in a way that is useful for those most in need.
This process is most suitable for blended fabrics and/or where no other recycling route is possible. This is the process of generating electricity and/or heat from the waste and prevents the waste materials from ending up in landfill.
Why use a clothing recycling service?
There are many reasons why you may wish to dispose of your corporate workwear, waste textiles or clothing merchandise. The most common reason is that over time, workwear experiences wear and tear and is simply no longer fit for use. In this instance rather than it being sent to landfill, recycling can be a better alternative. There are a number of reasons using a clothing recycling service makes sense, these include:
Reach your sustainability goals with a circular approach to workwear.
Avoid products going to landfill.
Protect your brand and ensure old uniforms or clothing are not used inappropriately.
Reduce your disposal costs and landfill tax bill.
Mitigate storage costs associated with old workwear or deadstock.
Clothing recycling service for merchandise
Our recycling service isn’t limited to just workwear, we’re able to offer generalised textiles recycling and retail clothing merchandise recycling. So regardless of what your garments were used for, we can likely help you recycle them, ensuring a more sustainable outcome at the end of their life.
Clothing re-use service
If your garments are un-branded or do not require secure recycling, re-use may be a better option to increase the lifespan of your deadstock. We offer a collection service, where we supply your deadstock to those in need of such products. This ensures that your garments don’t go to waste. This can have similar benefits to recycling such as reducing your landfill tax bill and storage costs while simultaneously meeting your sustainability goals, all at a lower cost compared to recycling.
Recycling and the circular economy
More and more businesses are working towards circular supply chains to meet their ESG and SDG goals. Recycling your workwear is another way you can meet your targets, reduce costs and protect your brand.
Frequently asked questions about workwear recycling
In the waste hierarchy, the first and most sustainable option is to reuse your old workwear. If it’s just a zip that has broken or something similar, it can likely be repaired and continue to be used. This is generally the most economical and environmentally friendly option, as it means you don’t need to replace the product and you can increase its longevity. If the product is damaged to a point where it is not usable, it might be that you can re-purpose it into something else, like rags for cleaning or simply for old clothes for DIY jobs at home. If however, you have larger volumes of workwear where re-use isn’t possible, then a workwear recycling service like we provide may be the best option.
We provide a Certificate of Destruction, with every recycling order placed with us. You will typically receive your certificate within 12-14 working days following the collection of your workwear clothing, this provides time for us to recycle the garments ahead of issuing the certificate. In some instances with larger volumes of clothing the lead time on your certificate may be longer.
If you require any special information to be included on the Certificate of Destruction, just let us know so we can facilitate this.
The length of time it takes does vary depending on the volume of garments you send us and the recycling process we use. However, we’ll typically be able to issue your Certificate of Destruction in 12-14 working days.
We are different to most clothing recycling services, as we do not require you to hold an existing account with us, nor do we require you to have bins on your premises to collect or store your old/damaged clothing or workwear. We specialise in one-off collections, this allows you to get rid of stock as and when you need it, without having to factor in the storage space, logistics and costs associated with clothing recycling bins. This makes us an ideal partner for those with both small and large clothing and workwear recycling needs.
We don’t limit our UK-based textiles and workwear recycling to just those who have ordered their clothing from us. Whether you ordered from us, or another supplier we can help you to recycle your old work uniforms.
Please get in touch if you’d like resources to help share your recycling activity with us.
We’re often asked if we can recycle items like water bottles from company-wide litter-picking and beach cleanup projects.
While we do offer products made from materials like this, unfortunately using waste from small-scale beach cleanups and litter pricking projects is not typically possible due to the complex and global nature of our supply chains and associated processes.
If you can wear it, we can probably recycle it. We cover a wide range of textiles and garments when it comes to recycling, including T-shirt recycling, sportswear, PPE, Hi-Vis and generalised workwear. We are also able to recycle numerous other types of textiles, so if you’re unsure whether we can help, just get in touch and we’ll be able to advise on what is possible.
We have a wide range of products made from recycled materials. If you’re looking to order more than 25 units per product, please request a quote, if you’re looking to place a smaller order, head over to our online shop.
The costs associated with recycling textiles are comparative to disposing of it in landfill. With this in mind, recycling is a fantastic option for companies and organisations looking to dispose of textiles responsibly.
Recycle with us and receive credit towards your next workwear order
Credit is available for non-consumer customers on new orders of printed and/or embroidery garments purchased from us after a completed recycling order. Credit is awarded at 50% of the value of your recycling order up to a maximum of £250. A minimum order of £1,500 + VAT is required for new printed and/or embroidered garments.
Credit can must be used within 90 days of receipt of your certificate of destruction. No cash alternative.
Full trading terms and conditions apply. You must ask to use the credit at point of order as it cannot be applied once the order is invoiced.
