The three essential elements of sustainability are reducing, reusing, and recycling. We certainly throw our plastic bottles into the blue bin, but reuse and recycling can play a much more significant role than just for the plastic and paper industries. The textile industry is a classic example of recycling and can make a difference in our environment. As people shop more and buy more, clothing output is more significant. But this fast fashion industry and our overcrowded closets lead to overflowing landfills. This article will explore how corporate uniform companies and individuals can benefit from recycling corporate uniforms.
Why should you recycle your uniform?
- Reduces the Chance of Uniform-Related Crisis: Safely disposing of uniforms is the biggest challenge big organisations face. As many business owners are already aware, clothing with company logos is a potential security risk. If it falls into the wrong hands, it may facilitate unauthorised, inappropriate use or reputation risk to the brand.
- Generates Insulation & Energy: Recycling workwear offers many benefits depending on the fabric’s material. When uniforms are recycled, they can break down into their component fibres. Fibres from synthetic uniform materials can be used for automotive insulation, building insulation, and mat/stability in new construction. Recycling also creates lower energy consumption. Recycled fibres consume less energy to produce new fabric. Energy saved is energy gained.
- Enhances Organisation’s Reputation: Showing your organisation’s commitment to supporting environmental efforts by taking a different approach and recycling your clothes can work in favour of the brand’s reputation in the minds of consumers.
Unfortunately, only 12% of the material used for clothing finds its way into the recycling process. This is a tragic number and shows the potential scope for improvement by corporations and corporate uniform manufacturers concerning recycling.
Benefits of Recycling Corporate Uniforms
Your new year’s resolution was probably to make greener choices, or you want to get rid of the mess and clean out your closet but need to figure out what to do with your clothes afterwards. Before you throw your worn-out clothes in the trash, consider the impact of landfill disposal and fabric recycling. Listed below are some main reasons you should recycle your clothes. From avoiding landfills to limiting unethical business practices, recycling textiles should be as natural as throwing paper in a blue bin.
- Conserves Energy: Making clothes consumes a significant amount of energy. All the clothing you wear goes through a complex manufacturing process that uses a lot of electricity, water, and other energy sources. Recycling fabrics provided by corporate uniform companies and others conserve energy in the long run.
- Reduces Greenhouse Gases: Most uniforms made from organic materials such as cotton and linen are biodegradable. However, tossing those biodegradable uniforms into a bin will only take up space in an already crowded landfill.
- Saves Landfill Space: As discussed in the last paragraph, the impact of not recycling uniforms creates land pollution. It is always a wise choice to recycle your uniforms.
- Minimises Costly Consumerism: People have been fascinated by the idea of leading a minimalist lifestyle for years. While it isn’t true for everyone, the idea of living with less is essential, especially regarding consumption. It is a belief to follow that materialism does not lead to happiness.
- It’s Hassle Free: One of the most crucial reasons to recycle clothes is its ease. Donating clothes takes very little time. Considering how much you benefit the planet while recycling, it becomes much easier to drive, donate clothes or organise a fundraiser.
How to Recycle Corporate Uniforms?
- Firstly, recycling workwear typically means detaching your brand’s identity from that piece of cloth. For example, you wouldn’t want your uniforms used for illicit purposes if you are a corporate uniform manufacturer. In other words, you need to remove anything that identifies you as a business, specifically your logo.
- Next, you should check the different materials used in your workwear. Some garments are more substantial than regular garments and have a different material composition, which can pose problems when trying to recycle.
- Chemicals may be required to break down garments, such as highly flame-retardant garments, instead of the more common fibre recycling that separates fabric threads and reweaves them into new materials. So you need to group all the workwear that needs to be recycled into stacks and analyse how certain clothing types differ from others. Different fabrics need specific treatment, so separate your clothing and recycle them.
Conclusion
This blog discussed the importance of recycling corporate uniforms and how they should be carried out. We hope you understand how imperative it is to put those corporate uniforms you have stacking up to good use. Recycling uniforms promote and minimises costly consumerism and ensure a sustainable environment and a better life we all want to live. So, next time, think twice before tossing your corporate uniform into the bin.
