A switch to plastic-free workwear could improve your CSR credentials

Eco-friendly uniforms aim to reduce the use of plastic and cause less harm to the environment. We’re seeing more and more employers make this ethical choice for their businesses and offer sustainable workwear to their employees. With sustainable workwear having more durability and an extended lifespan without jeopardising the design and comfort of the garment, there’s even more reasons to make the switch.

With some insights from Ann Dowdeswell at Jermyn Street Design, a global specialist in corporate clothing, we take a look at how you can reduce your business’s environmental impact through opting for sustainable uniforms, whilst gaining more positive brand awareness, increasing your employee satisfaction rate and cutting costs in the long run.

The environmental impact of using plastic in garments

Many of our clothes contain plastics, such as polystyrene, polyethylene and nylon. Throughout the lifetime of a garment, it sheds tiny plastic particles known as plastic microfibres, especially when it is washed. Unfortunately, these plastic microfibres aren’t biodegradable and can’t be recycled. This makes them extremely dangerous to both the planet and us, as they can easily enter the environment and harm marine life and our entire food system.

According to Friends of the Earth, the UK generates around 4000 tonnes of plastic microfibre every year from washing clothes with around 1600 tonnes ending up in our oceans. To put this in perspective, up to 17 million microplastic fibres can be shed during one washing load of clothes.

That’s why it’s important to reduce the use of plastic through sustainable workwear. There are two ways you can do that.

Reducing plastic in uniform production: opt for sustainable fabrics

Reducing plastic in workwear starts at the production level. One way your company can showcase environmental awareness is by opting for uniforms made from sustainable fabrics. Organic linen, cotton and wool, for example, are made from 100% natural materials, and they are extremely durable, recyclable and biodegradable.

Did you know that a linen shirt uses only 6.4 litres of water across its lifecycle? Moreover, it’s a no-waste production method as every bit of the flax plant is utilised. We are all familiar with the amazing benefits of linseed oil, for example.

Another great alternative to synthetic fabrics is the use of materials made from recycled plastic bottles or recycled yarn. That way, you’re also eliminating some of the plastic that’s harming the environment. So how many plastic bottles would go into the production of a standard dress, which is made from Recycled Polyester Taffeta 300T?

It is calculated that a full 150 metre-long roll contains 471.65 2-litre recycled plastic soda bottles. That means that one metre of fabric contains 3.14 2-litre soda bottles. If a standard collar-to-ankle dress uses 4 metres of fabric, it will require 12.56 2-litre recycled plastic soda bottles to be made.

New plastic packaging tax: clamping down on single-use plastic packaging

Alongside the heavy use of plastic in clothing manufacturing, it also finds its place in a lot of packaging. According to the Pitney Bowes Shipping Index, over 130 billion packages are shipped yearly across 13 major global markets, and most of them are encased in plastic packaging. That figure is estimated to double by 2060. The UK introduced a plastic packaging tax on 1 April 2022 which applies to plastic packaging that isn’t made from at least 30% recycled plastic. This will promote the production of sustainable packaging, which is an essential feature to look out for when sourcing workwear for your business. Ann Dowdeswell, sales and marketing director at the workwear supplier Jermyn Street Design, said: “Today, we are all well aware of the negative impact of plastic packaging, and we are all committed to eliminating single-use plastic as much as we can. At Jermyn Street Design we use recycled, recyclable or compostable packaging when shipping our products. In order to combat the higher distribution costs associated with eco-friendly packaging, we have streamlined our deliveries. We have even created a custom method of packaging shirts that eliminates all the plastic clips and collar stays that are traditionally used.”

The use of plastic in workwear is only one aspect where you can make a positive environmental impact. Others include supporting ethical production and minimising labour exploitation. Ecofriendly uniforms are the future of business, and it’s worth jumping on the sustainability wagon as soon as possible.

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References www.get-green-now.com/how-domicroplastics-affect-the-environment/ www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashionclothing/plastic-pollution-clothing www.goodonyou.eco/how-sustainable-islinen/ www.vivifytextiles.com/blogs/news/howmany-plastic-bottles-can-you-save www.stitchingmall.com/how-to-knowfabric-requirement-for-your-dress www.pitneybowes.com/us/shipping-index. html www.gov.uk/government/publications/ introduction-of-plastic-packaging-taxfrom-april-2022/introduction-of-plasticpackaging-tax-2021

MAKITA has expanded its range of XGT 40VMax vacuum cleaners. The VC002GL, VC004GL and VC005GL XGT 40VMax L-Class vacuum cleaners have been specifically designed for the building maintenance industry. All three machines deliver a maximum sealed suction of 23kPa and the VC005GL can be used for dry vacuuming tasks - and the VC002GL and VC004GL are both suitable for vacuuming finer, airborne particles.

To keep users working disruption free for longer, the VC002GL, VC004GL and VC005GL can hold two XGT 40VMax batteries, so that when the first battery runs out of charge, the second automatically kicks in. All models have large tank capacities to prevent regular work breaks to empty the tank. The VC002GL and VC004GL also include an automatic self-cleaning filter to prevent blockages and ensure optimum efficiency.

WWW.MAKITAUK.COM

ICE Cleaning is a specialist cleaning company that provides flood damage cleaning services. It utilises advanced technologies and solutions to treat any damage, and is available 24/7.

The company identifies a number of key reasons why immediate flood damage cleaning is a necessity in commercial properties. These include: minimising business interruption; saving on further costly repairs; and minimizing health implications.

To find out more about the services ICE Cleaning offers please visit:

WWW.ICECLEANING.CO.UK

NELSON has launched Glass-Dry, an innovative solution to a problem shared by many busy bar operators having to resort to using hot, wet glasses straight from the glasswasher, a practice which will inevitably have a detrimental impact on whatever drink they’re used for.

Flood damage service for commercial properties

Although glasses taken from a glasswasher will eventually air dry, this will take around forty minutes so any establishment running short of glassware must use them as they are or resort to drying them with a cloth, risking possible cross contamination. The Glass-Dry slashes the drying time to just four minutes and is perfect for all types of glasses. It works by drawing air in via its base and circulating it around the glasses through its grid plate. The cooling action, meanwhile, is achieved by the velocity of air passing over the glasses, reducing the glass temperature to just below ambient which means they can be utilised immediately.

WWW.NELSONWASHONLINE.CO.UK

Hillbrush redesign enhances performance

HILLBRUSH has redesigned several products to make them more effective, aesthetically pleasing and to reduce the use of materials. The redesigned Hillbrush products, all featured in the company’s new catalogue, include an Ergonomic Grippy Scrub which is an update of the existing Hillbrush scrubbing brush. The new-look brush has a much wider gap for the user’s hand and can be used in either direction making it much more versatile. Hillbrush has also added a new design Hand Scoopwhich is showcased in the catalogue for the first time – to its range of scoops.

The company’s new 119-page catalogue celebrates Hillbrush’s centenary and features the company’s entire product portfolio as well as new products which have been remodelled to reduce plastic materials and to introduce a more modern ‘Hillbrush-brand’.

Removing material from many of its products, but without any compromise on design or usability, is part of Hillbrush’s on-going commitment to reducing its environmental impact. As a Planet Mark certified company, Hillbrush has pledged to improve its sustainability across buildings, travel, utilities, procurement, and freight and is now introducing this to its product design too.

The Hillbrush catalogue has been printed on recycled paper by printers with a strong sustainability ethos and it has an anti-microbial coating to make it safer for people to share. A digital version of the catalogue has also been produced.

WWW.HILLBRUSH.COM

MAK.today has recently launched its app, which allows cleaners to select their own prices (of which they keep 100% of the money), hours and also rate the homes they are visiting.

“It was super important to me for me to put together something that could work equally for both cleaners and users, this is why it’s so flexible for parents, students and foreign workers, so they could manage their own schedule and earn great money as a self-employed cleaner while working around their children, studies and other commitments,” said MAK.today founder, Khurram Mirza.

WWW.MAK.TODAY

JANGRO has announced that ntrl, its range of natural cleaning products, is registered with the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. An internationally recognised standard, the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark certifies that all products registered are free of all animal use, in ingredients and testing.

Joanne Gilliard, CEO at Jangro, said: “The number of vegans in the UK quadrupled in the five years between 2014 and 2019 to make 600,000 vegans, or 1.16% of the UK population. This trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon – in fact, according to research, over half (56%) of Brits adopt vegan buying behaviours such as buying vegan products. We are proud to add a certified vegan cleaning range to our offering. The Vegan Society’s Trademark helps customers identify products that really are free from animal ingredients. We are thrilled that the ntrl range has been verified by The Vegan Society and can offer that added level of confidence.”

WWW.JANGRO.NET

EDITOR

Neil Nixon neilnixon@quartzltd.com 07957 713316

SALES DIRECTOR

Paul Sweeney paulsweeney@quartzltd.com 01737 855041

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Michelle Andrews michelleandrews@quartzltd.com 01737 855086

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Carol Baird carolbaird@quartzltd.com 02036021186

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Tony Crinion

CEO

Steve Diprose

CO-CHAIRMAN

Paul Michael

DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES

Elizabeth Barford elizabethbarford@quartzltd.com 01737 855028

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ISSN: 1473 723X

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