9 Sustainable Workwear & PPE Changes for Businesses

Businesses in the UK are having to become more sustainable: customers want it, supply chain partners need it, and the law requires it.

But, when it comes to the initiatives that pave the way for organisations to improve their sustainability credentials, there is one area that is often overlooked – and it could make more of a difference than you might think. What is it and how might small changes to the way your company operates in this area have a big impact on people and planet?

Read on to find out more…

Workwear and the environment: A sizeable problem

The workwear industry makes a significant contribution to the UK economy, adding around £300 million to the coffers each year.

But it also has a big impact on the environment, through the raw materials, water and energy used in the manufacturing process; the emissions generated during it; and what happens to used products at end of life.

Driven by the need for safety, comfort and professionalism in the workplace, businesses of all shapes and sizes buy uniforms, corporate wear, industrial clothing and PPE in bulk for distribution to their teams.

The nature of different types of work means these items may become dirty or wear out, needing to be replaced with new ones.

When it comes to PPE, there are standards that must be conformed to, with strict penalties for non-compliance.

All of this means that workwear and PPE lifecycles are relatively short – a big problem in the push for greater sustainability.

What’s more, it is very difficult to recycle or repurpose old workwear and PPE. Few companies offer the opportunity, and a lack of technology means only the simplest garments can be recycled in the true sense of the word. In reality, company cultures mean much of the workwear and PPE that is manufactured ends up in landfill.

Improving sustainability in workwear: An action plan

With this in mind, we have put together our top tips for making your organisation’s workwear and PPE more sustainable.

By making these relatively small changes now, your business could soon be taking great strides towards lowering its impact on people and planet.

Imagine if every business that buys workwear and PPE in the UK followed these guidelines – the resulting impact would be huge.

Become a more sustainable business: Nine top tips

#1 Make more environmentally-friendly choices

Becoming a more sustainable business through your workwear and PPE starts by making more sustainable purchasing decisions. From carbon neutral safety trainers and work gloves, to polo shirts made from recycled polyester, there are more environmentally-friendly options out there than the standard workwear and PPE provision your team might be used to. Advances in materials science and manufacturing technologies mean these more sustainable choices often perform just as well – if not better – than their counterparts, so your business has nothing to fear from making the switch. Look out also for manufacturers who are carbon conscious in their manufacturing processes, running factories with renewable energy, on-shoring operations, reducing water use and eliminating dyes that could be harmful to the environment.

#2 Work with good partners

Choosing more sustainable workwear and PPE is easier when you work with good suppliers. A decent workwear and PPE supplier should already be challenging you to make more environmentally-friendly choices, and will have the expert knowledge to advise how you can improve your business’s sustainability credentials without impacting safety, performance or productivity. What’s more, as new innovations arrive to market, they will proactively alert you to them and enable you to try them before you buy. One of our favourite suppliers is Leo Workwear, with its sustainable Ecoviz range where fabrics are made from either recycled post-consumer clothing or recycled plastic bottles and last twice as long as the industry standard. We also highly recommend the recycled EarthPro collection from ORN, which is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2030. The company recycles all cardboard and plastic waste generated during the manufacturing of its products, uses 100% electric-powered material handling equipment in its warehouse, and runs 50% of its fleet vehicles at low or zero emissions.

Find out more: Discover the questions you should be asking your PPE supplier.

#3 Base decisions on ‘whole life’ costs

Any workwear and PPE supplier worth their salt will also want you to purchase durable products that lower your overall spend by needing to be replaced less often. Although these products may be more expensive at the outset, prices should be evaluated over the whole lifetime of each item, taking into account how long it can be expected to last. Look for items that come with warranties guaranteeing their endurance. In the long term, following this purchasing strategy will result in your business reducing the overall amount of workwear and PPE it uses – a key step in becoming more sustainable.

Find out more: How long should safety footwear last?
Safety gloves costing too much? Here’s what to do.

#4 Conduct product trials

Don’t risk buying a product in bulk that doesn’t work for your business. Not only is this a waste of money, but you’ll end up with a lot of useless stock that you will need to offload. In the worst case, it could all end up in landfill. Instead, most workwear and PPE suppliers will allow you to ‘try before you buy’, so you can get feedback from the people that matter most – your team that will wear or use the item ‘on the ground’. Conducting a product trial is easier than you might think – just speak to your workwear and PPE supplier to get started.

#5 Think about end of life

Making good purchasing decisions is one part of the sustainability journey, but considering what happens to the products you purchase at the end of their useful working life  is just as important. You can buy carbon neutral or recycled products from an ethical business, but if those products end up in landfill after you’ve finished with them, you’ll be doing just as much harm to the planet as you would if you didn’t make those more environmentally-friendly choices. Start by asking your workwear and PPE supplier if they have a secure recycling service, or if they know anyone who does. If this fails, you can go directly to manufacturers, many of whom will collect their own products at end of life. Don’t accept ‘no’ for an answer: where items are made from multiple materials and cannot be shredded back down to the fibre for re-use in the manufacturing process, they can often be given to charity or, as a last resort, used to manufacture clean energy.

#6 Curb rogue spend

The above purchasing strategies are all well and good, but they won’t work if your business doesn’t have the controls in place to stop its employees from purchasing ‘off script’. Curb rogue spend and keep everyone ‘on message’ by implementing smart purchasing software that can track workwear and PPE usage, manage allocations and budget, and provide employees with a choice of pre-approved products.

#7 Eradicate throwaway culture

While we’re at it, it is important to eliminate the throwaway culture that sometimes exists in the workplace. Often, people who would act in a much more considered manner at home, with items that they had spent their own money on, will be less careful with work-owned or purchased items. Educate your employees on the importance of taking good care of their workwear and PPE, and following proper procedures at the end of its useful life.

#8 Consider your branding

It goes without saying that the cost to the environment should be one factor you consider when making the decision to re-brand. If you have branded workwear, the environmental cost to change this should be factored alongside the financial, and a phased approach adopted to ensure older branded items with life left in them, as well as those held in stock, are used up before you make the switch. Our tip: With logo and other branding removal a key factor in the recycling process, why not speak to your supplier about making workwear with branding that can be easily removed at end of life, increasing your options for recycling and re-use.

#9 Lobby for change

At iSB Group, we believe there is power in numbers. We want to provide our customers with more sustainable choices – and to see more options for recycling and repurposing old workwear and PPE – but manufacturers have historically been slow to act. Change will happen more quickly as demand from customers grows – so add your voice to the collective call for logistics to become more sustainable  and lobby your supplier and the manufacturers it works with for the change you want to see.