What is Giving Compass?
We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. Learn more about us.
More than a third of us wear a uniform at work. The problem with that is, as with most garments, when uniforms reach the end of their life they are merely tossed in the bin. In fact, a staggering 90% of the 33 million corporate garments given to staff every year end up in landfill. That adds up to 15,000 tonnes of clothing. The cost of waste disposal alone comes to £1.2m in Landfill Tax.
But recycling or recovering old uniforms is not easy. Polyester, the material of choice for most corporate uniforms, is infinitely recyclable. But collecting branded clothing throws up a number of security and brand reputation issues; it is no wonder so much ends up buried in the ground.
“We take the same approach to uniform refashioning as we do with redistributing food waste; we try not to offload our responsibilities on to somebody else”
Ocado, the world’s biggest pure-play online retailer, has been determined to do something to not only reduce the environmental impact of its staff uniforms – but to do so in a way that directly benefits people too.
Read more on Ocado's new environmental impact partnership by Tom Idle at TriplePundit