Secure disposal is an expansive challenge for many businesses. When you have several hundred uniformed staff and a high turnover workforce, there are significant reputational and security risks associated with disposing of all the branded textiles, making secure workwear recycling an increasing priority. Add to this additional sustainability concerns, and you have a problem that requires specialist attention.
Landsec and Principle Cleaning came to Recorra to find a practical way to recycle their uniforms while adhering to the highest security standards. Top of mind were media stories about the threats of improperly managed textiles, such as the ex-employee of a Derbyshire Tesco brand wearing his old uniform as a disguise to steal from the store.
Recorra’s in-house circular supply-chain expert James George was designated as lead consultant on the project. He started out looking for a novel solution, knowing that the textile recycling industry faces many infrastructure and logistical obstacles. Fabrics are often made from blended fibres, which are difficult to reprocess due to differing chemical and physical properties between the materials. Also, while there are emerging sorting technologies, these are still in development and cannot currently process fabrics at scale. Therefore, most secure fabric disposal routes, are simply shredded and incinerated.
George reached out to his contacts at the National Textile Federation to gain knowledge of new recyclers in the industry. He then researched the most promising locations, investigating their claims, and comparing their technical processes to circularity models and industry best practice. Finally, a contingent of Recorra’s consulting team visited the highest-ranking prospective facility in person to develop a relationship with the suppliers, who claimed to be able to recycle mixed fabrics over 40% natural fibre into thick insulation sheets, therefore giving it a rare second life as a low-carbon construction material. After visually inspecting the machinery, sorting methods, checking their shredding was compliant with BS EN 15713, and assessing their recycling processes, Recorra entered into a commercial relationship with the facility.
The next step was to design the collection systems for the uniforms. In collaboration with the clients, George worked out which containers would be most appropriate, where they should be placed, and how the collections should be communicated. He decided that red, lockable bins, collected alongside other items was the most effective solution with minimised vehicle movements. The red colour was already associated with secure paper, so operatives would know to take care with these containers, and bespoke signage was made to differentiate the two waste types. With rapid set-up, the first container was delivered to the client’s site only a week after launch. Moreover, certificates of destruction were provided with every collection, for auditing and compliance.
Recycling textiles remains one of the world’s toughest sustainability challenges, with most garments still ending up incinerated or in landfill. I’m proud to have developed a service at Recorra that protects our clients’ brand integrity and security while turning waste textiles into valuable resources - a practical example of the circular economy in action as we work toward lasting solutions to the global textiles crisis.
Head of Product, Innovation & Circularity
The client loved that by partnering with a waste management company with internal circularity consulting capabilities, they were able to develop a recycling solution for a challenging and sensitive material type. Recorra’s robust auditing processes and extensive industry network allowed them to trust they were receiving a credible, and innovative service. Moreover, they are excited about the ongoing development of the service, as Recorra prepares to expand the textiles solution to incorporate new AI sorting technologies that can analyse and separate textile fibres more accurately, enabling further recycling opportunities, like creating carpet underlay, and even fibre-to-fibre polyester recycling.
How Landsec, Principle Cleaning, and Recorra created a secure workwear recycling solution that transforms branded textile waste into valuable circular materials while protecting brand integrity.
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