/03 March 2022

With Alsico UK, No Product Waste Goes to Landfill!

Did you know that Alsico UK does not send any garment waste to landfill? We actually recycle all our product waste.

“We really try to limit the amount of bi-product we produce as a manufacturing company, but sometimes it is simply unavoidable. So, when waste is unavoidable, we make sure that we dispose of it ethically and offset the impact where we can. We recycle.” Daren Turner – Operations Director, Alsico UK.

 

From something old to something new

What does the recycling journey look like?

 

All garments which are no longer fit for purpose (either collected from customers or returned to warehouses which are not suitable for resale) are sent for recycling with our partner recycling company.

Then the garments are hand separated into fibre types for e.g.

• Cotton

• Polyester/cotton blends

• 100% polyester

Once separated into groups they are then shredded and securely destroyed. The shredded pieces are then sent to their partner companies to be upcycled into other products, such as green roof substrates, hanging basket linings, spring mattress insulation pads, drain protection padding. 

 

We don't burn our waste here 

And by the way, we don’t send any garments to be burnt as solid fuel. Although it is a cheaper and more viable option for many companies, and technically still counts as ‘recycling’ because it doesn't go to landfill, at Alsico we feel that making something out of our waste products is a more productive approach. We feel that this sets us apart from other large workwear companies. We are very proud of the way we prioritise environmentally conscious solutions to our waste.

 It is unlikely garments we send off to be recycled will go into one specific end use without blending them with fibres from other producers, for example mattresses have some of the highest safety and fire retardancy requirements for consumer products in the world and as some of the garments we send are already fire retardant (like our flame retardant trousers for example) and bright colours like red and orange, so many will go into that application.

Keeping the future in mind

At Alsico we are always investing our time into kinder ways to manufacture our products. We are committed to improving our processes in terms of being more environmentally conscious and reducing our carbon footprint.

Watch this space for exciting new releases and information on ways we are helping our planet. Make sure you follow us on LinkedIn to ensure you get the latest Alsico news & updates. 

 

Keep your eyes peeled, there is something new coming very soon!...

 

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