The Challenge: Managing Branded Workwear Waste Securely and Sustainably
Gratte Brothers Group is a third-generation, family-owned business established in 1946. With nearly 80 years of experience, the company provides a wide range of services, including building services and engineering, foodservice solutions, security systems, networking, software, and building service maintenance.
As an ISO 14001-accredited company with a firm pledge to reach net zero by 2050, sustainability is a key business priority. However, one of the most pressing environmental challenges Gratte Brothers faced was the disposal of branded workwear across its sites.
Previously, end-of-life uniforms were simply discarded into skips, leading to three significant problems:
Environmental impact: Landfilled uniforms increased waste volumes and carbon emissions.
Security risks: Branded garments could be misused if not destroyed securely.
Lack of data: With no formal disposal process, it was impossible to accurately report carbon savings or include this data in Scope 3 emissions calculations.
“Waste is one of our biggest environmental impacts that we have across our construction sites and across the group. So, it’s one of the areas that we’re always looking at to try and reduce.” – Alice Kilner
Gratte Brothers needed a secure, sustainable, and trackable solution that aligned with their environmental ambitions and operational needs.
The Solution: Avena’s SecureBrand® Service for Textile Disposal
Avena Group introduced its SecureBrand® solution to Gratte Brothers as a seamless, secure and environmentally friendly workwear disposal service.
Through SecureBrand, specially designated Avena collection points have been placed in Gratte Brothers’ offices, allowing employees to easily deposit worn-out uniforms. Once filled, these bags are collected by Avena’s security-vetted personnel and transported to a secure processing facility.
“What we now do is we have bags in the offices… so that’s when they can check it and then… they can put them straight in the bags, which then can be removed and disposed of.” – John Madgwick
Once full, the bags are collected by Avena’s DBS-checked personnel and transported in unmarked vehicles equipped with CCTV and GPS tracking. All items are securely shredded at Avena’s facility and, where possible, sustainably repurposed into new materials or products, supporting a circular economy and preventing brand misuse.
“It’s allowed us to reduce that portion of our carbon footprint and report on it as well.” – Alice Kilner
In addition, Avena supplies Environmental Impact Statements to Gratte Brothers, detailing the carbon savings from each collection. This data is fully auditable and can be directly applied to Scope 3 emissions reporting.
“Avena provide us with an environmental impact statement… we can directly take those emissions and put them into our Scope 3 calculation as opposed to having an estimate.” – Alice Kilner
The Result: Improved Sustainability, Enhanced Security, and Positive Employee Engagement
The implementation of SecureBrand® has delivered clear benefits for Gratte Brothers:
Carbon reduction: The secure disposal and repurposing of branded workwear has reduced the group’s waste-to-landfill volumes and supported their net zero goals.
Improved reporting: Avena’s detailed reporting enables accurate and credible emissions tracking.
Enhanced brand protection: Secure shredding ensures that branded garments never enter the public domain.
Smooth uptake across teams: The system was easy to adopt, with toolbox talks and employee briefings ensuring quick and effective integration.
“The uptake for the Avena system has been fantastic so far. We’ve done briefings and toolbox talks on how the system works. The guys now have got a disposal system that works for the guys and the business.” – John Madgwick
By embedding SecureBrand® into daily operations, Gratte Brothers has turned a complex environmental challenge into a streamlined, measurable sustainability success.
Testimonials: A Partnership That Supports Business Values
“Sustainability is at the heart of our journey to net zero, and tangible carbon savings provided by Avena directly impact our performance. The ability to accurately measure and report our emissions has been invaluable.”
– Victoria Gratte, Marketing Director, Gratte Brothers
“Avena provides us with an environmental impact statement, allowing us to integrate emissions data directly into our Scope 3 calculations. This has made tracking our progress much more efficient. I would highly recommend Avena’s solution to others in our industry.”
– Alice Kilner, Sustainability Manager, Gratte Brothers
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