In a drive to promote sustainability, OCS has joined forces with its uniform supplier RK Styles and secure destruction and recycling company Avena Group to reduce the environmental impact of end-of-life workwear disposal. This initiative saved OCS 1,146 kgs of CO2 emissions, and is part of their broader commitment to environmentally friendly practices following their merger with Atalian Servest in March 2023.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability
Coinciding with Net Zero Week, the project addresses the significant issue of clothing waste. In the UK, approximately 30% of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill sites, translating to an estimated £140 million worth of discarded garments.
From February to April 2024, the initiative successfully recycled over 4,000 items of branded workwear, weighing nearly 2.5 tonnes into fibres that will be used to make yarn, mattress filling, pellets for energy generation and insulation textiles. This recycling process emitted only 0.05 tonnes of emissions, saving over 1 tonne of CO2e compared to traditional landfill disposal. This reduction is equivalent to driving 2,931 miles in a petrol-driven car across the United States.
Jacky So, ESG Director at OCS UK & I, emphasised their dedication to sustainability:
“It’s incredibly important to us that we always consider sustainable approaches in everything we do. We’re delighted with the outcomes of our partnership with Avena and RK Styles, ensuring that those uniforms didn’t end up as yet another clothing item in a landfill. We look forward to continuing in this vein and working diligently to contribute to the health of the environment.”
Collaboration for Success
The success of this project highlights the power of teamwork between OCS, Avena and RK Styles, who developed a tailored solution to repurpose the old uniforms efficiently and sustainably.
Thomas Ridgley, ESG Manager at RK Styles, commented on the collaborative effort:
“We are proud to support OCS in their commitment to sustainability by facilitating the recycling of their uniforms in partnership with Avena. This not only helps reduce textile waste but also sets a powerful example of how organisations can collaborate to make a positive environmental impact. Together, we are driving change and fostering a culture of responsibility and sustainability.”
Secure Brand Protection
To ensure the old-branded uniforms were handled securely, OCS partnered with Avena, whose unique SECUREBRAND service guarantees that all branded uniforms are destroyed beyond recognition, preventing any possibility of misuse and ensuring they do not enter the public domain.
Michael Tippling, Sales Manager at Avena, elaborated on this:
“Avena is proud to partner with OCS to securely manage, destroy and process their end-of-life uniforms. Our commitment to security ensures that all branded uniforms are destroyed beyond recognition, preventing any possibility of them entering the public domain and mitigating potential criminal misuse. The sustainability benefits of our SecureBrand service, adopted by OCS, guarantee that all collected materials avoid landfills entirely, resulting in significant emissions savings. This partnership with OCS and their uniform suppliers, RK Styles, has positioned OCS as an industry leader, setting a new standard in the facilities sector for the responsible processing of thousands of end-of-life uniforms.”
Avena is partnering with organisations that use branded workwear in a wide range of sectors – hospitality, healthcare, facilities management, utilities, construction and security, to name just a few – to ensure that when garments are no longer in service the brand and the environment are protected.
If you would like to find out more about SECUREBRAND and Avena’s other secure destruction and recycling services, call 0845 521 9892 or submit a contact request via the website.
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