Recycling

Throughout the enormity of the past two years, Brandworx has forged through the uncertainty and the emotional changes facing all businesses with a positive outcome and an exciting partnership. Brandworx opted to use this time to implement a partnership with a Melbourne based Textile Recycling Company. Zero Waste? Yes Please was our initiative for all our customers, however the options for Uniform recycling were very limited within Australia. Shifting the mindset is the first step to ensuring that we are all held accountable. Our Textile recycling program has the ability to harness what would have once been deemed waste is now a valuable resource. The recycling program operates on a No Landfill, nothing offshore system, ensuring that the processes are sustainable, traceable, and kept close to home.

The recycling program offers customers an innovative and convenient onshore solution, creating valuable and completely circular materials.

Together, we can stand up for the next generation and make the textile industry (Especially Uniforms) a leader in sustainability. Together, we can make a difference.

Brandworx philosophy was always to give our uniforms we provide to our customer’s a new life. Brandworx wanted to reuse if possible then upcycle, when necessary, this way we are ensuring that minimal resources are being used to achieve our goals of circularity.

The Problem:

Every 10 minutes, 6,000kg of textile Waste is discarded into Australian landfills.

On average, customers supply their staff with an annual uniform package every 12 months. In most incidents the uniforms are still fit for purpose, however they are thrown out to landfill when the staff receive their new allocation. This needless waste releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and releases dyes into the waterways and the soil – contaminating crops and safe drinking water. The world is in a textile waste crisis and the need for a circular economy has never been more important.

The Solution:

Brandworx plays and active part in liaising with procurement and our recycling partner.

Step 1:

Recycling bins can be allocated to various sites to collect the unwanted uniforms. The biggest hurdle we have faced in the textile industry is the destruction of the logos from the clothing. Up until recently, there has been no recycling program in Australia that can provide a certificate of destruction for the customer. Our customers can receive evidence of the date of shredding. Items like uniforms with logos cannot be reused or given to charities, these are categorized for secure destruction and repurposing. A certificate will be issued to all customers.

Step 2:

Where items are not fit for wear, they are broken down to textiles with different materials and fabrics before the recycling process. This process means the textiles are shredded into super fine cushion like fibre material. From there this fibre can be used again in pillows, insulation, furniture etc. Safety boots are also part of the recycling program. The boots are deconstructed with the rubber soles being crush into a fine compound and made into playground matting, roads etc.