Sustainability challenges

THE UK Government has set a legal target to achieve net zero by 2050, which applies to all businesses. This ambitious plan requires significant changes across all sectors of the economy. 

To support this, businesses are taking proactive steps to reduce their carbon footprints and evaluate their supply chains to minimise emissions and implement sustainable waste management practices. 

The health and safety sector is not immune and faces a challenge in tackling sustainability. Products often have far reaching supply chains due to the nature of the materials required. It’s also challenging to recycle safety products, particularly single use items. 

Tackling hard to recycle items

While less prone to lengthy supply chains, workwear is often made from polyester which remains difficult to recycle. An estimated 350,000 tonnes of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year, with the majority of this expected to be workwear.1 As a result, professional clothing, including workwear and uniforms, has become a growing focus for many businesses aiming to address sustainability within their product ranges. 

It is therefore crucial for suppliers to offer workwear that conforms to and aids businesses' environmental targets. This is where responsible workwear is crucial. Clothing made from more environmentally conscious materials such as organic cotton or recycled polyester helps reduce water and plastic consumption in the supply chain. Designed with durability in mind, it also enables manufacturers to produce workwear with an extended useful life, reducing the amount of the product discarded.

Reporting frameworks (Better Cotton, GRS, ETI) 

There are a variety of organisations that exist to support companies that are making efforts towards more sustainable solutions. When procuring products, purchasing teams should consider sourcing products from a company that is a member of one of these globally recognised reporting frameworks. Organisations like the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), EcoVadis and Proposition 65, collaborate with manufacturers to provide a transparent view of the extent to which their processes impact the world.

More sustainable materials 

PPE and workwear that is designed with eco-friendly materials is becoming more prevalent in the industry with alternatives to traditional plastic components. Equally, the ability to recycle workwear and PPE is being demystified as companies invest in technologies and processes that can break down certain fabrics into constituent molecules that can be  rebuilt into new garments.

Successfully recycling polyester and establishing an onshore UK supply chain will reduce the industry’s dependency on fossil fuels. It will also reduce pollution from the manufacturing process, as recycled polyester uses significantly less energy and resources compared to virgin polyester manufacture. This is an infrastructure that needs investment in order to reach the scale required by 2050. 

Longevity 

The longevity of a piece of clothing is often overlooked. In a world where cheaper online marketplaces are gaining popularity, not only will non-compliant product become more common, wastage will inevitably increase as well. 

Typical compliant hi-vis workwear is guaranteed to last up to 25 washes when properly cared for, but newer workwear can be guaranteed to last even longer. Garments can also be manufactured to retain integrity, dimensional stability, Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) and colourfastness. 

Some companies also offer the traceability of workwear throughout its life. To ensure garments retain their properties and are only washed as many times as labelled, special laundry facilities can be used. Each step of the washing process is recorded for each item of clothing using an interwoven RFID chip that tracks the number of times the item has been washed. From this, water usage and carbon footprint can be calculated. This offers companies full visibility over the whole process, minimising waste and maximising responsibility. 

Once it comes to the end of its life, the recovered components from the recycling process are valuable raw materials that can be transformed back into polyester yarn for garment production. This approach to re-creating raw materials helps to significantly decrease the environmental footprint of manufacturing, playing a pivotal role in the shift towards a circular economy. 

Arco’s responsible choice range for example has reduced its carbon and water usage while making it easier for businesses to verify sustainability claims and buy more responsible products. 

Utilising digital innovation in the circular economy

Driving forward product circularity, developing closed-loop systems, expanding recycling/take-back schemes and providing garment life-extension services, such as laundry and repair is a crucial role to play for suppliers of PPE. 

It’s also critical to invest in digital capabilities that enable data-driven insights by embedding traceability and transparency. 

Carbon emission reduction

Reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions is on every business agenda for the next 25 years. 

While Scope 3 remains a stubborn challenge for businesses, there are practical and immediate steps that businesses can take such as engaging with suppliers to cut waste and emissions. For Scope 1 and 2, investing in zero-emission fleets and switching to more renewable energy are all ways to reduce a business's impact. 

In addition, setting science-based targets aligned to the 1.5 degree Paris agreement is crucial for businesses aiming for net zero because it provides a clear, evidence-based roadmap for reducing emissions. It enhances credibility, attracts investor and customer confidence, and ensures long-term sustainability. 

Conclusion  

There is no silver bullet in tackling sustainability. By adopting comprehensive and strategic initiatives, businesses can make significant strides towards their goals. 

It is essential to focus on key areas such as carbon reduction and optimising water usage. Investing in more responsible workwear made from more sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester can help reduce the overall environmental impact of products. Additionally, enhancing product circularity through recycling and take-back schemes, and investing in digital innovations for traceability and transparency are crucial steps to ensure effectiveness.

Businesses must also prioritise reducing waste and ensuring ethical supply chains by collaborating with organisations like Better Cotton, Global Recycled Standard (GRS), and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI). By doing so, companies can create a more sustainable future while meeting their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets.

As businesses across the sector strive to meet the UK's net zero target by 2050, the adoption of these best practices will be vital in driving meaningful change and securing a safer and more sustainable tomorrow for all.

How Arco is acting on sustainability

This year, Arco will set science-based targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), including for Scope 3 emissions related to manufacturing, transportation and end-of-life product management. 

Initiatives such as the installation of solar panels on Arco buildings has helped the company reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and cut its carbon footprint over the past year. Focusing on the efficient use of water in its global operations has also seen Arco reduce its water use by 22.6 per cent.

Working towards the achievement of net zero in 2045, five years ahead of the government deadline, Arco last year reduced its carbon emissions by 21.2 per cent, its biggest annual decrease to date and substantially outperforming its 5.5 per cent target. 

Arco has continued to reduce packaging and waste, removing single-use plastics and moving to more sustainable recycled cardboard packaging. In FY24, the company recycled about 90 per cent of cardboard, plastic, clothing and building waste produced at its premises.

Reference 
1  https://www.wastemanaged.co.uk/our-news/retail/fashion-waste-facts-and-statistics/

Simon Allan-Brooks, is chief commercial officer at Arco. For more information, visit www.arco.co.uk/sustainability