What to do with old work uniforms?

When businesses rebrand, employees leave, and styles change, a need may arise for you to rid yourself of old workwear and uniforms.

Whether you are an ex-employee wondering what to do with old work uniforms or an employer trying to get rid of old workwear, there are certain responsibilities you may bear when it comes to disposing of these garments. You must consider both security and environmental sustainability in equal measure.

Old work uniform disposal for ex-employees

In an ideal world, your employer will have already requested your old uniforms. If not, this should be your first port of call. Even if you didn’t leave the company on the best terms, you should arrange to return your old workwear. The main reason for this is security. You don’t want to be in a position where you are accused of putting brand identity or security at risk by incorrectly disposing of old uniforms. So, if you can return the uniforms either in person or by post, this is the best route possible. Your old employer will likely want the items back, so if you aren’t local enough to drop them back off the next time you’re passing, they will probably be happy to cover the cost of a courier.

There may be a reason you can’t return the uniforms. For example, maybe the company closed down. In this instance, the best thing to do is to cut out any company logos and put the rest into your nearest textile recycling bin.

What should businesses do with old work uniforms?

The risks of not handling old work uniforms properly

Work uniforms in the wrong hands could have disastrous effects. This is particularly true for public-sector organisations such as ambulance services or police forces.

Way back in 2012, for example, stolen paramedic uniforms and ambulance kits – including resuscitation devices – appeared online for sale. Someone posing as a paramedic or misusing equipment such as defibrillators could have life-threatening consequences.

The largest cash heist in British history also involved the misuse of uniforms – this time, police uniforms. After buying police uniforms on eBay, a group of robbers tricked their way inside a Securitas depot. There, they held 14 workers at gunpoint while they loaded up a vehicle with almost £53 million in cash. While some assailants were caught, £32 million of this has never been recovered. Had they not been able to get their hands on police uniforms, this robbery may not have been successful.

While the misuse of all workwear wouldn’t necessarily have consequences this extreme, uniforms can be misused. Old employees or even people unknown to your organisation could use uniforms to gain access to secure areas. This could result in theft or data breaches. Someone behaving inappropriately in your uniform or disposing of it in an environmentally irresponsible way could also damage your brand’s reputation. For this reason, you should ensure you receive all old workwear back once an employee no longer needs it.

Environmentally friendly work uniform disposal

Once your organisation is onboard with secure uniform disposal, it’s important to consider your disposal options carefully.

Step 1 – Find a professional uniform shredding service provider.

If your uniform features a logo or any commercial branding, secure shredding should be the first step you take. This will protect your brand from any potential misuse and won’t affect the recyclability of your textiles because shredding is a typical step in the textile recycling process. The reason you should choose a secure shredding service rather than a recycling service is that with secure shredding, your uniforms will be handled by security-vetted personnel. You will also receive a Certificate of Destruction for your compliance records. Shred Station destroys all materials in line with EN 15713 security shredding standards so your uniform will be secure every step of the way.

Step 2 – If possible, separate uniforms into fibre types.

If certain work uniform garments are single fibre, e.g. 100% cotton shirts, try to keep these items separated from other fabrics where possible. While textile recycling isn’t always straightforward as different fibres are recycled using different methods, as a rule of thumb, single-fibre materials usually can be recycled into new textile products after shredding. Generally, your options for recycling depend on what materials your uniform is made from. For instance, 100% cotton can usually be shredded and re-spun into new cotton materials. 100% polyester items similarly can usually be melted down and re-made into new polyester threads.

If it isn’t possible to separate your uniforms or your uniforms are made from blended textiles, e.g. polycotton blends, these probably can’t be recycled into new garments. However, other options do exist, for instance, rag recycling. Rag recycling is a process where low-grade textiles can be made into things like dust cloths or carpet underlay. If recycling isn’t possible, you should seek a work uniform destruction service provider that avoids landfill.

Your shredding service provider will arrange the end-recycling solution for you, so that’s not something you need to worry about organising yourself. At Shred Station, we keep our uniform shredding as environmentally friendly as possible. Nothing we shred goes to landfill, and even non-recyclables we utilise at Energy from Waste to generate electricity for the National Grid.

Step 3 – Receive your Waste Transfer Note and Certificate of Destruction.

When handing over your old work uniforms, your shredding service provider will issue a Waste Transfer Note. This document proves that the responsibility for your old work uniform now falls with the service provider.

Once the uniforms are destroyed, your shredding service provider will also issue your Certificate of Destruction. These two documents combined make up your audit trail.

As mentioned, the recycling or end-disposal of the materials is something that your provider will take care of. Your business will not require any further legal paperwork for these processes. This is because the duty of environmentally friendly disposal is on the service provider. For this reason, it’s important to ensure the supplier you choose is fully credentialled and has documented environmental policies and procedures in place.

If you need help with your old work uniform disposal, get in touch with our team of shredding experts.

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