Where to buy sustainable workwear and PPE
Where to buy sustainable workwear and PPE? This is a question you might be asking yourself as your organisation looks at ways to reduce their environmental impact and improve their sustainability goals.
The sheer amount of products and suppliers available might be leaving you feeling overwhelmed and confused so our sustainability experts at Clad Safety have put together this guide to simplify the process of buying sustainable workwear and PPE.
Benefits of sustainable workwear and PPE
All organisations need to think about the benefits of sustainable workwear and PPE for both their team and the environment. Businesses must now demonstrate that they are meeting not just basic sustainability obligations such as paper recycling but have also taken further steps to becoming more sustainable. Ethical and sustainable workwear has been pinpointed as key areas of positive change.
Benefits of switching to sustainable workwear and PPE include:
- Reduces water pollution, waste, and carbon emissions
- Garments are made from recycled post-consumer clothing or plastic bottles that otherwise would have been sent to landfill
- Ethical manufacturing processes
- Products made from recycled polyester can be verified by the recycled yarn manufacturer
- Durable construction – garments are designed to be long-lasting therefore replaced less often
- Positive brand awareness of an organisation’s environmental impact
- Organisations are part of a sustainable supply chain
What brands sell sustainable workwear and PPE?
Many of the leading UK brands of workwear and PPE now have a sustainability range. Leo Workwear have introduced the EcoViz® range of hi vis clothing providing sustainable full-body visibility for male and female wearers. Whether you need a cool wicking polo shirt in the summer or a waterproof and breathable coverall in the winter, there’s a sustainable product to keep you visible.
Both Regatta Honestly Made and Orn EarthPro® can provide you with sustainable workwear alternatives. The EarthPro® collection uses fabric made from recycled plastic to help reduce the harmful effect of disposable plastics on the environment.
Rock Fall sell a number of sustainable and vegan friendly safety boots including the Rock Fall Surge which has been designed to be sustainable to it’s core. Clad Safety has recently launched the Ecos range of sustainable safety footwear including the Derby and Trekker boots. All items in the Ecos range are made from recycled materials and are Global Recycled Standard approved.
Is sustainable hi vis workwear and PPE compliant?
Yes! Sustainable hi vis workwear and PPE which is sold by an BSIF approved supplier will always be fully compliant with the relevant safety standards. Clad Safety supply a range of sustainable hi vis clothing that is compliant with EN 20471 and RIS-3279-TOM meanwhile all sustainable safety footwear meets the safety standards set out in EN 20345.
Can all workwear and PPE be made from recycled fibres?
Unfortunately, not all workwear and PPE can be made from recycled fibres. Highly technical items such as arc flash clothing and PPE must be made from inherent fabrics which are composed of fibres that are already innately flame resistant. At present, recycled materials are not made from inherent fabrics therefore the safety protection provided to the wearer through their arc flash clothing would be severely compromised if recycled materials were used. All arc flash clothing requires an Arc Thermal Performance Value (ATPV) rating and a present, recycled and sustainable fabrics cannot meet these stringent safety requirements.
Can I dress my whole team in sustainable workwear and PPE?
There are a wide range of items available that will allow you to dress your whole team in sustainable workwear and PPE provided they meet the requirements of your organisation’s health and safety policy. These items included polo shirts, softshell jackets, trousers, gloves, glasses and safety footwear and all garments can also be logoed with your company branding.
Sustainable workwear at Clad Safety
Now that we have discussed sustainable workwear and PPE, this leads us back to the original question – where to buy it. The BSIF Safety Supplier Scheme is a great place to start as it lists all UK approved safety workwear suppliers including ourselves at Clad Safety.
Clad Safety currently supply leading organisations within the Construction, Rail and Utilities industries with sustainable workwear, hi vis clothing and PPE from the UK’s most popular brands including Ecos, Leo, Portwest, Orn, Regatta, Rock Fall and Traffi. If you would like to make the switch to sustainable workwear, please get in touch with us today on 0800 161 3661 or email [email protected].
Header image – Portwest