Mitie saves 80 tonnes of uniform from landfill with innovative recycling project

• Mitie has collected and recycled 10,000 bags of old Interserve uniform, diverting 80 tonnes of material from landfill
• More than 1,800 tonnes of carbon emissions have been saved by recycling the uniforms
• Materials from recycled garments will be re-used to make new clothes, insulation and other textile products

Mitie has saved 80 tonnes of old Interserve uniform from going to landfill through an innovative nation-wide recycling project. More than 1,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been avoided by collecting and recycling the uniforms, totalling 10,000 bags of material. The amount of carbon saved through the project is equivalent to nearly 2,700 return flights to New York from London¹.

Following the acquisition of Interserve Facilities Management, around 13,000 new colleagues were provided with 112,000 pieces of new Mitie branded clothing to replace their old Interserve uniforms. As part of Mitie’s commitment to limit its impact on the environment, the business launched a large-scale recycling project to ensure that all this old clothing was repurposed and given a new lease of life.

Multiple collections were arranged from 2,000 sites across the UK so that the old uniforms could go through the specialist recycling process. This involved them being shredded through a cross-cut shredding machine, baled and separated, and then stretched into a fibrous material, to be used to re-make garments, insulation, textile products and other materials. Meanwhile, any garments containing non-recyclable fibres were sent to be securely and safely incinerated, with the heat created from this process used to generate power.

The uniform recycling project is just one example of Mitie Waste’s commitments to reducing the volume of materials consumed by the businesses through its ‘Resource, not waste’ mantra. For example, through its innovative ‘Bin the Bag’ trial, removing all black bin bags from its sites, it will save 40,000 bin bags, more than half a tonne of plastic, a year. Following the successful trial, it is now in the process of supporting clients with removing black plastic bin liners from their operations.

Michael Taylor, Managing Director, Mitie Waste, said:

“Collecting 80 tonnes of uniform is no easy task, and the success of this project is testament to the expertise of the Mitie Waste team. Through this project, not only are we helping reduce carbon emissions and saving good material from being wasted, but we are also demonstrating to the rest of the industry what is possible when it comes to sustainability. In line with our Plan Zero commitments, we will continue to push ourselves, and our customers, further and faster in our drive to limit our impact on the planet.”

1. Based on an economy-class return flight from London to New York, emitting an estimated 0.67 tonnes of CO2 per passenger. Source: BBC News