Trutex launches uniform recycling campaign with school trust

Trutex, alongside Outwood Grange Academies Trust, is launching a new campaign to promote donation of used school uniform for recycle and resell to parents.

As part of the campaign, each of the 30 Outwood academies across the North of England will house a recycle bin that will enable students and their families to donate items of school uniform that they no longer wear or need. These items will then be collected by Trutex to be repaired, if necessary, washed and made ready for purchase as preloved uniform items.

The figures behind the reason for the campaign are eye-catching as by extending the life of clothing by just nine months can reduce carbon and water usage by up to 10%, while helping reduce the staggering amount of garments that are sent to landfill in the UK every year, a figure that currently stands at over 350,000 tonnes of clothing each year.

Matthew Easter, CEO at Trutex, said: “We are excited to launch this uniform recycling initiative with Outwood to help reduce the significant amount of clothing that ends up in landfill each year, alongside being able to help provide a cost effective uniform for parents. Our ethos of Made to Last uniform means many garments are often grown out before worn out and by enabling the uniform to last further than the first purchaser, we can significantly help reduce costs and create a more sustainably provision of school uniform. As a carbon neutral business reducing carbon and water in production is also a key part of our sustainability strategy.”

The campaign between Trutex and Outwood sees the partnership between the two building on the success of the last academic year, which saw over 600,000 plastic bottles saved from landfill thanks to Outwood uniforms being made using fabric that has been manufactured from recycled plastic bottles.

Each Trutex blazer saves around 36 plastic bottles from ending up in a landfill site and boys trousers, 19 bottles.

Katy Bradford, chief operating officer at Outwood, added: “At Outwood, we take our responsibilities seriously and we are passionate about the environment and promoting the importance of sustainability across the Outwood Family.

“We believe this campaign, and its focus on recycling, can help not only deliver cost effective benefits for parents but also help spread the important message of sustainability and aid in improving our environment by reducing the amount of clothes in landfill.”