Where do we send our old uniforms?

Many rebrands come with varying amounts of waste, when old inventory is replaced with new stuff.

Yesterday I received an email from colleague – her client had recently rebranded and wasn’t sure what to do with the old branded uniforms.

If they’re in good unused condition, and resemble everyday clothes like polo shirts, one option is to donate them to charity. But if you’re worried about overwhelming a charity store with a large amount of items, or you don’t like the idea of your old brand floating around in public, another option is to use a textile recycling company like Upparel.

Upparel are leading the textile recycling movement in Australia – they’ll sort your unwanted items and either:

• distribute fit-for-wear items through their partners (you can ask them not to do this one);
• recycle the material into new materials; or
• upcycle them into new products

We’re huge fans of Upparel and are not affiliated with them in any way. I just think they’re worth knowing about. There’s a large list of items they accept, but also a list they can’t accept so do check both.

Textiles are just one small part of a rebrand that become collateral damage, so seeking out next-life options like Upparel can make a huge impact in minimising your waste footprint.

…I’ve always found it ironic that we call marketing material “collateral” 🤔