Last week’s annual Waste Management Sustainability Forum featured multiple updates on new environmental and social initiatives, while also highlighting the industry’s increasingly complex role in climate change discussions.
One of the more unique announcements at the two-day virtual event was the nationwide debut of uniforms containing fabric made from recycled plastics. The garments will be available to more than 20,000 drivers, helpers and post-collection employees by the end of the second quarter, according to spokesperson Janette Micelli.
Production is underway and employees at legacy Advanced Disposal Services locations will be the first to receive them in the coming weeks. A line of new shirts using the material will also be included for management.
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“Our drivers will ride their routes collecting plastic bottles, milk jugs and other materials that will eventually be turned into the uniforms that they wear every day. This is the circular economy in action,” said CEO Jim Fish during a video announcement.
The switch is being managed by uniform rental companies Aramark and Cintas. Both will use shirt fabric from Repreve, a Unifi product. In one case, a pair of pants available from Cintas also contains corn-based Sorona fabric that is made by DuPont.
The company’s rental costs will be equal or better than prior versions depending on which style employees select. Waste Management noted it “is the first company with Aramark to implement a recycled industrial laundered garment” and the first in the industry to do so with Cintas.
A spokesperson for Unifi described this as a growing trend, citing the use of Repreve fabric in Coca-Cola uniforms supplied by Cintas and Aramark. Other Repreve examples include uniforms for host committee members at the 2019 Super Bowl and used by European workwear companies.
“Waste Management is helping to build momentum for this movement with its commitment to transform plastic bottles into employee uniforms made with Repreve,” wrote the spokesperson via email. “We expect more companies to continue to make the switch to sustainably made uniforms.”
According to a 2020 Waste Management report, released following a shareholder resolution, an estimated 47% of collected U.S. PET becomes fiber for carpet or clothing while only 21% goes back into food or drink bottles. The report notes that most instances where PET goes back into bottles occurs in states with container deposit systems, a policy the company did not take a position on in that report.
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