CWS Workwear: Certainly Circular

Services

Sustainability

9 September 2021 Workwear

To achieve optimal use of resources, we at CWS Workwear think circular and optimise our collections for top durability extending their useful service life through repair and reuse. The most important stations in our clothing cycle in four figures:

No chance for damage

Our service model includes supplying workwear to customers. It is worn, washed and, if necessary, repaired more than 100 million times a year, then delivered again. All our laundries are therefore equipped with sewing shops in which damaged items are repaired. This happens with up to 5 million garments each year. If an item cannot be repaired, it is sent for recycling.

The quality check

We do not merely dispose of textiles that are no longer required. Instead, we check to see whether they could be reused elsewhere. That happens among other places in Międzyrzecz, Poland, where up to 7,000 garments are thoroughly inspected for damage, stains and wear every day. Around half of the garments pass the quality control to be reused by other customers. The remainder are repurposed, for example as cleaning cloths.

The durability test

Durability plays a key role in the sustainability of our workwear, which is why the garments of every new collection have to pass a special durability test before being included in our range. This involves washing in test laundries with clothing from the same industry. They only make it onto the market if they still satisfy our quality requirements after 30 washing cycles.

Ready for new duties

Around 26 percent of the garments that need to be exchanged either due to changes in clothing requirements or wear are replaced with used items. This is effected via our Customer Fulfillment Centers, which return deregistered garments to the cycle. They do so using our used clothing warehouse, where discarded garments are stored for reuse.

For us, sustainability is based on cycles. With our circular business model we contribute to a healthier and safer tomorrow. This is why “Think Circular” means reducing, recycling, or reusing materials.