Alsico one step closer to a closed loop

Preston based workplace manufacturer alsico has taken a big step toward making its workwear more sustainable by sending 4,500lbs of old uniforms to Sixone’s recycling facility in Canada.

From now on, end-of-life garments collected through alsico’s arx garment collector will be systematically returned and transformed into high-quality polyester chips, providing a continuous source of material for the textile industry.

Working with Sixone in Canada, alsico is ensuring that the end-of-life garments are responsibly recycled and returned to the loop with full traceability.

This partnership is the next logical step to address the millions of tons of textile waste already moving around the world every year, often to places where it ends up burned, buried, or downcycled.

The workwear manufacturer’s ambition is to create a fully integrated, circular supply chain where alsico garments are collected, recycled and reborn as new alsico products, with every stage validated and improved through collaboration with its partners.

By setting the standards for recyclability, recycled content and closed-loop operations, alsico is building a system where market participants rely on its performance for both end-of-life management and sourcing of new materials.

Vincent Siau, head of the alsico academy, said: “This is not a pilot or a one-off shipment. It marks the start of a permanent process where end-of-life garments will continually return as raw materials for future workwear.

“What once marked the end of a garment’s life is now the start of something new.”

By organising systematic collection of end-of-life garments, alsico ensures that nothing is wasted and that every piece of clothing can come back into the loop as a resource. A closed-loop system is the operational backbone of alsico’s circular economy, ensuring that materials stay in use and waste is minimised.

"The brand’s collaboration with Sixone enables keeping textiles in circulation within the workwear industry, extending their purpose and life cycle.

Christopher Wai, co-founder and chief executive of Sixone, said: “We are excited to move our strategic partnership with alsico to the next stage and demonstrate that end-of-life garments still hold real value.

“This is a key step in creating a future where clothing is circular, and collaboration with like-minded partners like alsico is essential to our journey.”

No viable solution currently exists in Europe for recycling polyester(-blended) post-consumer textiles at this level, but this has not stopped alsico from finding a partner that can help move forward its circular ambitions.

It is another major leap forward in circular workwear. Alsico is now focusing on producing and testing fabrics, as part of its 3CL project, made with polyester chips from its own garments. Once these tests confirm that the new fabrics meet the brand’s high standards for durability, comfort, and performance, they will be ready to deliver the level of quality workers need, giving them the confidence to perform at their very best.

It comes after Lancashire Business View reported in March about the partnership to ensures that alsico’s end-of-life workwear was repurposed into new, high-quality materials.

It reinforces alsico’s position as a global leader in workwear innovation and demonstrates its commitment and passion for innovating sustainable practices across the entire production chain.

For more information about alsico’s circular initiatives and partnership with Sixone, please visit www.alsico.com.