Maximise PPE Longevity with Professional PPE Laundering
With the upcoming Simpler Recycling legislation coming into effect on March 31, 2025, businesses are reviewing their waste management practices — but it’s also a prime opportunity to rethink how you handle PPE and workwear.
Find out more about the new recycling legislation.
Why Launder PPE?
Laundering PPE instead of disposing of it can save costs, improve hygiene, and reduce environmental impact. Most protective gloves can be washed up to 4 times, and hi-vis workwear up to 30 times, reducing your annual PPE costs by as much as 70%.
Dirty, bacteria-ridden PPE can also lead to employee illness, disrupting business operations, so keeping PPE clean can also help maintain a healthier workforce.
From an environmental perspective, around 350,000 tonnes of used but still wearable workwear and PPE end up in UK landfills each year. Laundering PPE supports the circular economy by reducing waste and promoting reuse. It also aligns with your ISO14001 environmental policy, helping you reduce Scope 3 CO2 emissions. You can also offset avoided Scope 4 CO2e emissions by recycling to re-use. Last year, Stay Safe PPE diverted 420 tonnes of landfill or incineration and enabled customers to save considerably on costs.
How the PPE Laundering Service Works
Our service is designed to make PPE care simple and efficient:
- Collect – Place an order for the weight of items. We’ll collect it within 2–3 days at a time that suits you.
- Wash – Advanced cleaning technology dissolves oils and pollutants while killing 99.9% of bacteria.
- Inspect – All items are quality checked. Tailors can repair small damage like pockets or branding removal. Waterproof items are treated with re-proofing additives.
- Return – All cleaned and repaired items are returned to you, ready to wear.
What Happens to Unusable Items?
If any item is beyond repair, we handle disposal in the most sustainable way possible:
- Items in good condition go to charity.
- Damaged goods are sorted for recycling, with a Certificate of Destruction provided.
- Soft textiles are shredded for use in insulation and pet bedding.
- Poly items are processed into SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) pellets, which can be reused in industries like matting and adhesives.
Why It Matters
- Reduces PPE procurement costs
- Keeps PPE out of landfills
- Supports employee health
- Supports environmental goals and compliance
Giving PPE an
Extended Life
Laundering PPE instead of disposing of it can save procurement costs, improve hygiene, and reduce environmental impact of PPE.
