UK safety company, Arco, says its new ‘responsible workwear’ range comprises a new line of garments ‘made to last, ethically sourced, and produced with a fully traceable supply chain’.
The company said: “Nearly 90 per cent of the 33 million workwear items supplied annually end up in landfill or are incinerated at the end of their useful life. Arco is committed to providing more responsible solutions for safer businesses.” The ‘responsible workwear’ range is designed to make it easier for customers to make informed purchasing decisions, in turn helping them meet their sustainability and circularity objectives.
Arco explained: “Working with responsible clothing manufacturer, Lyfcycle, each garment contains a unique QR code that allows users to trace its journey through the supply chain with the use of an app. Made with durable fabric and reinforced features, the range has been developed for an extended lifespan, to increase the longevity of workwear used in tough working conditions. It also has extended washability, so can withstand more washes, retaining colour stability and not shrinking.”
All garments are made from Global Recycled Standard (GRS)-certified recycled polyester, ‘Better Cotton’, and packaging is made from GRS-certified 100% recycled plastic. The garment supply chain is also assessed and verified for fair and ethical practices by third-party social audits, including the Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA) and Accord standards, while production processes are assessed on being environmentally responsible by BSCI and GRS.
The new range offers customers ‘the opportunity for a complete uniform proposition’, including men’s and women’s fit garments in up to six different colours, with sizes ranging from XS to 5XL. The initial launch range includes T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, and cargo trousers.
Andrew Tapp, Arco’s Product and Procurement manager, said: “Responsible choices in products are increasingly important to customers – we’re seeing an increase in enquiries, not only about what Arco is doing as a business, but also in the products we supply. We therefore identified a clear need to develop and launch a new range of more responsible garments that could support customers with their sustainability goals, but which was not possible through the current workwear market.”