Defining Worn Out Workwear
Exploring how to assess garments for reuse within a laundry system
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54337/plate2025-10308Keywords:
Workwear, Assessment criteria, Reuse, LongevityAbstract
This paper explores how to create an objective assessment criterion for ‘worn out’ workwear within an industrial laundry system. Undertaken during the ReSuit project, the research used Elis (laundry service provider) as a case study. Four styles of light workwear (2x t-shirts and 2x trousers) were selected because they represented the products with highest numbers of discards. During a field study, the researchers visually analysed a week’s worth of these discarded garments for a variety of types of wear and tear. The research found that wear and tear could be categorised across four themes: holes, stains, pilling and colour. A traffic light system was created in which garments were assessed as Green: Reusable. Yellow: Normal wear and tear with the potential for reuse. Red: Worn out (discard for recycling). From this assessment guides were created, both digital (to be printed) and physical (exemplars). Working within the limitations of the research, these guides did not provide definitive definitions of worn-out workwear, rather were to ‘start the conversation’ of where the line is drawn between reuse and discard within the workwear sector. This research concludes that there is a huge potential for the workwear sector to reuse clothing and extend the lives of the products and further research should seek to streamline and test this worn out workwear assessment criteria.
References
Barthel, M., James, K., Guinness, J., Barker, C., Fava, J., Harnanan, C., Smerek, A., Adibi, N., Valdivia, S. and Khan, S. (2014) Hotspots Analysis: mapping of existing methodologies, tools and guidance and initial recommendations for the development of global guidance. Available at: http://lifecycleinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Flagship3a-Hotspots-Mapping.pdf (Accessed: 18 September 2018).
Bjørn Thorsen (2024) Enhancing textile recycling with removable logos, Bjørn Thorsen A/S. Available at: https://www.bjorn-thorsen.com/enhancing-textile-recycling-with-removable-logos/ (Accessed: 2 December 2024).
Bundgaard-Nielsen, M.J. (2025) Uniform Report. Kolding, Denmark: Kolding School of Design and Lifestyle and Design Cluster. Available at: https://webpagefilestorage.blob.core.windows.net/webpagefilecontainer/Andre%20publikationer/Uniform_report.pdf?utm_source=Nyhedsbrevstilmeldinger&utm_campaign=7dbc77a9dd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_11_05_01_55_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-17ff54a98a-431853828 (Accessed: 18 February 2025).
Burgess, R.G. (1984) In the field: an introduction to field research. London: Allen & Unwin (Contemporary social research series, 8).
Business in the Community (2021) A UNIFORM APPROACH: Defining procurement principles for sustainable professional clothing. UK: The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. Available at: https://www.bitc.org.uk/report/improving-the-sustainability-of-professional-clothing/ (Accessed: 11 July 2022).
Cambridge Dictionary (2024) worn out. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/worn-out (Accessed: 2 December 2024).
Cooper, T., Hill, H., Kinmouth, J., Townsend, K. and Hughes, M. (2013) Design for Longevity: Guidance on Increasing the Active Life of Clothing. UK: WRAP. Available at: https://refashion.fr/eco-design/sites/default/files/fichiers/Design%20for%20Longevity.pdf (Accessed: 4 July 2024).
ECAP (2017) European Textiles & Workwear Market: The role of Public Procurement in making textiles circular. Netherlands: Rijkswaterstaat. Available at: http://www.ecap.eu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ECAP-Workwear-Report-Pt-1-def-final.pdf (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
European Commission (2024) Textiles strategy - European Commission. Available at: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/textiles-strategy_en (Accessed: 19 November 2024).
GPP in Practice (2016) Reusing workwear in Herning - Denmark. 65. Herning Denmark: European Commission. Available at: https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/44278090-3fae-4515-bcc2-44fd57c1d0d1/library/a98253a8-511e-463c-b471-5693a018f654/details (Accessed: 2 December 2024).
ID® Identity (2024) Tøj til produktion og industri - Translated into English: Clothing for production and industry. Available at: https://id.dk/dk/shop/brancher/produktion-og-industri?PageNum=2&SortBy=Created&SortOrder=DESC&PageSize=8&fg=Category&fg=Certificate&fg=Gender&fg=Size&fg=Color.facets&fg=StyleFit&fg=Composition&fg=Washing&StyleNumber=0302%2c0510%2c0511%2c0322%2c0320%2c0321%2c0362%2c0360%2c0311%2c0383%2c0382%2c0336%2c0326%2c0747%2c0746%2c0745%2c0744%2c0851%2c0850%2c0856%2c0854%2c0913%2c0912%2c0911%2c0910%2c0902%2c0903%2c0385%2c0384%2c0381%2c0600%2c0896%2c0897 (Accessed: 29 November 2024).
Lerpiniere, C. and Davies, A. (2023) ‘Using textile testing information to ensure garment quality, longevity and transparency’, in M. Charter, B. Pan, and S. Black, Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Clothing and Textiles. 1st edn. London: Routledge, pp. 88–102. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003272878-8.
Malinverno, N., Schmutz, M., Nowack, B. and Som, C. (2023) ‘Identifying the needs for a circular workwear textile management – A material flow analysis of workwear textile waste within Swiss Companies’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 189, p. 106728. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106728.
Miljø og Ligestillingsministriet (2024) Sortering af tekstiler - Translated into English: Sorting of Textiles, Miljøstyrelsen. Available at: https://mst.dk/erhverv/groen-produktion-og-affald/affald-og-genanvendelse/affaldshaandtering/affaldsfraktioner/de-ti-affaldsfraktioner/sortering-af-tekstiler (Accessed: 2 December 2024).
Nerup, L. (2022) Uniformer: Muligheder og Udfordringer i et Genanvendelsesperspektiv - Translated into English: Uniforms: Opportunioties and challanges of a recycling perspective. Copenhagen, Denmark: KEA and Lifestyle and Design Cluster. Available at: https://ldcluster.com/search?q=uniformer.
Nørup, N., Pihl, K., Damgaard, A. and Scheutz, C. (2018) ‘Development and testing of a sorting and quality assessment method for textile waste’, Waste Management, 79, pp. 8–21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.07.008.
Sunde, C., Hovda, E.V., Sheikhi, S. and Vestengen, S. (2023) Method for Picking Analyses of Textiles - REdu Wasted Textiles Project. Norway. Available at: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/avfall-norge-no/dokumenter/WT-REdu-final-report-Aug11-2023-revised-Aug17.pdf (Accessed: 13 May 2024).
