The afternoon sessions at the 2026 Uniform Buyers’ Network focus on two critical areas driving the future of responsible workwear procurement: scalable end of life recycling solutions and the urgent need for inclusive PPE standards.
As organisations face increasing pressure to reduce textile waste while improving worker safety and inclusivity, these discussions explore how procurement frameworks can evolve to support both circularity and equitable workplace protection.
1:15pm – 1:50pm
Recycling Workwear at End of Life
Toomas Allikas, Greenful – An Open Loop Alternative
Creating a circular economy for workwear presents a unique challenge.
While durability is essential for reducing consumption and extending garment lifespan, the high performance requirements of professional clothing often rely on multi fibre textile compositions that are difficult to recycle within traditional textile to textile systems.
This session explores an alternative route to circularity.
Greenful presents an open loop recycling solution that transforms end of life workwear into circular construction materials, helping divert textiles away from landfill and incineration while creating new commercial opportunities for brands and buyers.
The discussion will examine how organisations can begin closing their own loop by repurposing textile waste into future material supplies, offering a pragmatic and scalable pathway for managing garments that fall outside mono material recycling systems.
As the industry continues transitioning toward more circular procurement models, the session highlights why innovation in end of life solutions will be just as important as garment design itself.
1:50pm – 2:25pm
Inclusive PPE – From Industry Standard to Parliament
Natalie Wilson, Workwear Solutions International
For decades, workwear and PPE standards have largely been developed around the average male body shape, creating significant safety, comfort, and accessibility challenges for many workers.
Ill fitting PPE can obstruct movement, reduce protection, and create barriers for women and individuals outside traditional sizing standards to carry out their roles effectively and safely.
Now, with the new British Standard for Inclusive PPE (BS 30417) officially entering UK Parliament proceedings, the industry faces a pivotal moment for change.
In this session, PCIAW® explores the growing importance of inclusive PPE design and outlines how organisations can begin embedding inclusive fit requirements into procurement and RFP specifications. Practical guidance will be provided on implementing BS 30417 principles across product development, supplier evaluation, and uniform purchasing frameworks.
As inclusivity increasingly becomes both a regulatory and workplace priority, the discussion will highlight why better fitting PPE is not simply a design improvement, but a critical issue of worker safety, equality, and operational performance.
Together, these sessions examine how the future of workwear must not only become more circular, but more inclusive, adaptable, and fit for every worker it is designed to protect.
