William Sugden and Sons Ltd have significantly increased the measures it is taking to become a more sustainable company.
The Wakefield-based career and workwear specialist – which recently celebrated its 150th year, along with sister company Double TWO – has made a number of changes to the way it operates to become more sustainable.
With the fashion industry now one of the biggest polluters in the world, it also means that textiles have a significant impact on the environment during their life-cycle. Sugdens is actively working to reduce its environmental impact in various areas and to help advocate sustainability.
A number of items in Sugdens’ seasonal ranges are made using recycled materials – with some now using up to 45% recycled materials. Additionally, over 50% of textiles used are now crafted using cotton sourced as Better Cotton.
Another way Sugdens is becoming more sustainable is by making considerable changes to the way their products are packaged: they have recently increased the amount of product shipped per box from six items to 20. Sugdens are also planning to replace plastic inserts inside the boxes with cardboard that comes from sustainable forests in Scandinavia instead.
A number of changes have also been made at the Sugdens Head Office. The Carbon Trust recently helped with the installation of a new heating system which ensures rooms are only heated when in use, and printing has also been reduced by a third with only essential documents being printed. At the company’s warehouse in Wakefield, CO2 emissions have been reduced by a whopping 40 tonnes a year.
Additionally, should one of Sugdens’ customers require a new uniform or rebrand, there are now strict practices in place to reuse or recycle materials. Unwanted older garments are de-badged and sent to charities or instead regenerated using a fibre separation process to enable them to be made into mattress fillings – as is the waste on all production lines.
Looking ahead, Sugdens have created many long term plans that are currently being investigated to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability from installing solar panels and to heat pumps. With every step taken in the mission to become more sustainable, Sugdens hopes to make a difference – no matter how big or small.
For more information, please visit www.wmsugden.co.uk.
