Value Chain Case Study

Corporate Uniforms

Sam Bridgman, Sustainability Specialist - NZ Post

SBC Value Chain Guide Launch, May 2015

The Issue Corporate Uniform

● 4% of waste to landfill is textile

● Small proportion of NZ Post waste stream, negligible impact on

GHG emissions

2

But

● Approximately 20 large NZ organisations use 860,000 garments pa.

● Costly to dispose of used garments

● Turnover and usage means garments are in good condition

● Textiles have their own value chain impacts

● Sectors of NZ could re-use materials in their communities

The Vision + Benefits Vision

● Create a sustainable, scalable and cost-neutral business model for

the re-use of end-of-life uniforms

Benefits

● Extend the life of the textiles

● Reduce waste to landfill (zero waste)

● Provide jobs to New Zealanders

● Create economic and social development

● Build community resilience

● Creating shared value for business and community

3

Value Chain Perspective

4

Where we

started

Where we

are headed

5

Organisation Receiving Hub

(sort/distribute) Production Market Demand Supplier

Booker

Spalding

NZ Post /

Kiwibank Earthlink

Earthlink

Earthlink

Massey

University

Group A Organisation

A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Cu

rre

nt

wo

rkin

g m

od

el

Pro

po

se

d F

UT

UR

E m

od

el

Group E

Massey Uni

Organisation

B

Organisation

C

Organisation

D

Supplier

?

Hub 2?

Model

NZ Post & Kiwi Bank

Original Corporate Garments

6

Earthlink’s Kids Apparel

7

Massey’s Women’s Collection

8

Value Chain Expansion

9

?

?

Opportunities

● Focus on setting a clear governance structure for the project

● Better engage employees on the uniform returns process

● Look at the design and manufacture

of the uniforms

● Work with partners and collaborators

to build capability in how to

reuse materials

10

Risks

● Supply of old uniforms is currently higher than demand

● Lack of knowledge on impacts of uniform manufacture and material

processing

● Forecasting the number, type

and timing of returned items is

challenging

● The chain of custody requirements

need to remain secure to ensure

any uniforms with logos are not

re-used

11

Solutions

● Project becomes sustainable, scalable and self-funding

● Increased, long term demand for

the uniform material that matches

the number of uniforms being

supplied

● Zero waste

12

Earthlink

https://earthlink-apparel.myshopify.com/

13

Massey University

http://spacebetween.ac.nz/