A new lease on life for Swiss Post work clothes
Every year, Swiss Post distributes approximately 200 000 work clothes to its employees. Where do these garments come from and what happens to them when they have served their time?
Circular economy in concrete terms | «Nothing is garbage» or «Zero waste» is the tenet of a new way of thinking. Circular economy stands in opposition to the current linear economic system. Instead of simply throwing products away, the principle is to re-use them as long as possible – or when that isn’t possible anymore – to recycle them. Furthermore, Swiss Post takes in account social aspects of the production context and it also influences the design of the garments, to ensure that they may be re-used as long as possible.
Sustainable sourcing | Swiss Post's various uniforms come from 16 factories located in 9 different countries. During a 3-year cycle, each producer receives a visit from Swiss Post's sustainable purchasing specialist. Over a period of 2 to 3 days, she trains and audits the producers on site. Occupational safety and health, as well as equal pay conditions are at the forefront of the considerations. Alongside social aspects, ecological criteria are also key in the purchase process. Indeed, Swiss Post only buys robust fabrics, certified by Oeko-Tex. "La Trouvaille" of the swiss Red Cross. There they are sorted out and, depending on their condition, they are either distributed to second-hand shops or, directly donated to charity, for eg. to l’Aide Suisse aux Montagnards (swiss aid to mountaineers).
Re-cycle or up-cycle | Some work clothes are produced with large logos on them and for brand protection reasons, they cannot be worn again as is. Those particular garments are sent to the BEWO workshops where they are made into bags or laptop sleeves. In this manner, former Swiss Post uniforms are turned into unique items with a new lease on life. Thus, the circle is complete: fair production and the meaningful recycling of used products. The waste of valuable resources is avoided.
How can we support a circular economy? | Here are some suggestions on how we can save resources and energy:
- Second hand : Second-hand stores and second-hand online platforms, as well as gift and loan platforms help maintain products longer in circulation. We can choose to purchase more "second hand"; why not this year’s Christmas presents?
- Reusable instead of disposable: A sandwich box instead of aluminum foil, stainless steel or bamboo straws instead of plastic ones, and a reusable cup for take-away coffee... Why not bring along a cloth bag to the baker’s and a tupperware to the butcher’s?
- Upcycle, DIY Youtube is full of tutorials and it’s a great possibility to get creative and think outside the box: how could empty ballpoint pens, old shoes or a worn pillowcase be transformed into something useful? - Upcycling is also an opportunity for an activity with children, check our Tips for kids
We have already created several Advent windows for Swiss Post in the past. Take a little walk through History.
To the overview of Swiss Post Advent windows
