10088541Building End of Life into Workwear Garments.ClosedInvestment AcceleratorInnovate UKThe Stitch Society began when we identified a need for high quality smart, practical, workwear, made in the UK and have grown organically over the last 10 years, staying true to our ethos of sustainability and ethical UK sourcing. We have grown substantially over the last 2 years, becoming known for providing high-quality sustainable manufacturing for other UK businesses. Having worked in the UK workwear industry for 10 years, improving our sustainability and end of life have been crucial considerations for our business. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation in their Vision for a Circular Economy for Fashion (2020) found the key issues include manufacturing more durable products which are used more and made to be made again either through reuse or having an end-of-life plan. Within workwear, companies are starting to respond to this by developing and offering products made from environmentally friendly materials such as recycled fabrics, organic cotton and biodegradable materials, an increased use of recycling but no significant development has occurred in working towards designed end-of-life reuse within the industry.The Waste Prevention Programme for England sets out how textiles in general could minimise waste and work towards a more resource efficient economy, including using resources more efficiently, designing and manufacturing products for optimum life with repair and reuse. It should be noted that again, these processes do not address the end-of-life issue and are still looking at the semi linear recycling as the answer to the textiles waste problem. With our experience in the workwear market, our project would develop processes for managing the full lifecycle of workwear including end of life. With an industry currently focused on waste reduction and not the extension of life, new processes such as recyclers have shown the potential for circular business models in textiles which can be further extend the life of garments. As identified by the Boston Consulting Group in Circular Strategies for a Garment's End-of-Life Moment in May 2023, it is vital to move to end-of-life solutions for workwear waste through production of new garments and products rather than waste to landfill. Once tested on the workwear market, this would ultimately be applicable to all textile products, enabling brands and manufacturers to build end-of-life systems that complement their current production.