Over the last year, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has recycled 620 sacks of old uniforms instead of sending them to landfill.

The recycling has saved 2.4 tonnes of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere and saved enough energy to drive a petrol-engined car over 6,000 miles, equivalent to the distance from Peterborough to Cape Town.

The clothing has been recycled in an advanced process called material reclamation, which gives textiles a second chance instead of going to landfill.

Clothing included in the project has been garments branded with Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express.

As well as uniforms, worn-out shoes have been sent for recycling. In turn, the recycling process has turned old clothes into products such as mattress filling and sound insulation for vehicles.

The process saved enough energy to charge 194,032 smartphones, or drive 6,112 miles in a petrol-engined car, and prevented 2,400kg of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere.

Govia Thameslink Railway operates train services across 11 counties covering an area almost the size of Belgium.

It is one of the very few businesses that the corporate climate action organisation Science Based Targets has accredited for its initiative in meeting its climate change goals.

To make it easy for staff to recycle their old uniforms, Govia Thameslink Railway has installed recycling points at 30 major stations.

Govia Thameslink Railway is not the only railway operator to recycle old uniforms, as Northern started a similar scheme in 2023, and in its first year recycled a remarkable ten tonnes of old uniforms.

“We’re passionate about reducing the environmental impact of what we do, and as part of our long-term commitment to reducing waste we’re thinking about the way we use resources across our business. Each of our members of staff that require uniform will be able to return it when it’s no longer needed so that it can be sent for recycling. Not only is this enabling us to think about resources in a more circular way, but also contributes to reductions in our carbon emissions in alignment with our 2050 net zero goals.”
Over the last year, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has recycled 620 sacks of old uniforms instead of sending them to landfill.”

Jason Brooker, Govia Thameslink Railway’s Head of Environment and Sustainability