sustainable WORKWEAR
The production of protective clothing affects the environment at every stage from raw material extraction to finished product. By understanding how materials, chemicals and processes interact, you as a procurer, user or manufacturer can make more sustainable choices.
Tranemo leads the development toward more sustainable protective clothing by integrating recycled fibers, PFAS-free alternatives, and eco-smart dyeing techniques. Our strategy maximizes garment lifespan and facilitates repair. In this way, we reduce the textile industry's carbon footprint and create a safer, more circular future for your team.
a sustainable future for protective clothing
As the extraction of the earth’s resources increases and the well-being of the environment and nature is challenged from several directions, sustainability and sustainability efforts are taking an increasingly prominent position in society. Sustainability is also very important to us at Tranemo and has long been a central part of our operations. But how do protective clothing actually affect our environment? What choices should be made to contribute to less climate impact?
In this article, we describe how the production of protective clothing affects the environment and nature. In addition to the manufacturing process, we also explain the various materials and treatments used for protective clothing.
what does sustainable protective clothing mean?
The transition to sustainable development is urgent, and more and more companies are taking responsibility for producing and purchasing sustainable products.
The term "sustainability" is used today broadly within many different areas, most often in contexts concerning the environment. As the term varies in meaning depending on the situation and context, we will begin by defining what we mean by sustainable protective clothing – with the aim of creating a common starting point for sustainability within our industry.
Sustainability according to the Brundtland Report
In 1987, the UN organisation World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) published the Brundtland Report, in which sustainable development was defined as follows:
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
That is, for product development to be classified as sustainable, it must not only address the needs we have in front of us, but must also include the needs of future generations, for example for good health and a good environment. This is a definition that is highly relevant to the entire textile industry and, not least, the production of protective clothing.
To manufacture protective clothing, raw materials, water, chemicals and a large amount of energy are required. This production can have a strong negative impact on our environment. During production, for example, emissions are created that can pollute the air we breathe, the soil we grow and the water we drink.
This means that no development of protective clothing today can be classified as fully sustainable, which also applies to workwear and "ordinary" clothing. The protective clothing sector and the textile industry at large therefore have a great responsibility to improve their production and develop new solutions for increased sustainability.
It is also important to remember that the primary purpose of protective clothing is to protect the wearer from hazards and risks in the work environment. But one does not of course have to exclude the other. At Tranemo, we are firmly determined to contribute to the development of protective clothing that is uncompromising in its protection, but which also lives up to the definition of sustainable development.
Even today there are concrete opportunities for improvement available in the manufacture of protective clothing, and we will describe these opportunities in more detail.
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
Sustainability is crucial for all processes and is deeply rooted in Tranemo’s strategy. We base our decisions on scientific findings and work diligently to minimise our climate footprint while ensuring good working conditions throughout our value chain.
PEOPLE - PLANET - PERFORMANCE
In a sustainable way, we develop and deliver advanced workwear. Through expertise and innovation, we create safer workplaces.
Tranemo’s business concept reflects our commitment to maintaining high standards and ethical principles in the way we relate to the environment and to the people involved in our operations. The strategy for sustainable development covers three areas which together encompass the most important parts of the entire process chain from an environmental and sustainability perspective, as well as from the perspective of three stakeholder groups.
Responsible manufacturing
Responsible manufacturing of protective clothing must meet the following criteria:
- Raw materials and production processes with minimal environmental impact
- Minimal energy consumption
- Transport with minimal environmental impact
- Minimal use of environmentally and health-hazardous chemicals
- Smart design that enables easy repair and recycling
- High quality to ensure a long service life
- Circularity (reuse and recycling)
Your checklist for sustainable procurement of protective clothing
Do you want concrete tips on how to purchase more sustainable protective clothing? Download our guide “7 steps to a more responsible purchase of protective clothing”.
In the downloadable guide, you get a practical checklist of the steps you need to take in order to make a sustainable purchase of protective clothing. Everything from evaluating your PPE suppliers to exploring the need for PFAS and the possibilities of extending the product’s lifespan through care and repair.
The environmental impact of the textile industry
The climate footprint from the textile industry is significant and the sector is in great need of change in order not to jeopardise the planet’s future. The entire industry is now working intensively to solve the critical challenges related to sustainability.
Below, the textile value chain is described, that is, the process for manufacturing and distributing textiles. It consists of resource-intensive production processes and global supply chains. In this area there is great potential for improvement for us as manufacturers, but you as a purchaser or user also have the opportunity to make a difference by placing high demands on suppliers.
the textile value chain
The textile value chain is often described in levels – "Tiers". The tip of the illustration (Tier 0) represents the marketing and sales of the finished product, while the base (Tier 4) concerns the extraction of raw materials, such as cotton growing.
Tier 4 – Extraction of raw materials
This level focuses on the raw materials used to produce textiles. When it comes to protective clothing, the need for raw materials varies depending on which specific properties are required and which protection requirements must be met. Below are some examples of raw materials used in textile production.
Tier 3 – Processing of raw materials (thread manufacturing)
The third level represents the processing required to convert raw materials, such as cotton and wool, into usable textile materials. This category includes spinning thread and yarn.
Tier 2 – Material production (fabric manufacturing)
The second level represents the process of turning thread and yarn into usable textile materials and includes steps such as weaving, knitting, dyeing and finishing, all of which require a lot of energy, water and chemicals. Accessories such as buttons and zips are also included in this category.
Tier 1 – The final product
This stage includes the manufacturing of the final product. The fabrics are transported to the sewing factory where pattern pieces are cut to create the garment that is in demand.
Tier 0 – Marketing, sales and distribution
The final level includes the marketing, sales and distribution of the finished product.
Raw materials used in textile production
COTTON
Cotton is one of the most frequently used natural fibres in the textile industry and is at the same time a raw material with a significant environmental impact. Managing cotton cultivation requires extensive water use. In addition, various chemicals are used for fertilisation and for combating, for example, pests and weeds, which can pollute soil and waterways.
Cotton cultivation also requires large areas of land, which has led to deforestation and reduced biodiversity. In addition to this, there are also social challenges such as poor working conditions with exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Cotton is a soft fibre with high durability and comfort. A fabric made from cotton fibres inherits these good properties and provides comfortable garments with a long service life. In addition, cotton garments withstand industrial laundering well, as the fibre becomes stronger when wet.
POLYESTER
Polyester is a commonly used synthetic fibre in the textile industry. To produce polyester, both oil and natural gas are used in an energy-intensive manufacturing process that generates significant emissions of greenhouse gases. If polyester production can instead be powered by renewable energy, there is great potential to reduce climate impact. Today, there are also significant quantities of recycled polyester on the market that can be used to make garments.
Recycled polyester is made from PET bottles, which are part of a closed, circular system. By taking material out of this system, this well-established cycle is broken. Protective clothing cannot currently be recycled. Perhaps it would therefore be better to keep circulating the plastic into PET bottles instead?
Polyester is not a good flame-retardant fibre, as at high temperatures it tends to melt and form droplets that can melt into the skin. However, there is specially treated polyester with good flame-resistant properties. In the manufacture of protective clothing, polyester is used mainly to achieve high visibility in (fluorescent) high-visibility garments.
WOOL
Wool is another important natural fibre that is widely used in the textile industry. Wool is the only natural fibre that has inherently flame-retardant properties. One disadvantage of wool, however, is that the fibre felts and weakens when wet, which makes it less suitable for industrial laundering.
Wool is also the only fibre that requires hot water or cleaning with solvents before it is processed into yarn. Unfortunately, pesticides applied to the wool can be difficult to remove, which is a disadvantage, for example, when producing lanolin (wool grease), which can be used in skin creams and is usually recovered from the wool fibre.
In wool production there are major challenges regarding animal rights. Merino sheep have wrinkled skin, especially around the tail area. These wrinkles tend to collect moisture and urine and are attractive for flies to lay eggs in. To prevent this problem, farmers sometimes remove excess skin from this area. This technique, called mulesing, can be very painful for the animals. At Tranemo, we therefore only use so-called mulesing-free wool.
Material choices for sustainable protective clothing
Being well informed about the textile value chain is fundamental for making the choices required to reduce environmental impact. In this chapter we will explore different materials and treatments used for protective clothing.
What is PFAS?
PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) is a collective term for synthetic chemicals with strong fluorine–carbon bonds. Because of their structure, this type of bond is classified as the strongest chemical bond that exists, which means that it is not degradable by nature. Therefore, PFAS is also called the forever chemical. When these chemicals are released into nature and water, they remain in the cycle where they can have a disruptive effect when the levels become too high.
For protective clothing, it is common for PFAS to be used in impregnation/finishes because it has an excellent ability to repel water and oil-based chemicals. PFAS also provides good protection against high energy levels. To maintain the correct level of protection, garments with such impregnation must be regularly re-impregnated with a PFAS finish, otherwise the effect diminishes relatively quickly.
In order to greatly limit the use of PFAS within the EU, the Swedish Chemicals Agency, in collaboration with other authorities in Europe, has drawn up a new legislative proposal. The restriction is expected to enter into force in 2025 at the earliest, provided the proposal is adopted.
Treatment methods
A large part of the textile industry’s environmental impact occurs when dyeing fibres or fabrics. Traditional dyeing methods require a lot of water and large amounts of energy. In addition, chemicals that can be harmful to people and pollute the environment are used in the dyeing process (all chemicals used by Tranemo are approved in accordance with REACH). There is therefore great potential to reduce climate impact by developing new methods for dyeing fabrics.
Dope dye
Dope dye, which is also called solution dye, is a more sustainable method of dyeing textiles compared to conventional dyeing processes.
The difference is that traditional dyeing processes are based on a two-step process. In the first step, fibres are produced and in the second step the fibres or the fabric are dyed. Most commonly, the fabric is dyed.
Dope dye eliminates one step by adding colour pigments directly during the formation of the fibre structure. The result is that the use of water and energy is significantly reduced, which in turn lowers environmental impact.
The result is that the use of water and energy is significantly reduced, which lowers environmental impact.
How long does protective clothing last?
As much as 80% of the environmental impact from the textile industry occurs during production. The most environmentally friendly garment is therefore the one that is never produced.
The most environmentally friendly garment is the one that is never produced.
By law, protective clothing must be used to protect employees against any risks that exist in the workplace. To reduce environmental impact as much as possible, it is important that the garments are used and last a long time. If you double the time you use a garment before it is discarded, it will mean that the production of new garments is postponed and, in this way, the environmental impact is almost halved.
Unlike leisurewear, the use of protective clothing is maximal; most garments are used five days a week all year round. It is therefore extremely important that manufacturers of protective clothing develop and design garments so that the products last a long time and can withstand industrial laundering well. Examples of such measures include placing reinforcement materials on areas that are particularly exposed to wear and making it possible to repair damage without compromising the protection of the garment.
The main purpose of protective clothing is to protect the wearer from possible injury. The service life of garments varies greatly depending on the type of work performed in the protective clothing. Some have been used for over twenty years, but there are also examples of garments that have only lasted a few weeks. When the garment has been exposed to damage that may compromise its protection, it is important that the garment is not put back into use until the protection can once again be guaranteed.
Can protective clothing be recycled or reused?
Today, less than 1% of textile waste is recycled and the majority of discarded garments instead go to incineration. But this is about to change. According to the EU’s extended producer responsibility for textiles, textile waste must be collected separately by 1 January 2025 at the latest. The waste must then be prepared for material recycling or reuse. The law applies throughout the EU and each country must build its own collection system.
At present, clothing recycling is very inefficient. Most collected garments are converted into less valuable materials such as insulation, mattress filling or industrial cleaning cloths.
Recycled fibres
At Tranemo, we work with a strong focus on minimising production waste and reducing the use of new raw materials. Among other things, we cooperate with our producers by sending our production waste back to our weaver, who reuses the waste to produce new material for us.
Because recycled materials often become weaker than the original fibre, there is a limit to how much recycled material the garments can contain. To maintain the strength and durability of the fabric, the recycled fibres are placed on the back of the fabric, towards the laminate. Today we have fabrics that consist of up to 20% recycled material (Cantex 240IR Recycled). Thanks to this, we can increase the amount of recycled material in our collections without compromising on quality or protection. The highest priority for protective clothing, as mentioned earlier, is that it protects the wearer.
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