David Luke’s new ‘circular’ school blazer will be recycled through Project Re:claim, the world’s first commercial-scale polyester recycling plant, which opened in the UK in January 2024. Project Re:claim is a joint venture between the UK’s largest charity textile collector, The Salvation Army, and leading circularity specialists Project Plan B.
The circular blazer has been introduced to David Luke’s Eco-uniform range, which has sold over 1.7 million Eco-blazers in the last decade. Up until 2023, the Eco-blazer, like many recycled garments, was made from recycled plastic bottles. Following work with Tim Cross, CEO of Project Plan B and the Circular Textiles Foundation, David Luke is bringing the 100% recyclable blazer to market.
“David Luke has grasped the opportunity to embed 100% recyclable and 100% recycled garments into their range, starting with the school blazer,” says Tim Cross. “We now have the technology to enable their blazers to be recycled without any separation of the garment, making it an efficient recycling process. The team at David Luke has worked tirelessly with their manufacturers to create a blazer that does not compromise on design or quality, and yet is much kinder to the environment.”
Circular design
Every detail of the circular blazer, from the lining, buttons and zips to the inter-linings and adhesives, has been rethought and redesigned to meet the demands of an everyday school blazer and to recycle the garment once it reaches its end-of-life.
Up until now, when the blazers have eventually been handed down to siblings, or given to the local charity shop, there had been no end-of-life solution for polyester garments apart from incineration. Now, Project Re:claim can recycle the blazer to produce polyester pellets, which are then spun into yarn to be used for future David Luke circular blazers.
Cross continues: “David Luke has the vision to create a fully circular range, and we have the potential to supply recycled content. The possibilities are infinite in terms of the future of garment design and manufacturing.”
Kathryn Shuttleworth, chief executive of David Luke, says: “It is a natural next step for us to transition to a textile-to-textile model. We have been producing garments using recycled plastic bottles for 15 years, but we have always had an eye on developments in textile recycling and solutions for end-of-life garments.
“Our focus will always be on those essential ingredients for parents and children – style, durability and affordability. But we have a responsibility to change our business model to better protect children’s futures and the environment. It has become our obsession to make uniforms that meet our customers’ demands. We are really excited about the future as we continue to develop our range.”
In 2020, David Luke was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development and in January 2023 the David Luke circular blazer achieved Circular Foundation Textile certification. For further information on David Luke, please click here.
