How Renting Uniforms Contributes to Sustainability

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 12, 2025 / Renting uniforms provides numerous financial and operational benefits to companies, including predictable costs, a consistent appearance, and reduced employee time spent managing their work clothing. However, working with a uniform supplier can also support sustainability efforts. From reducing waste and decreasing emissions to conserving energy, transitioning to rental uniform services can help companies minimize their environmental footprint and promote eco-friendly practices. Here are five ways renting uniforms helps sustainability efforts.

1. Reduces textile waste through circular economy practices

Traditional ownership may result in disposal after limited use of the uniform. This can generate more textile waste while the uniform is still usable. On the other hand, renting uniforms promotes a circular economy model, allowing for repeated cycles of wear beyond a single owner. Once the renter no longer needs the uniform, the uniform supplier can rent it to another individual or company. Regular laundering, maintenance, and care extend the lifespans of workwear, allowing them to remain in use even longer before disposal.

2. Minimizes additional employee purchases

Buying uniforms shifts cleaning and maintenance responsibilities to employees. They might purchase extra uniforms, cleaning supplies, or other items to maintain a professional appearance. This can increase waste and consumption.

Renting uniforms removes this burden from employees, ensuring they always have clean, intact uniforms while minimizing additional purchases through standardized repairs, laundering, and replacement when needed. As a result, renting can reduce consumption while maintaining a standardized appearance across the workforce. Plus, employees save money and have fewer responsibilities regarding uniform upkeep.

3. Saves water and electricity

Uniform rental programs wash and dry the uniforms at commercial laundering facilities in a more standardized and efficient manner, reducing electricity and water consumption. This means employees don't have to wash their uniforms individually, offering further savings. Additionally, centralized laundering prevents employees from washing at home more than necessary to reduce electricity and water use. Overall, uniform rentals can dramatically decrease the use of these resources while saving employees money on utilities at home.

4. Reduces transportation and packaging waste

Under traditional uniform ownership, employees must drive to and from stores to purchase individually packaged uniforms. The stores must also constantly receive new shipments of uniforms. Both sides contribute to more vehicle emissions and packaging waste. Rental uniforms reduce emissions and other vehicle-related pollution on the consumer and producer sides by reducing customer trips to the store and shipments of apparel to the stores. Additionally, renting reduces the need for new uniform packaging, which minimizes packaging waste and creates a more environmentally friendly solution.

5. Encourages responsible disposal

Employees may dispose of uniforms in various ways, including throwing them in the garbage. When renting uniforms, on the other hand, the uniform supplier can responsibly retire uniforms when they are no longer fit for use. They can recycle uniforms to be remade into new ones or downcycle them to industrial materials. If the uniforms are in good enough condition, they can donate them and help others in the process. Regardless, uniform suppliers can reduce the number of uniforms that reach landfills and decrease the need to make new ones.

The bottom line

Uniform rentals don't just offer consistency and simplicity. They also help companies adopt a more sustainable business model. Renting uniforms decreases textile and packaging waste, reduces emissions, and minimizes additional employee purchases while conserving energy and water resources. Shifting toward uniform rentals can ultimately help you reduce costs, streamline and standardize aspects of your business, and support sustainability in the process.

CONTACT:

Sonakshi Murze

Manager

sonakshi.murze@iquanti.com

SOURCE: UniFirst

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