Arco the UK’s leading safety company has begun using environmentally conscious recycled threads at its clothing centre in Preston.

Following a successful pilot with supplier, Madeira, Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, has introduced recycled threads from Madeira’s Polyneon Green range into its personalised workplace clothing embroidery and decoration service. Polyneon Green threads are made from 100% recycled PET bottles, reducing carbon emissions associated with virgin thread production and reducing the amount of plastic in the environment.

Over the course of 2022, when the trial began, 62% of the cones supplied from Madeira were Polyneon Green. So far in 2023, 67% of the total cones supplied to Arco have been with thread made from the alternative.

In addition to the thread being made from recycled materials, the boxes that the cones are packaged in are made of 66% recycled cardboard and they themselves are fully recyclable, the protective wrapper used for each cone is also 100% recyclable. In total, 1.148 tonnes of recycled threads have been used in the clothing centre since the trial began.

According to a recent study by the European Environment Agency, EU consumers discard 5.8 million tonnes of textiles annually, two thirds of which from synthetic fibres. This accounts for around 13% of all plastic waste globally.

Jim Harbidge, Head of Sustainability at Arco, said:

“At Arco, we work in partnership with our suppliers, customers and relevant bodies to develop and provide responsible solutions for safer businesses."

“Switching to recycled threads is an example of how Arco is taking action for a safer tomorrow and making it easier for our customers to meet their sustainability and circularity goals and to be confident in making more responsible purchase decisions.”

Stephen Crossley, General Manager of Arco’s Clothing Centre, said:

“Working closely with our supplier, Madeira, we have successfully implemented important changes to the thread we use for our embroidery and decoration services."

“Our job is never completed when it comes to sustainability, so, as the Polyneon Green range continues to develop, in terms of colours and finishes, we will seek to source even more of the threads we use from this range.”

Andrew Maylor, Managing Director of Madeira, said: “As a long-term supplier of embroidery threads to Arco, we are proud to be working in partnership with them to help take action for a safer tomorrow."

“Our Polyneon Green range was created in response to the global demand to reduce plastic bottles. With Polyneon Green, we are reducing the amount of plastic in the environment and making the textile industry more sustainable. Our aim is to continue to develop the range further so that our customers can source all of their threads from Polyneon Green.”