Chesterfield school's trust uniform helps save over one million plastic bottles from landfill

The uniform at Outwood Grange Academies Trust’s 24 secondary schools in the North of England, including Outwood Academy Newbold and Outwood Academy Hasland Hall, consists of blazers and trousers that are manufactured by Trutex using fabric made from recycled drinks bottles.

The data is taken from sales on the Trutex Direct website for each academy and also each academy's Direct to School account.

Katy Bradford, Chief Operating Officer, said: “This is an incredible achievement and one we are very proud to have accomplished. We are passionate about the issue of sustainability and we work hard across the Outwood Family to spread awareness of it.

“We are delighted that our relationship with Trutex continues to help us promote sustainability and managing to save over one million plastic bottles from ending up in landfill having managed to save over 600,000 previous academic year is something we take great pride in.”

Each Trutex blazer saves around 36 plastic bottles from landfill while a pair of boys trousers saves 19.

To make a yarn suitable for use in Trutex blazers and boy’s trousers, the plastic bottles are put together in a bale which is then broken down into flake which then goes through a de-polymerisation and re-polymerisation process to make recycled chips which are melted and extruded to make yarn.

These are melted and extruded to make yarn which is woven into fabric used to make uniform.

Matthew Easter, CEO at Trutex, said: “We are proud to supply Outwood Grange Academies and were delighted to reach the significant milestone of saving over one million plastic bottles from landfill.

"Our own commitment in sustainability is aligned with the Trust having had carbon neutral status since 2012 and also launching our own uniform recycling project. We look forward to saving even more bottles next year and help provide parents with a Pre-loved uniform option.”

The milestone news comes months after Outwood and Trutex launched a recycling campaign that saw a recycle bin housed at each of the Outwood academies, over 35 in total, that enabled students and their families to donate items of school uniform that they no longer wear or need.

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