Hitches & Glitches (H&G), part of the Farnek Group in Dubai, UAE, has introduced a brand new, 100 per cent recycled uniform polo shirt for its employees.

Made purely from recycled plastic bottles (containing ‘rPET’ or ‘recycled PET’), Hitches & Glitches’ employees will start wearing the innovative new shirts from today – each one putting six old water bottles to good use.

PET is best known as the clear plastic used for water and soda bottle containers, and is 100 per cent recyclable.  The polo shirts will be manufactured by DGrade, which supplies the highest quality eco-friendly products that are made from recycled plastic bottles (rPET).

For Hitches & Glitches, plastic bottles that are collected from new recycling bins in the Al Quoz Head Office and employee accommodation blocks are turned into yarn, which is then used to manufacture each of the shirts.  According to DGrade, producing yarn from recycled plastic uses 50 per cent less energy compared to manufacturing virgin polyester yarn, and results in 55 per cent less carbon emissions.

Markus Oberlin, CEO of Farnek, said: “With sustainability at the core of our business strategy, we are proud to unveil the new 100 per cent rPET Hitches & Glitches employee polo shirt, which has taken our team a great deal of time and effort to conceptualise, design and produce. Working with DGrade has been pivotal in the implementation of this initiative, as we are aware that every bit of conservation is important.  By putting plastic waste generated by our own employees to good use, Hitches & Glitches is leading the way in sustainable clothing in the home and office maintenance industry.”

To date, Hitches & Glitches has diverted nearly 4,000 rPET bottles from the UAE’s landfills and turned them into its pioneering sustainable clothing range. It plans to roll out the uniforms across its whole business, including Farnek, helping to further reduce the amount of plastic diverted to landfill.

“Throughout this process, our aim was to ensure we were producing something that was both sustainable and functional.  The unique shirt is a performance fabric that whisks away moisture, ensuring our staff are kept cool and dry while attending to customers’ needs, and at the same time helps us to reach our sustainability goals,” added Oberlin.

The amount of plastic present within the UAE is increasing at an alarming rate, and takes thousands of years to decompose in a landfill.  DGrade’s research shows that the UAE has the fourth highest consumption rate of bottled water per person in the world, and that the country produces more than 2.75 billion rPET water bottles every year.  Currently, less than 6 per cent of plastic is recycled in the UAE, and 50 per cent of camel deaths in the country are attributed as a result of plastic ingestion.

Founder of DGrade, Kris Barber, said:“We’re thrilled to support Hitches & Glitches in working towards achieving its sustainability goals. By sourcing its uniform from DGrade, Hitches & Glitches is participating in a closed-loop supply chain; reusing used water bottles to produce uniforms that would otherwise be made using virgin polyester fabrics derived from oil. A closed-loop supply chain is pivotal in establishing a sustainable economy in the UAE and can only be achieved with the commitment from organisations like Hitches & Glitches.”  - TradeArabia News Service