Girlguiding uniform redesigned with circularity in mind
Girlguiding, the UK's largest youth organisation dedicated to girls, has achieved certification from the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF) for over half of its new uniform collection, following a four-year national project to redesign the range.
Co-created with nearly 55,000 of its members, sustainability was highlighted as a key consideration by girls from the beginning with lots of their uniform designs including requests to protect the planet by using recyclable and eco-friendly materials.
The certified collection spans 15 styles worn across all four Girlguiding sections for girls aged 4-18 — Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers — as well as by young leaders and adult unit leaders, with 280,000 garments produced for the collection's launch over the summer. Each style has been assessed against CTF's Design for Recyclability criteria, confirming that the garments can be processed through fibre-to-fibre recycling at end of life.
Every certified garment will carry the ‘Infinitee’ mark, CTF's certification confirming it has been assessed as compatible with existing fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies.
A key change is the move from polyurethane (PU) based prints to water-based prints across the collection. PU prints act as a contaminant in fibre-to-fibre recycling, meaning printed garments would previously have been rejected by recyclers or downgraded.
Felicity Oswald, Girlguiding CEO, said: “Engaging 55,000 girls is an enormous collaborative effort, but throughout the process girls have repeatedly told us how much they care about the environment and the importance of sustainability.
“We’re really proud to have created a uniform range that will carry the ‘Infinitee’ certification mark, all while looking great and being comfortable and practical enough to wear for every guiding adventure. By designing the uniform to last, and be passed on for continued use, we’ll also be helping to ensure participation in guiding is kept affordable and sustainable for future generations to come.”
Tim Cross, CEO of the CFT, said: "With 280,000 garments at launch, this is circular design at genuinely national scale. Every garment carrying the 'Infinitee' mark has been independently assessed against our Design for Recyclability criteria, so parents and volunteers know it can be recycled into new fibre at end of life, not sent to landfill or incineration.”
