A new partnership with a leading textile waste recycling company is giving Mechanix Wear’s old gloves a new purpose.
Since its foundation over 30 years ago, Mechanix Wear has manufactured its gloves to protect the hands of heavy industry workers while withstanding tough environmental conditions.
But like any piece of personal protective equipment (PPE), when the gloves reach the end of their lifespan, they are replaced and the old material is discarded.
However, the correct disposal of such material isn’t always a clear process, meaning millions of tonnes of textiles end up in landfill each year, with PPE from all industries acting as a major contributor.
To help prevent its old gloves from ending up in landfill, Mechanix Wear has partnered with Melbourne-based garment recycling facility UPPAREL to create RevUp, a recycling program that extends the lifecycle of the gloves.
Image: Mechanix Wear
The initiative is especially appealing to Mechanix Wear commercial account manager – western region Ashley Rozze, who has a background working in the waste industry.
“We have partnerships within the retail sector where our gloves have been a part of UPPAREL’s recycling process for over 12 months,” Rozze told Australian Mining.
“RevUp is our exciting new initiative. Here, we’ve looked at consumption rates of our gloves to understand the impact we have on landfill.
“We anticipate for just one of our end users, in just one style of glove, we will save over four tonnes of waste from landfill based on their current consumption.”
Mechanix Wear conducted extensive research into various Australian recycling programs to find its perfect match.
“Mechanix was adamant it needed a program that was transparent and easy to implement,” Rozze said. “This led us to UPPAREL, which has shown creativity and innovation in how it uses the waste.”
When Mechanix Wear gloves arrive at UPPAREL’s facility, they are sorted into two groups: gloves that can be reused and gloves that can be recycled.
The gloves that can be reused are circulated through UPPAREL’s 450 charity partners to find a new home, and the recyclable gloves are converted into various types of products.
“The gloves might be shredded to make FluffUP, which is used to fill things like soft toys, beds or cushions,” UPPAREL partnerships manager Riley Aickin told Australian Mining. “They could also be used to make UPtex, a material from UPPAREL that is made entirely from recycled textiles. UPtex can be used to make slippers, desk mats, furniture – the possibilities are endless.”
UPPAREL also recycles material to create FillUP, a material that can be utilised to replace polyurethane foam commonly found in couch cushions and plush toys.
“Polyurethane foam can sometimes be recycled, but is quite difficult to recycle,” Aickin said. “FillUP is an easily recyclable replacement for that.”
The RevUp program follows a four-step, closed loop process. This begins with the user wearing Mechanix Wear gloves.
Prioritising durability and efficiency, Mechanix Wear gloves have been created to withstand the tough conditions of the mining industry, allowing the user to get the most out of every pair.
Once the gloves have reached the end of their life, Mechanix Wear utilises an easy and accessible reverse logistics process to collect the used gloves so they can be recycled.
The gloves are then sorted and processed through UPPAREL’s advanced recycling and upcycling techniques.
The facility’s revitalisation process turns the waste material from the gloves into valuable new resources, giving the material a second life.
The revitalised materials are then turned into new products or raw materials for future use, reducing the need to create new resources, thus reducing environmental impact.
“RevUp stands out in the Australian mining sector by offering an innovative approach to PPE waste management alongside its trusted functional protection from Mechanix Wear gloves,” Rozze said.
Image: Mechanix Wear
“We have simplified the collection process, making it easy for mining operations to participate. Each site will have different challenges, which is why this program can be tailored to suit what the end user needs.
“The program acts as a single collection point for all Mechanix Wear gloves – even when covered in grime or oil.”
Since launching at the Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference in August, RevUp has set the mining industry abuzz.
“When we talk about the RevUp initiative, people genuinely seem really excited about it, indicating the need on site for an easy and sustainable recycling solution,” Rozze said.
Currently, RevUp upcycles all Mechanix Wear gloves, with the exception of disposables due to their thin nature. Excitingly, Mechanix Wear is actively exploring innovative solutions to make it possible for every glove, including disposables, to undergo the RevUp process.
RevUp is just one example of Mechanix Wear’s ongoing commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.
“We are always looking for ways to increase recycled elements within our manufacturing process and ways to consider our impact on the world,” Rozze said.
“What has become evident is there will be times where the materials within our gloves cannot be altered with current technologies, and hence it’s important to ensure the end of life of our gloves is considered, regardless of the material used.
“Without compromising on glove quality, RevUp prevents our gloves from ending up in landfill, enabling us to genuinely work towards minimising the impact of waste within Australia.”
This feature appeared in the November 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
