Over the years, technological advancements have led to the creation of many new and innovative synthetic materials.
And while synthetic fabrics in early years generated greater usability with low cost and maintenance, it wasn’t until recently that their environmental impact has been strongly considered – and resolved.
In the 1960s and 1970s, polyester was growing more and more popular by clothing designers and manufacturers. This new, man-made material quickly became a go-to fabric in an economical era focused on speed, minimal cost, convenience, and efficiency.
Yet in recent years as our environmental literacy has grown, our values have shifted to prioritising fibres that are not only good for people but our planet as well. In the context of uniform production, this means adopting synthetic fibre practices that are sufficiently sustainable.
It’s now not a question of polyester or cotton, but rather what technologies can produce the most sustainable fibres. And there really are some game-changing solutions emerging in this space.
Read on to learn about the construction and benefits behind some of our favourite new, innovative fabric technologies that are incorporated in our range of scrubs, healthcare and aged care uniforms.
CiCLO® technology
Synthetic textiles, including polyester and nylon, shed hundreds of thousands of microplastics during manufacturing, use and customary care. And like most plastics, these pollutants persist in nature as they do not naturally biodegrade – that is unless they contain CiCLO® technology.
CiCLO® technology is an innovative, sustainable solution that accelerates nature’s bioremediation process for synthetic textiles. The solution involves embedding countless biodegradable spots throughout synthetic textiles so that they can behave like natural fibres when disposed of in the environment. CiCLO®-enhanced fibres have proven to mineralise at rates comparable to natural fibres such as wool.
Purchasing uniforms made with CiCLO® technology, such as the Grey’s Anatomy Evolve range by Barco (coming to Uniformity in June), is a simple way your healthcare organisation can proactively address and help mitigate the plastic microfibre pollution problem.
Recycled technology
Using recycled materials is another fantastic way to ethically produce more sustainable and eco-friendly uniforms. It gives a second life to non-biodegradable materials that would have otherwise ended up in landfill or the ocean, post-consumer or industrial use.
With WRAP and Sedex certification, most of our brand partners utilise high performance recycled materials in their fabrics. One of the most common recycled materials is recycled polyester, also known as rPet. rPet is made from plastic bottles and offers incredible utility as it takes only five plastic drink bottles to yield enough fibre for one large t-shirt1. Barco, Biz Collection and City Collection are some of our partner brands who offer premium scrubs and healthcare uniforms made with rPet.
Recycled technology promises high quality garments that meet the demands and strenuous workload of aged care and healthcare professionals while also positively impacting our environment.
Antimicrobial technology
Unfortunately, healthcare and aged care professionals are exposed to bacteria on the daily – that’s why antimicrobial technology is an effective solution to disrupt and minimise the growth of bacteria on uniforms.
As a protective finish that is added to the fabric of products, this technology leverages the unique antimicrobial properties of zinc to interrupt the bacterial food chain and inhibit the cell division of microorganisms.
Did you know?
Zinc is a bio-safe mineral that is non-toxic to humans yet toxic to bacteria.
Our partner brand, Barco incorporates antimicrobial technology known as Pro-Tek finish to selected products within their Grey’s Anatomy™ Stretch range. One of our favourite antimicrobial uniforms from this range is the Serena Top by Grey’s Anatomy™ Stretch. Any uniforms utilising antimicrobial technology will always indicate with a symbol.
Get in touch with our expert team today to discuss uniform solutions for your healthcare or aged care professional team.
References
Find out how allocating uniforms saves businesses up to 30% compared to offering a uniform allowance.
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