Towards Circular High Visibility Apparel Outcomes
An Innovation Project: Towards Circular Hi Vis Apparel
Assembled Threads received a Recycling Victoria Communities Fund grant from the Victorian Government through Sustainability Victoria for the Towards Circular High Visibility Apparel project to research the most appropriate and viable options to recycle high visibility (hi-vis) vests, a key component of workwear for construction and other industries.
From November 2021 to March 2022, AT produced and distributed 863 hi-vis vests using recycled polyester and established a take-back program for them in collaboration with 10 industry partners. We also partnered with Victoria University Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities to research the possibility of recycling the vests into concrete.
Further outcomes of the grant were:
- An Australian first! The Australian Fashion Council confirmed that the Towards Circular High Visibility Apparel project producing hi-vis vests made from recycled textiles was a first in Australia.
- A Sustainability Victoria Grant awarded to Victoria University for further research and development. The preliminary testing of feasibility of the recycled material into concrete was positive and lead to conducting trial experiments of concrete specimens with Assembled Threads providing textiles, Textile Recycling Australia shredding the textiles and Laing O’Rourke providing sites for testing.
- An industry win! Assembled Threads were confirmed as the national supplier of hi-vis vests to industry partner, Icon Construction, with the partnership recognised by the 2023 Social Traders Trailblazer Award!
