Sioen

As part of Circle-A, Sioen is working on circular, safe workwear for energy company Alliander.

Since 1 March 2019, Alliander and consortium Circle-A have been working together on a new project to produce safe and comfortable, yet circular workwear. Sioen is also part of this project and is responsible for the production.

The circular properties of the clothing already start with its long lifespan. This is guaranteed by high quality, comfort and safety. Wearers deliver their dirty clothing to industrial textile and facility services provider Elis, where it is washed and returned in the correct condition. Elis carries out the necessary repairs and inspections, so that the clothing always meets the correct standards.

Thanks to RFID chips, the clothing is traceable and can be collected at the end of its life and transported to Frankenhuis. That textile recycler refines the clothing and processes it into a high-quality product such as (fire-retardant) car upholstery, insulation material or another product in the geotextile market.

The goal: within 10 years, to offer a fully circular clothing package and have clothing recycled into products of the same level.

To make sure the clothing is comfortable, Alliander conducted a wearer trial among 50 employees from various job groups. After wearing the clothing for three months, the results were positive. The look, fit, functionality and wide range of choices in the package that allows them to work as safely as possible under all (weather) conditions were decisive.

The Circle-A consortium consists of safety clothing manufacturer Sioen, wholesaler Lasaulec, Elis and Frankenhuis. They are working together on the mobile platform that allows the user to arrange everything himself in a personal environment. In the app, he can order clothing and PPE or offer them for washing at a location of his choice, report repairs and keep track of everything with the track and trace function.