Old Nothern Rail uniforms to be recycled into insulation as part of train operator’s environmental mission

End of life uniform will be collected from depots and train crew centres on a regular basis before being shredded and used in one of three ways by their recycling partner, Avena.

Some of the material, if of a pure fibre structure, will be used to create new items of clothing; some will be used to make new products including insulation, sound boards and partition walls; and those not suitable for either will be incinerated to create energy as an alternative to landfill.

Northern has tens of thousands of pieces of uniform and workwear in use by colleagues across the business at any one time.

Mike Roe, safety and environment director at Northern, said: “We already recycle 70 per cent of our waste, but we’re on a mission to get that to 74 per cent by 2026.

“Uniforms are something we have in abundance and through natural wear and tear and turnover of staff we regularly have to order-in fresh supplies.

“By ensuring old items are being recycled rather than ending up in general waste we can reduce our environmental impact and support other businesses that are looking to source greener components for their products.”

Elliott Day, senior executive at Avena, said: “As a business we’re delighted to start working with Northern to help them achieve a complete secure solution for end-of-life uniform & workwear.”