Subway is launching a new sustainable uniform for its in-store staff, made from recycled plastic bottles.
The redesign, set to be rolled out across more than 2,300 restaurants in the UK and Ireland from May 2024, features a t-shirt, polo shirt, half and full apron, cap and bandana.
The fabric, which is made from plastic bottles chopped into flakes, has been woven into a polyester blend, while the t-shirt and polo shirt also use BCI cotton.
The brand will work with textile recycling experts Avena to collect and process old uniforms and reprocess them into materials that can be used in industries such as automotive and construction.
In addition to this, the sandwich brand will be donating any old stock items to charities to be used for food and nutrition initiatives.
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“As we continue this journey towards building a better Subway, it’s incredibly important that we look at all areas of our business where we can make a positive impact,” said Subway EMEA vice president of marketing Louis Wardle.
“The new uniforms, made from recycled plastic bottles, is what we believe a first for a high street restaurant brand and reflects our ongoing commitment to improving our business.”
“This is still only the beginning, and we hope to make further progress in the year ahead – stay tuned.”
The move builds on Subway’s removal of over 1.2 million kg of single-use plastic from its supply chain, and follows reusable packaging pilot programmes in France and Germany
