Why Would Your Business Need A Uniform Destruction Service? 

You’d never leave confidential documents or sensitive files in a place where they can get into the wrong hands. Doing so would create an obvious and immediate security breach and risk causing harm and damaging your business's reputation. However, have you considered the risk posed by not securely disposing of your uniform or branded clothing?  

Imagine a former employee wearing their old uniform and getting into trouble or a competitor getting their hands on branded apparel and deliberately seeking to misrepresent you. Or picture the harm which could be caused if a fraudster dressed in your company attire whether it’s defrauding potential customers or accessing secure premises and information? 

At best, each scenario risks painting your organisation in a bad light and potentially damaging its reputation. At worst, your organisation could be the victim of serious fraud by granting access to unauthorised individuals for criminal purposes. What’s more, if you’re in an industry where workers are exposed to hazardous conditions or chemicals, any old or damaged uniform which is disposed of could be contaminated. Not disposed of responsibly, these items risk spreading contamination to other places where it could cause harm to people and the environment.  

With this in mind, suddenly you can start to build up an idea of the damage that can be caused by simply not managing the disposal of uniforms and workwear. Company uniform and branded clothing are their own separate waste stream and should be treated as such with a dedicated waste management action plan.  



Uniform destruction is seen as a prerequisite for a range of sectors, some of the most obvious being the police, ambulance service and nursing. However, it’s also essential for many other industries from airlines and security firms to healthcare and retail. Nobody wants their organisation being misrepresented or open to fraud, identity theft or unauthorised access. A uniform return and destroy policy will help to preserve your brand integrity and give you peace of mind that you are reducing the risk of harm and security fraud.  



To take action, your first port of call is to identify points within your organisation where uniform and branded clothing become redundant or ready to be disposed of. This includes items belonging to staff when they leave your organisation but also old uniform no longer worn by current staff whether because it no longer fits, it’s become old and worn or because you’ve rebranded or upgraded your uniform. In addition, ‘waste uniform’ is also produced when items become non-compliant, damaged or are no longer fit for purpose. A prime example of this is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as high-visibility or flame-retardant workwear which has a limited lifespan. For instance, as soon as hi-vis gear is no longer highly visible or has been washed around 25 times (or up to 50 times for phs Besafe’s Bright Gear range), it can no longer be used and must be disposed of. As well as a security risk, failing to dispose of PPE responsibly also means there is a chance it is used inadvertently when it is no longer effective, creating an additional health and safety issue. 



The next step is to collate any old or surplus uniform and branded items ready for disposal as well as creating a disposal strategy to put into place for the future. If you’re wondering what the best way is to dispose of uniforms, branded clothing and PPE safely and responsibly, allow us to introduce you to phs Besafe’s uniform destruction service.  



phs Besafe disposes of a range of clothing from uniforms to specialist workwear including hi-vis, flame-retardant gear, arc-flash protection and industrial PPE.  



As part of our comprehensive, secure and controlled disposal process, we collect items directly from the door of your premises every item is shredded into tiny pieces so it is not decipherable or reusable and has effectively been destroyed. Plus, if required, clothing is laundered and decontaminated ahead of it being shredded to make sure it is safe for disposal. Once shredded, old workwear is then recycled as part of phs’ drive to divert waste from landfill. This means that by using our service, you’re not only disposing of old workwear safely and securely but you’re doing so in an environmentally-friendly way too.  



The uniform destruction process is part of phs Besafe’s full-service offering and can be conveniently and seamlessly added to any other provision. Our offering includes providing workwear (either rented or for outright purchase), laundering, repairs and alterations, a managed locker service as well as destroying gear at the end of its life. By using one provider for all your workwear needs, you are maximising efficiencies which will reduce costs, time and even cut carbon.  



If you utilise our laundering service, you simply need to add a red tag to any items required to be disposed of. Our team will collect your workwear for laundering and disposal at the same time, eliminating the need for separate collections and deliveries which reduces vehicle movements and therefore decreases road miles. 



No matter what industry you’re in or where you are in the country, you can rely on phs Besafe for all your workwear needs. But don’t forget to act now to make sure you’re protecting your brand’s security by securely disposing of your uniform and branded workwear. Whether you’re looking to implement a uniform destruction policy for the first time or are looking for a new trusted, quality supplier, get in touch with us today to find out more.