Transdev Australia is going fashion forward to repurpose old uniforms, potentially turning them back into clothing, sunglasses or playgrounds.
Transdev, which provides uniforms to several thousand of its people across Australia, has started a trial at its Sydney Light Rail and Sydney and Queensland bus operations with clean technology company BlockTexx.
BlockTexx operates Australia’s only commercial-scale textile recovery facility, which uses a patent pending chemical process to break down polyester-cotton blended fabrics.
The recovered cellulose can then be used to make textiles, paints, hydromulch, concrete and more. The recovered polyester is used to make textiles and in injection moulding for playground equipment and even coat hangers.
Transdev Australia CEO Brian Brennan said the new partnership was another practical way Transdev was acting on sustainability, innovation and social enterprise.
This week is a time to learn more about First Nations cultures and appreciate and celebrate local Indigenous knowledge and histories
We’ve already recycled 400kg from our Sydney tram team and hope to get even more from our Sydney and Brisbane bus teams.
Transdev is always looking for smarter ways to be more sustainable, whether it’s decarbonising our transport fleets, working with compliant and ethical suppliers or recycling our uniforms.
Brian Brennan, CEO of Transdev Australia
While the initial partnership is focused on three Transdev sites, Transdev also operates Sydney Harbour ferries, buses in Perth, trains and buses in Wellington, and buses in Auckland. The intention is to grow the partnership.
Transdev Australia is seeking to green its transport fleet across Australia and New Zealand in partnership with its government clients, using innovative technology to guide that growth.
It’s the pursuit of technology-driven ideals that sits well with Adrian Jones, co-founder of BlockTexx.
Our world-first technology not only provides a sustainable alternative to sending unwanted uniforms to landfill, it also remanufactures them into valuable raw materials for onshore and offshore product manufacture.
BlockTexx closes the loop of unwanted clothing and textiles by diverting these materials from landfill. Through our advanced remanufacturing processes textiles are given a second life.
We’ve also partnered with social impact organisation HELP Enterprises. Their skilled workforce completed the pre-processing by removing labels, buttons and zippers from the uniforms.
Adrian Jones, co-founder of BlockTexx
This uniform trial uses BlockTexx’s S.O.F.T. (separation of fibre technology) patent pending process in operation at BlockTexx’s commercial-scale textile-recovery facility, built at Loganholme in Queensland in late 2022.
