What to do with old company clothing isn’t so complicated anymore, you simply give it a second life. Recycling is the magic word here. Efteling, the most famous amusement park in the Netherlands, chose this year to transform its old uniforms into a festive bunting line. A unique initiative that we haven’t seen before in the world of workwear.
Flags and Bags
For this project, the amusement park partnered with I-Did, a company specialized in recycling old textiles. And that was much needed, considering the park discards around 90 kilos of company clothing each week and has committed to producing zero residual waste by 2030.
The uniforms were first shredded down into fine fibers. These fibers were then turned into felt. From that felt, little flags were cut to create bunting. The colors white, blue, and orange match the colors of the original uniforms. To celebrate the park’s 73rd anniversary, all 3,000 employees received a bunting line.
It’s not the first time Efteling has turned its uniforms into felt. Back in 2018, the park found itself with a surplus of clothing after launching a new uniform collection. The leftover textiles were transformed into felt bags, which were sold in the park’s shops. The bags were hugely popular and sold out quickly. The same goes for the bunting. Some staff members offered their gift online, giving true Efteling fans a chance to score this limited-edition item.
Felt is Versatile
Transforming workwear into felt has become quite popular in the Netherlands. Over the past few years, I-Did has developed a range of products for companies looking to give their old uniforms a second life. For airline KLM, their signature bright blue suits were turned into (laptop) bags and pouches. The Dutch branch of department store IKEA even named their felt line IKEA Coworker, referencing the employees who wore the clothes before they were recycled. Among other things, they created a phone holder for wall sockets, which is available via the I-Did webshop.
On top of the wide variety of products that can be made from felt, it’s also a printable material. For example, there’s a white laptop organizer made from recycled nurses’ uniforms. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) had it printed with its black panda logo, and now sells it via the organization’s webshop. Recycled nurses’ uniforms have also been turned into keychains, specially made for the Dutch Medical Association (KNMG).
It’s not surprising that so many different products are made from felt. The material is soft, yet fairly strong, making it sturdy enough for a bag that carries weight and protective enough for a laptop. So if you’re thinking about creating something sustainable out of old uniforms, turning them into felt is definitely a great option.
