AILEEN’S UNIFORM ATLAS
The Pulse is pleased to present Aileen’s Uniform Atlas, a recurring feature written by Aileen Out.
Out is the owner of Prettybusiness, a news blog in the Netherlands that focuses exclusively on work clothing.

In 2024, more and more companies are looking for effective ways to recycle their workwear. In many cases, it is shredded and used for insulation material or converted into felt. However, there are many more ways to give old work clothing a new life. For example, the Dutch store Zeeman uses its old company clothing and deposit bags for a new collection of festival clothing. And they do it in their own unique way.

The logo Is everywhere

For this collection, the textile supermarket collaborated with Oxious Talent Factory. This social workshop employs people with a distance from the labor market, giving them the opportunity to reduce the pile of textile waste through various projects.

Usually, in such projects, the company logo is immediately removed from the clothing. After all, you don’t want it to look like the wearer is an employee of the company. Zeeman does the opposite. In the new collection, the company name is prominently displayed on the back of a jacket (see picture). The company name can also be found, at least partially, on the fanny packs.

This could cause confusion if Zeeman were not known for this approach. In previous collections, where suits were made from deposit bags and banners, the fabric consisted of nothing but the logo and the company name.  When the company released two pairs of sneakers in 2019, both were also emblazoned with a large company logo.

The company is part of Dutch culture

Zeeman has been incorporating their logo prominently in consumer clothing and shoes for years. It is not uncommon for such collections to sell out quickly. Sometimes, they are even offered online for high prices after being sold out.

The reason this is so successful is partly due to Dutch culture. Zeeman has been around since 1980 and, with its low prices, is a store beloved by the general public. For the younger generation, who love to stand out, wearing prominent company logos has become a fashion statement.

A few years ago, Dutch youths regularly wore work clothing from supermarkets and food delivery services. The clothing was traded online, and some made it a hobby to collect as much company clothing as possible. Most companies were not happy with this, and since then, the rules for returning work clothing have been tightened.

Zeeman cleverly taps into the needs of young people, who are also increasingly concerned with sustainability. And that is not just a commercial success but also very smart. After all, it is these young people who must continue the sustainable strategy.

Want to read more about interesting recycling programs? Read these articles:

How We Recycled Old Uniforms Into New Caps In Thailand

Upcycling Textiles & Clothing Into New Items: A Case Study

From Shirts to Insulators: Recycled Honda Uniforms Find New Utility in Vehicles