In a rapidly transforming world, sustainability must be more than reactive. It must be intentional.
At SKYPRO, we don’t wait for garments to reach the end of their life to start thinking about sustainability. We engineer sustainability into their beginning, through a discipline called Eco-Design.
Our NextGen Sustainable Collection was created to address the core environmental challenges in corporate uniforms, from textile waste and overproduction, to recyclability and carbon impact. This article explores the science, strategy, and innovation behind how SKYPRO is turning design into action.
1. What is Eco-Design?
Eco-Design is a holistic approach to product creation. It ensures that every decision, from fiber to finish, considers environmental consequences across the entire lifecycle of a garment.
More than a design style, Eco-Design is a methodology grounded in circular economy principles, aiming to reduce waste, improve longevity, and enhance recyclability.
At SKYPRO, Eco-Design means designing:
- For durability, not disposability.
- For disassembly, not destruction.
- For reuse and repair, not replacement.
2. The Problems We’re Solving
The European textile industry generates over 12.6 million tonnes of waste annually, and corporate uniforms are part of that crisis. Uniforms often end up incinerated or in landfills due to:
- Mixed-material construction
- Lack of reverse logistics
- Low awareness of circular solutions
- Poor-quality production not built to last
Even when brands embrace sustainable fabrics, most uniforms still follow a linear model, make, use, discard.
SKYPRO’s Eco-Design reverses that logic. We design from the end, working backwards to ensure garments can be reintegrated into the value chain.
3. The SKYPRO Approach: Designing Differently
Materials First – We began by testing over 100 eco-textile options, narrowing them down based on:
- Dimensional stability
- Color fastness
- Mechanical strength
- Washing resistance
- Comfort and breathability
- Touch and transparency thresholds
Our final materials include a balanced selection of recycled polyesters, regenerated cellulosic fibers, and upcycled fabrics, all vetted by third-party labs.
Built for Disassembly & Reuse – SKYPRO uniforms are constructed with fewer mixed materials and simpler seams, making:
- Repair faster and more cost-effective
- Sorting by fiber type easier at recycling facilities
- Recycling viable without complex processing
Digital Eco-Patterning – Using 3D nesting and digital patternmaking, we reduce fabric waste by up to 20% at the cutting stage, before garments are even sewn.
Zero Waste Alignment: The garments are aligned with our Zero Waste Pyramid, which prioritizes:
- Reduction
- Reuse
- Repair
- Upcycling
- Recycling
- Energy recovery
- Safe disposal
Eco-Design is the starting point that enables every one of these steps.
4. The Impact of Smart Design
When Eco-Design is applied at scale, the results are measurable:
- Up to 90% lower carbon emissions when garments are reused rather than replaced
- Higher recycling yield due to mono-material construction
- 60% cost savings for companies using SKYPRO’s Reuse Program
- Drastic reduction in landfill volumes and incineration
And let’s not forget the employee experience, uniforms that are lighter, more breathable, easier to wear and care for, and more aligned with the values of today’s workforce.
5. Eco-Design: Why It Matters Now
New EU legislation is setting the stage for mandatory circularity, with product passports, extended producer responsibility, and strict recycling targets on the horizon. Companies still operating with outdated design and disposal models are exposing themselves to:
- Regulatory risk;
- Higher compliance costs;
- Reputational damage.
Eco-Design is not only the ethical path, it’s the strategic one. Design is not decoration. It’s a decision-making process with real environmental consequences.
With the SKYPRO NextGen Collection, Eco-Design becomes your organization’s gateway to measurable sustainability, not only reducing impact, but rethinking the value of every thread.
Let your uniforms speak clearly: We were made with purpose.
Do you have a Uniform Management project or want to know more about our Uniform Sustainable Services and NextGen Collection? Contact us for free and take your Uniform Strategy to the next level.
