Leading the way to circularity in Packaging PPE
Mathias & Sons is a family-owned business with over 65 years of experience providing personalised workwear and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to industry. With sustainability leading the way for growth, it has adopted a transformed approach to meet the demand for workwear that is sustainable throughout the entire supply chain.
The Challenge
Plastic packaging contributes to the generation of waste materials that have drastic environmental consequences. As a decay resistant substance, it survives in the ecosystem poisoning wildlife and marine environment.
The British Plastics Federation estimate that out of the 5 million tonnes of plastics used in the UK, the packaging industry is responsible for nearly half of it. They are largely mismanaged and end up in landfill or incineration rather than being looped back into the value chain.
The Innovation
In 2018, Mathias & Sons faced a significant challenge posed by Sky, a major client, to eliminate all single-use plastics (SUP) from their PPE and workwear supply chain by the end of the year. They achieved this goal by October 2018, successfully reducing 670 kg of SUP annually for Sky.
To reach this milestone, Mathias & Sons worked across their suppliers and product ranges to develop a zero-plastic packaging solution. They took decisive action by eliminating plastic packaging in their own factory within the UK and transitioning to paper-based tape for packaging boxes.
Although some of their other suppliers were initially reluctant to remove plastic packaging, Mathias & Sons carried the risk and worked collaboratively to transform established business practices. For instance, to overcome a gloves supplier’s reluctance to change their assembly and packaging processes for eliminating plastic packaging, Mathias negotiated a minimum quantity per order to encourage the transition.
A significant challenge was eliminating SUPs from overseas orders, as there were concerns about transit damage without protective packaging. Mathias took the initiative to trial various transport methods, including air and sea, and discovered that removing plastic packaging did not result in any damage to the goods.
This initiative also led them to identify a gap in the market and create a line of goggles using reusable microfibre packaging, replacing SUPs. Although sales initially dropped due to increased durability of the goggles, sustainability remained their primary focus.
They are now able to offer this zero SUP solution to other clients with SUPs eliminated from over 80% of all outgoing goods. With no impact on cost, 1.5 tonnes of plastic packaging have been removed annually including the occasional plastic bag recycled from other shipments.
In the past years, they had also successfully implemented a cardboard box reuse initiative, saving 11.7 tonnes of cardboard each year. Mathias & Sons partnered with their customers to use the boxes sent by suppliers, maximising their utility. Each box contained a leaflet detailing the scheme and encouraging the consignee to also reuse the box. Additionally, all cardboard boxes came from recycled sources.
Mathias & Sons has positioned itself as a leader in sustainable practices within the PPE and workwear sectors, demonstrating that environmental responsibility and business success can go hand in hand.
Explore more on
Eliminating single use plastics Watch the video HERE
Read more about the elimination of SUPs here
This case study draws on insights gained from an interview with Adam Lane, Commercial Director of Mathias & Sons
Contact details
0117 982 2080
sales@mathiasandsons.com