Cintas Corp., Mason, OH, recently collaborated with Honda to help give new life to end-of-life rental uniforms worn by Honda associates at their U.S. manufacturing and research-and-development facilities.
The end-of-life uniforms were turned into special shredded fibers that were used in sound-absorbing insulation in Honda and Acura automobiles. Cintas’ involvement in Honda’s program reinforced the company’s ambition to identify new ways to extend the usable life of its products and create circular economies when possible, a news release said.
“Partnering with Honda on a program like this exemplifies our goal of leading ‘A Shared Drive for Better,’” said Christy Nageleisen, vice president of environmental, social & governance (ESG) at Cintas. “We were excited to help find new uses for our end-of-life workwear products.”
Cintas uniforms worn by Honda associates at its Alabama and North Carolina facilities were evaluated after the laundering process. Recyclable end-of-life garments were then sent to a vendor to make shoddy, a textile created by shredding existing fabrics and re-spinning them into a new textile, usually containing multiple colors. Once the shoddy was created, it was sent to one of Honda’s vendors to be made into insulation, which was then installed during the production of new Honda and Acura vehicles.
Bryan Colpo, Cintas director of merchandising, said that, “This project was a unique way to take advantage of a process we already have in place: shredding fibers from end-of-life products for use in new ways. We were presented with this opportunity with Honda and were able to create fiber that met their needs. It created a great way for Cintas to add value to this important relationship.”
For more on this partnership, click here.
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