TRSA Global Affairs Lead Advisor Shyju Skariah chaired a panel on technology-driven waste reduction during the PCIAW Summit, Exhibition & Awards 2026, held Oct. 21-22 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. The event brought together uniform, workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) leaders from more than 30 countries.
The session, titled “Eliminating Waste through Tech-Driven Sizing, Inventory & Lifecycle Management,” examined how companies can use better sizing, inventory management and garment-level data to reduce waste throughout the textile life cycle. Panelists represented technology providers, brands and other stakeholders from across the uniform supply chain.
Addressing Waste Before it Happens
Opening the session, Skariah challenged the industry’s tendency to begin conversations about textile waste only when products reach the end of their useful lives.
“Most uniform waste isn’t decided at the end,” he said. “It’s decided much earlier, before the sample, before the order, before the wrong size ever ships.”
He pointed to the linen, uniform and facility services industry as an example of how garment-level tracking can support more sustainable decisions. Industrial laundry operators can identify where a garment is, how many wash and repair cycles it has completed, and when it is approaching the end of its service life.
“That level of traceability is exactly the discipline the wider uniform world needs, extended across the entire life cycle,” Skariah said.
Digital tools can help companies intervene at three critical stages: before production, when fabrics and garment designs are selected; before issue, when scanning and sizing technology can prevent fit-related returns; and before end-of-life, when data can help determine whether a garment should be reused, repurposed or recycled.
Turning Data into Results
Panelists emphasized that textile waste often begins with decisions made well before a garment reaches its wearer. Specification mismatches, outdated demand forecasts and unnecessary purchases can all contribute to excess inventory and waste.
Chris Jones of CGS BlueCherry recommended connecting specifications, contracts, orders, chain-of-custody information and garment-issue records into a unified digital thread. Rather than undertaking an expensive IT overhaul, companies can begin with one workflow, measure the result and expand from there.
Sizing also emerged as a significant opportunity. Eduard Cojocea of Esenca Sizing said workforce audits can help companies determine which sizes should be added, consolidated or eliminated before production begins. He cited return rates of 8% to 30% with manual fitting, compared with approximately 3% after MEWA implemented digital sizing in Germany.
Christina Gianantonio of Catalyst Brands discussed the use of 3D virtual prototypes and digital wearer trials. The technology allows companies to refine garment fit, drape and styling before producing physical samples, reducing the number of prototypes that must be manufactured and shipped.
Participants also discussed how connected garment histories can support artificial intelligence. By linking assignment, use, laundering, maintenance and repair data to individual garments, organizations can identify wear patterns and improve fabric specifications, seasonal ordering, predictive maintenance and garment decommissioning.
A Practical Challenge for the Industry
When asked to identify the most urgent step uniform buyers and manufacturers should take, panelists recommended starting with a single decision in which better information could reduce waste.
Jones encouraged companies to establish serialized digital identities for individual garments. Cojocea recommended auditing garments against the people who will wear them before beginning the next tender.
Skariah urged companies to treat uniform data as an operational asset that can track total life cycle costs, reduce returns and support responsible textile recovery. He summarized the discussion in three recommendations: get the garment right before production, manage it throughout its useful life and connect information directly to business decisions.
“Before your next tender or replenishment order, pick one waste-producing decision, find out who owns it and prove to yourself how better information changes the outcome,” he said. “Treat uniform data the way industrial laundries already do, as an operational asset that tracks total life cycle cost, cuts returns and guarantees responsible circular recovery.”
Expanding TRSA’s Global Role
The panel’s lessons extend beyond Europe. Garment identification, digital product passport readiness and life cycle data will increasingly affect manufacturers and service providers across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, particularly those serving global hospitality, aviation and uniform markets.
Building on the advocacy work of the TRSA Middle East Chapter, TRSA is inviting members and industry partners across these regions to help develop a stronger voice on digital readiness and circularity regulations, beginning in Dubai and the Gulf region.
Members interested in contributing to the initiative should contact Skariah at [email protected].
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