It’s no secret that the textile industry is a major source of environmental damage. Textile production accounts for an estimated 20% of global clean water pollution and 10% of global carbon emissions. A lesser-talked-about player in the fast-fashion industry is branded uniforms; approximately 90% of the 33 million uniforms handed out to couriers in the UK end up in landfills. It was this statistic that prompted Product Designer and Plus X Innovation’s Designer in Residence, Angus Clifford, to launch ReUSed.
Starting as his final year project on the Product Design BSC course at the University of Brighton, Angus used his personal experience as a delivery driver for Just Eat as inspiration. “I found that instead of repairing them or doing anything to be responsible for reclaiming the uniforms after someone had terminated their employment, it's basically cheaper for them to replace them.” The uniforms often can’t be donated either, Angus found after speaking with riders, “There's a legality issue where companies that give out the uniforms don't want their logos to be associated with anyone else.”
ReUSed is rebreathing life into these garments and taking ownership of the materials away from landfills and exploitative working environments by creating meaningful and valuable products.
Angus considers ReUSed a ‘critical design project’, as it stems from broader cultural and social issues, including the treatment of riders and the exploitation of illegal workers, using design to shed light on the problems. “I want to use the project to raise awareness of the harsh conditions that the people who feed the takeaway habit of the country have to face.”
Angus began collecting the leftover jackets, rescuing them from landfills, and turning them into practical and aesthetic accessories. “I spent a lot of time deconstructing them and prototyping products that can be made using the material. Once I created a good-looking product that I was happy with, I [began telling the] story about the materials that made up the products.”
“The only thing I added was the thread from the sewing machines. The buckles, straps, zips and pockets were all salvaged from the jackets.”
Collaboration is vital to circular innovation when you’re a small business tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. Fellow University of Brighton alumni and Plus X Innovation member Tom Meades, founder of Gomi, approached Angus with an idea for him to design a limited run of pouches to hold Gomi’s recycled plastic power banks.
The collaboration has been a true alignment of values, with both designers working with and drawing attention to leftover and discarded materials; it was a no-brainer for Tom when he met Angus while guest lecturing at the University of Brighton. Flash-forward a few months, and the two have worked together closely in the Plus X Innovation workshop and officially launched the line of wearable bags in September.
Access to the workshop as Plus X Innovation’s Designer in Residence gives Angus the freedom to explore and innovate to develop ReUSed even further; “[The workshop has] got loads of exciting facilities that I probably won't have access to otherwise. I think one of the things I'm keen to try is laser-cutting textiles. And that could be pretty exciting.”
After recently speaking on the panel for The Future of Fashion is Circular, which was part of Sustainable Fashion Week, Angus and ReUSed's future is looking bright. His work was recently featured at the prominent New Designers annual exhibition this summer, showcasing the work of new graduate designers at the cutting edge of innovation.
He hopes that through his collaborations and purposeful designs, he can make customers more aware of what they consume: “Next time you order takeaway, think about the face and the waste behind your delivery.”
Learn more about Angus' journey with ReUSed and Plus X Innovation by watching the video below:
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