Earlier this year Bedford teamed up with BlockTexx® Textile Recovery Technologies to help deliver a recycling initiative that was so successful, it has turned into an ongoing partnership.
At Bedford, we pride ourselves on our proven ability to provide tailored solutions that deliver results, going above and beyond to train employees, acquire new equipment and devise new methods for production.
So, when commercial customers ask us, “what can you do?” we reply with, “what do you need?”
This is exactly what happened when Bedford spoke with Queensland-based textile resource recovery company BlockTexx earlier this year.
With a mission to divert unwanted textiles away from Australian landfill, BlockTexx’s world leading chemical separation technology gives new life to old textiles, BlockTexx approached Bedford looking for a sorting and decommissioning partner.
From that first simple question, a relationship - and a solution - was born. That solution saw Bedford build a brand-new process, expanding BlockTexx’s operation to South Australia, establishing a long-term partnership between Bedford and BlockTexx.
In May this year, BlockTexx launched the 2024 South Australian Give a Sheet® for the Planet campaign, partnering with Bedford for sorting and decommissioning. This initiative successfully repurposed ten tonnes of unwanted textiles, giving them a new lease on life!
The Give a Sheet® drive called out for South Australians to donate their unwanted household linens. Partnering with Bedford for the Give a Sheet® initiative and working together with Green Industries and eight Adelaide Councils, ten tonnes of textiles were collected across the weekend of the drive. These textiles included old sheets, linens, tablecloths, tea-towels and towels.
Once the textiles were collected, they were taken to Bedford’s Elizabeth site to begin decommissioning. Decommissioning is the first step in the process of recycling the textile materials to give them new life, and involves the removal of any tags, zips, elastics and buttons. To complete this decommissioning process, Bedford employees received special training to identify and remove the unwanted parts of the textiles that will affect the recycling and remanufacturing process.
BlockTexx required a ready workforce to manually receive and prepare textiles before sending them to their Queensland headquarters. There, advanced chemistry and advanced manufacturing processes transform the cotton and polyester fibres into high-grade raw materials for use in new products. The sorting and decommissioning hub trained 12 Bedford-supported employees, equipping them with new skills for preparing textiles for resource recovery and recycling.
The team completed the decommissioning within a week, recycling between 1.5 – 2 tonnes of textiles a day! The employees who worked on this project commented that they enjoyed the work and were proud to be a part of doing something good for the environment. This project marks the first time Bedford employees have decommissioned linens, and the experience has added to their already impressive and versatile skill set.
I am so pleased with the outcome of Bedford’s partnership with BlockTexx for the Give a Sheet® drive and the ongoing growth in BlockTexx’s work that it has helped initiate. BlockTexx’s initiative has positive real-world environmental impacts, and by partnering with Bedford, also supports people with disability to live the life they choose. It is a positive experience all round.
Stephen Cristofol, General Manager of Supported Employment said, “it’s great to see opportunities where supported employees can expand and flex their skill sets in new and exciting ways. Bedford welcomes initiatives such as these where we can offer bespoke solutions for customers that provide supported employees opportunities to learn new areas of expertise.”
We are thrilled to partner with BlockTexx and contribute to being part of the solution to the environmental problem of textile waste, and to offer Bedford’s employees the opportunity to diversify their skills.
The Give a Sheet® for the Planet South Australian drive successfully diverted 10,000 kg of unwanted household linen from landfill. BlockTexx estimates that for every kilogram of textiles processed, approximately 30 kg of CO2 equivalents are prevented from polluting the atmosphere. This means 30,000 kg of CO2 equivalents were kept out of the atmosphere in just one weekend! Bedford extends its gratitude to everyone who participated in the Give a Sheet® drive and thanks BlockTexx for their ongoing partnership in innovative textile recycling.
If you are a business that requires a dedicated and skilled workforce, we welcome a discussion about how we can add value!
To explore Bedford’s commercial capabilities, contact the Bedford Business Solutions team on 08 8275 0211 or email bedford@bedfordgroup.com.au
To learn more about BlockTexx, visit their website.
Bedford team at work during the decommissioning process