UAJV: transforming outdated PPE into sustainable solutions

UAJV is tackling the challenge of managing outdated and non-compliant personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Rather than contributing to landfill waste, the team has taken the opportunity to make a positive impact by partnering with Loop Upcycling to upcycle functional garments that no longer meet clients’ minimum specifications.

With Loop’s expertise, UAJV upcycled 199 shirts and coveralls into 90 padded laptop sleeves, complete with long and short handles and 100 durable duffle bags. The process was managed to ensure zero waste, with even the smallest offcuts utilised by adding handles to the laptop sleeves and duffle bags.

UGL senior project manager Kevin Miller comments on the upcycled PPE.

“By upcycling non-compliant PPE into valuable products, we’re not just reducing waste, we’re setting a new standard for sustainability and innovation,” he said.

UGL managing director Doug Moss comments on the company’s ESG commitments in its 2025 Sustainability Plan.

“At UGL, we recognise sustainability is a long term, dynamic and strategic imperative for our clients, our business and the communities in which we work,” he said.

“We complement and enhance our client’s sustainability objectives through our leading engineering capability to decarbonise infrastructure across the whole asset lifecycle.”

This project reinforces the company’s wider commitment to promote lifecycle and circularity analysis on client tenders.