SUSTAINABILITY PLEDGE – LOOKING AFTER TOMORROW
An eco friendly uniform you will love
Our dedication to designing and manufacturing superior quality clothing in ethical and environmentally friendly ways is a core value. Since 2020 our black, navy, royal, bottle and maroon blazers are made using recycled fabric. These Eco blazers are made from recycled bottles and are durable, comfortable and practical to optimise your child’s learning. Additionally they are equally as high in quality as our non-eco garments.
Following the success of our Eco Blazers, we have further increased the number of garments we make using recycled bottles. This now includes a range of our school uniform items which have a dedicated section on our website.
Every garment we create from recycled plastic bottles helps retailers, schools, parents, and their children make a positive difference to the environment. So far, we have utilised 10,224,830 Litre bottles, which is equivalent to around 101 Olympic size swimming pools.
By continually reviewing our processes and exploring new sustainable innovations, we aim to reduce our environmental impact year after year. From the materials we source to the way our garments are made and delivered, every decision is guided by our determination to help protect the planet for future generations.
Due to our commitment to making the oceans a cleaner and safer place, we have also started using recycled plastic bottles to create our sportswear range. Look out for the eco tags on our website. Below is a guide to how many bottles make up each garment.
The best thing that Price & Buckland can do to become more eco-friendly is to sell products that are durable and therefore long lasting. This is so they can be passed on to other pupils/siblings once they’ve been outgrown.
We do this by using top quality fabrics, threads and accessories, as well as designing the garments with durability in mind. In addition, all our fabrics are thoroughly tested by Bureau Vertitas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification, to ensure our garments stand up to the rigours of school life.
We take the following steps:
Our jumpers have reinforced under-arm taping as well as reinforced elbows
Our polo shirts have strengthened back neck taping
The pockets on the blazers are bar tacked giving extra strength
All skirts and trousers have adjustable waists and plain skirts have added lycra
We use superior YKK zips
All stress points on seams have heavy duty stitching
PFAS in school uniform
None of the garments we manufacture contain any PFAS chemicals or Azo Dyes. The PFAS are not allowed in our production. Furthermore, none of our suppliers use these substances so we can assure all our customers that any items you purchase from Price & Buckland are PFAS and Azo Dye free.
Check out our PFAS Brochure below to find out more information about PFAS and the coatings we use.
Recycling cardboard
Recycling cardboard is better for the environment in every way than making cardboard from new materials (‘virgin’ trees). Estimates vary on how much energy is saved by manufacturing cardboard from recycled materials, but the consensus is somewhere between 25% and 50% saved. In addition, recycled cardboard means using between 70% and 100% less virgin material, and even up to 99% less water. When manufactured in the UK, making cardboard from recycled material also saves on emissions from importing materials from overseas. The UK’s landmass is only about 12% forest, and we can’t produce enough wood sustainably to manufacture the amount of paper and cardboard that we do. Recycling circumvents this problem, with the materials already being in the country.
Recycling cans, plastic, paper, glass and batteries
We ensure we have several recycling points within the business to recycle as many materials as possible. All of paper is collected by Simply Shred and on average we prevent the unnecessary destruction of one tree per month.
65
EMPLOYEES
10,224,830
BOTTLES SAVED
66
BUSINESS YEARS
WE WANT TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE
We’re always looking at ways we can make a real difference. That’s why we donate to a range of worthy charities and hold several fundraising events throughout the year.
We are proud to support a number of different charities including Rainbows, Good for Goods and more recently Uniformed. Goods for Good transport goods across the globe to communities and individuals in desperate need. Uniformed aims to ensure that every child in the UK that needs a school uniform, has access to one.
Working with Uniformed
We are working with Uniformed to provide an online shop where parents/carers can use vouchers to access a certain value of free school uniform. The mission of Uniformed is to ensure that every child that needs a uniform has access to one. As the cost of living continues to rise, school uniforms have become a source of major anxiety for parents and children alike, and the charity hopes to ease this by supporting as many young people as possible by offering access to good quality, comfortable uniforms. Whilst at school, young people are learning, kept warm and being fed. A lack of school uniform should not jeopardise this.
PROUD MEMBERS OF SEDEX
Sedex is a global membership organisation dedicated to driving improvements in ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains. SMETA is… An audit format which is a compilation of good practice in ethical audit techniques designed to help auditors conduct high quality audits that encompass all aspects of responsible business practice created by the Sedex Stakeholder Forum (previously the Sedex Associate Auditor Group).
PRICE & BUCKLAND IN INDIA
One of the things that separates Price and Buckland from the rest, is that we actually manufacture most of the garments ourselves in our own factory in India. This gives us complete control and visibility of everything from working conditions to garment quality.
We started manufacturing in India in 2010, and we are now the proud owners of a new 50,000 square foot factory which opened in autumn 2014. Based in Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi, the facility not only secures over 250 jobs but also maintains consistently high quality standards and an efficient supply chain. This production capability greatly compliments our UK operations in Nottingham.
QUALITY CONTROL
PUT IT TO THE TEST
Our fabrics are tested by Bureau Veritas, the world leader in testing, inspection and certification. Tests include making sure fabrics and colours are fade resistant, anti-pilling, durable and can withstand the rigours and stresses of fast-paced school life.
TESTED BY YOU
We regularly ask schools to put our garments to the test, by asking students to wear them for at least four weeks. That way, we can get feedback from the people that matter.
WORKING WITH ETHICAL COMPANIES
We have always taken our responsibilities as a business very seriously and make every effort to work with companies who are also dedicated to working for the good of communities and the environment. We are also committed to long term relationships with all of our suppliers. Our ethical policy, which is signed by our partner suppliers, is based around Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) base code. ETI covers working conditions, health and safety, working hours and discrimination, as well as other areas.
FACTORY AUDITS
We regularly visit all of the third party factories we work with and inspect their workplace to ensure they have fair working conditions and do not use child labour. We complete a factory audit report when we visit a factory to ensure they meet our high standards.
TRANSPORTATION
We are choosing sea as our preferred method of transportation wherever possible, as this produces less carbon pollution than air freight. A study by the UK government discovered a plane creates 44 times more CO2 than a ship when carrying the same freight over the same distance.
ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING POINTS
As we are always looking of ways to be greener, we have now installed electric vehicle charging points. This allows staff to charge their EV vehicles whilst working, enabling a charged vehicle for their commute home and in turn encouraging cleaner and greener transport. Our chosen partner for our EV charging points is Rolec.
PROUD PARTNERS WITH PARKSIDE HIGH
We're passionate about education, creativity, and providing young people with meaningful insights into the world of work. That’s why we’re thrilled to be in partnership with Parkside High! This collaboration gives students hands-on experience in design, production, and digital marketing, helping them develop new skills and gain a deeper understanding of the creative and manufacturing industries.
