In the world of professional workwear and PPE, there is a traditional way of doing things. It’s a process most procurement managers know well: flip through a glossy brochure, pick a garment that looks durable and hope it survives the front line.But as the industries of waste management and logistics evolve, the off-the-shelf convention is failing. Real innovation doesn’t live in a catalogue; it lives on the waste collection route and on the backs of the people doing the work. Our recent partnership with Veolia has proved that if you want to fix a brand’s professionalism, the first thing to use is your ears.
The cost of being unheard
Deep-rooted frustrations
Working in collaboration with Veolia, we identified that the challenge was more than aesthetic. Their staff were facing deep-rooted frustrations. Years of heavy, non-breathable materials and a lack of ergonomic stretch had taken a toll. The situation had reached a tipping point: employees were actually purchasing their own clothes to stay comfortable.
This wasn’t just a comfort issue; it was a brand and safety crisis. When a workforce abandons its uniform, brands lose their identity, professionalism is diluted and, most importantly, trust evaporates among the workforce.
Moving from assumptions to customer champions
Granular reality
We didn’t guess the solution. To overhaul the Veolia range, we assembled a core group of customer champions – long-term employees with decades of operational experience.
Through large-scale engagement events in London and Birmingham, we gathered raw, honest feedback. We moved from the big picture of brand colours down to the granular reality of the job:
- Fabric weight: Swapping heavy, restrictive fabrics for performance materials.
- Functionality: Re-thinking pocket placement – down to the centimetre – to ensure tools and pens are accessible during high-intensity shifts.
- Longevity: Addressing the discolouration and sizing drift that occurs after industrial laundering.
The ROI of empathy
Listen to the staff
The result was a range designed by the workforce, for the workforce. As one team member aptly put it: “Listen to the staff. They’re working in that environment – you’re not.”
By investing in the toolbox talk and on-site measurement sessions, Veolia didn’t just get better trousers. They got a workforce that felt heard. When an operative pulls on a uniform that actually fits, breathes and moves with them, their productivity and pride increase. We’ve proven that when you design with empathy, you don’t just change a uniform – you change the entire culture of a site.
