Mind The Garment CIC
Because every fibre counts
We are a Community Interest Company addressing the environmental impact of school uniforms across their entire life cycle—from raw material acquisition to end of life.
Our initial focus is on how uniforms are worn, washed, repaired, reused, and disposed of, where everyday actions can create immediate, measurable impact, while building the evidence base for system-wide change.
THE PROBLEM
School uniforms: a life-cycle impact we rarely see
School uniforms affect the environment at every stage of their life cycle:
• Raw material extraction and fibre production
• Manufacturing and distribution
• Daily wear, washing, and drying
• Repair, reuse, and end-of-life disposal
While production decisions are often distant from families, the use and end-of-life phases happen locally, every day, and remain some of the least visible yet most actionable sources of environmental pollution.
WHY THIS CANNOT WAIT
School uniforms carry an environmental cost at every stage of their life cycle and that cost is accumulating in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land our children grow up on.
During production, fibres are created, processed, dyed, and chemically treated, leaving behind pollution that enters ecosystems long before a uniform is ever worn. During transport and manufacturing, energy use and emissions add to the environmental burden.
But the impact does not stop there.
Once in daily use, school uniforms become a continuous source of microfibre release. Every wash, dry, and wear sheds fibres into the environment. These fibres are released into wastewater systems, household dust, and the surrounding air, where many are too small to be captured or contained.
In water, microfibres pass through treatment systems and flow into rivers, lakes, soil, and the marine environment, where they accumulate over time. In land-based environments, they settle into soil and green spaces, becoming part of the ground children play on and communities rely upon. In the air, fibres circulate indoors and outdoors, contributing to what we breathe every day.
These fibres do not exist in isolation. Research shows that they can carry dyes, chemical finishes, and absorbed pollutants, acting as mobile vectors that transport contamination across ecosystems. Once released, they persist and eventually break down slowly, spreading widely, and building up silently.
At end of life, discarded uniforms contribute further to landfill waste, incineration emissions, and environmental leakage, reinforcing a cycle where impact is deferred rather than resolved.
What makes this particularly urgent is that this pollution is largely invisible. Unlike plastic bottles or packaging waste, microfibres are rarely seen, measured, or discussed yet they are released daily, repeatedly, and at scale.
This is not a future problem.
It is happening now, in homes, schools, waterways, and communities.
And because this impact spans the entire life cycle of school uniforms, failure to act allows environmental harm to compound across air, water, and land.
The scale is significant.
The exposure is constant.
The cost of inaction is cumulative.
WHAT WE DO
Practical education, circular solutions, and applied research
We combine hands-on education, material reuse, and ongoing research to address uniform impact in real-life conditions.
Our work includes:
• Environmental education workshops
Introducing life-cycle thinking, microfibres, pollution, and sustainability in accessible, age-appropriate ways.
• Wear, care, and repair sessions
Practical guidance on washing methods, drying habits, repairs, and extending garment life.
• Circular reuse activities
Supporting second-hand use, creative revamps, and textile reuse to keep uniforms in circulation for longer.
• Data-informed learning
Gathering insight from households, schools, and workshops to understand how uniforms perform over time.
WHY WE START WITH WEAR & CARE
The most immediate opportunity for change
The wear and care phase is:
• The longest stage of a uniform’s life cycle
• The point of highest household involvement
• A major contributor to ongoing environmental impact
By improving how uniforms are cared for, we can:
• Reduce microfibre pollution entering waterways
• Extend garment lifespan and reduce replacement demand
• Introduce children to sustainability through everyday actions
This stage also generates valuable real-world data that can inform future design and production improvements.
FUTURE DIRECTION
Informing better uniforms through evidence and collaboration
As our research grows, Mind The Garment CIC plans to collaborate with manufacturers and suppliers to support the development of more durable, sustainable school uniforms.
Our long-term ambition includes:
• Sharing evidence from real-life wear and care practices
• Informing material choices and garment construction
• Supporting uniforms designed to last longer, shed fewer fibres, and perform better in daily use
By connecting household behaviour, education, and manufacturing insight, we aim to help reshape the school uniform system.
DONATE & SUPPORT
More than money — keeping uniforms in use
Supporting Mind The Garment CIC isn’t just about financial donations.
You can support us by:
• Donating funds
Helping us deliver workshops, develop resources, and expand our research.
• Donating used school uniforms
Uniforms donated to us may be:
o In very good condition to be sold as received
o Revamped and repaired before resale
o Repurposed into patchwork and materials for care and repair workshops
This ensures nothing is wasted and every garment supports education, reuse, or skill-building.
OUR HUB (COMING SOON)
A physical space for learning, repair, and reuse
We are developing a physical hub and community-facing store, where our work can come together in one place.
Planned uses include:
• Uniform drop-off and redistribution
• Second-hand and revamped uniform sales
• Care and repair workshops
• Community education and engagement
Watch this space — more details will be shared as the hub develops.
IMPACT
Small actions, multiplied across communities
Our work supports:
• Reduced pollution through improved care practices
• Increased understanding of clothing life cycles
• Extended garment use through reuse and repair
• Empowered children and families making informed choices
Over time, this impact will extend upstream, influencing how uniforms are designed and produced.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Community-led, research-informed, future-facing
We work with:
• Schools and education providers
• Parents and carers
• Community groups and local organisations
Future partnerships will include manufacturers and sector stakeholders, informed by our growing evidence base.
IMPACT
Small actions, multiplied across communities
Our work supports:
• Reduced pollution through improved care practices
• Increased understanding of clothing life cycles
• Extended garment use through reuse and repair
• Empowered children and families making informed choices
Over time, this impact will extend upstream, influencing how uniforms are designed and produced.
About Us
Mind The Garment CIC is a UK-based community interest company working with parents, carers, schools, and communities to address the environmental impact of school uniform wear and care.
Mind The Garment CIC was founded to bridge the gap between scientific research and real family life.
School uniforms are worn daily, washed frequently, and often made from fabrics that shed fibres during use and laundering. Despite this, families are rarely supported with clear, practical guidance on how uniform care affects the environment.
Our Work
We focus on microfibre pollution, the tiny fibres released into air and water when school uniforms are worn, washed, and dried. By combining research, education, and practical solutions, we help families protect nature through everyday actions.
Our work is grounded in academic research into textile pollution and shaped by lived experience of managing school uniforms in busy households. We work exclusively with school uniforms to deliver focused, realistic solutions that families can adopt with confidence.
Our approach is evidence based, family focused, and rooted in community need.
Workshops & Training
We deliver two types of workshops for primary and secondary schools, parents, and pupils.
Environmental Education Workshops
These sessions explain textile pollution with a focus on microfibres, how they are released from school uniforms through washing machines and tumble dryers, how they move into air and water, and why their accumulation harms the environment.
Uniform Care and Repair Workshops
These practical sessions teach simple repair techniques such as fixing small tears, reinforcing seams, and replacing buttons. Repairing uniforms early helps reduce fibre shedding, extend garment life, and reduce waste.
Workshops are interactive, age-appropriate, and designed to support real behaviour change at home.
Get Involved
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Schools
Partner with us to deliver engaging environmental education linked to everyday school life.
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Volunteers & Partners
Support outreach, education, and community impact.
