New Fristads workwear collection cuts CO2 emissions by 676 tonnes

The Swedish clothing manufacturer Fristads has developed a collection of environmentally declared workwear for truck and bus manufacturer Scania. It was the companies’ shared passion for driving change and leading on sustainability in their respective industries that sealed the deal, as the new collection reduces the environmental footprint of workwear considerably.

“The agreement represents a great leap forward for Fristads and our continuous effort to reduce the environmental impact of workwear,” said Frida Avasalu, Global Solutions Director at Fristads. “Scania is one of our most important customers and the largest customer to date to receive a tailormade environmentally declared collection from Fristads. Together, we can and want to be changemakers for sustainability.”

Fristads has developed 23 environmentally declared garments for Scania workers in production and logistics all over Europe.  Switching to the new garments will save 676 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents and 4,380,778 m³ of water equivalents^* compared with a conventionally produced collection. To extend the life of the old garments once they are replaced by Fristads’ collection, the old material can be used as filling for truck interiors.

Measuring the impact of workwear
All the garments in the new collection from Fristads come with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a third-party verified document detailing the environmental impact of a product during its life cycle. The transparency of the EPD makes it easier for customers to compare the environmental performance of different garments and make informed choices about company workwear. It can also help companies meet targets in their own sustainability agendas.

“The new collection is a telltale sign that transparency and third-party verification are the way forward when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of workwear. Fristads pioneered the use of EPDs for clothing in 2019 and this only reinforces our commitment to keep developing environmentally declared garments,” said Lisa Rosengren, Head of R&D Raw Material at Fristads.

* This figure refers to the water scarcity potential, i.e. the total environmental impact of the water consumption, considering the availability of water at the production location. The net water savings are 2,104,673 m³.

About Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
An Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, maps the total environmental impact of a product from a life cycle perspective. No aspect of the design or production has been left out. The clothes in Fristads’ custom collection have been examined in the following areas:
- material choices
- material quantities
- dyeing processes
- water and electricity consumption at the factory
- packaging
- transports.

Find EPDs for selected garments here:
Sweatshirt: S-P-07629, https://environdec.com/library/epd7629
T-shirt short sleeved: S-P-07630, https://environdec.com/library/epd7630
T-shirt long sleeve: S-P-07632, https://environdec.com/library/epd7632
Polo shirt: S-P-07633, https://environdec.com/library/epd7633
Trousers, Male: S-P-07634, https://environdec.com/library/epd7634
Trousers with Hang pockets, Male: S-P-07635, https://environdec.com/library/epd7635
Trousers, Women: S-P-07636, https://environdec.com/library/epd7636
Trousers with Hang pockets, Women: S-P-07637, https://environdec.com/library/epd7637
Shorts, Male: S-P-07638, https://environdec.com/library/epd7638
Shorts, Women: S-P-07639, https://environdec.com/library/epd7639