Sustainable uniforms at Mermaid Quay
Mermaid Quay is set on the waterfront in the heart of Cardiff Bay and offers a unique blend of restaurants, cafés and bars along with the region’s top comedy club and a five-screen cinema set over 150,000 sq ft, with a footfall of 5.5 million visitors per annum.
Challenge
Mermaid Quay is on a continuous journey to be a champion of sustainability initiatives and help reduce the worldwide plastics problem. One of their major environmental objectives is to reduce the number of plastics going to landfill by way of recycling. They look for initiatives that are simple, sensible, and easily implemented.
Solution
ABM’s commitment to sustainability includes working with our suppliers to make sure we use the most environmentally friendly goods and products whenever we can.
Knowing Mermaid Quay’s commitment to reducing plastic use, we proposed the possibility of issuing our on-site teams new uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles.
ABM turned to Regatta and their Honestly Made clothing line, the only workwear brand to offer 100% recycled fabrics and insulation. Regatta’s values and commitment to the environment also align with ABM’s and Mermaid Quay’s.
Initially there was skepticism. The immediate concerns were about the comfort and look of the uniform—the cleaning and security teams are customer facing. When the samples arrived, no one could tell from looking at or touching the material that the uniforms were made from plastic. The quality is clear, and they look great on the ABM team.
Benefits
- The soft-shell jackets recycle 40–50 plastic bottles.
- Each of the other garments reuses at least 15 plastic bottles.
- With one order of uniforms (including additional sets) for the 20-member team, some 1,600 plastic bottles have been diverted from landfills.
Sustainable uniforms at Mermaid Quay
Mermaid Quay is set on the waterfront in the heart of Cardiff Bay and offers a unique blend of restaurants, cafés, and bars along with the region’s top comedy club and a five-screen cinema set over 150,000 sq ft, with a footfall of 5.5 million visitors per annum.
“Being in the heart of the Cardiff Bay environment, the entire Mermaid Quay management team are committed to sustainability initiatives and playing our part in the global fight against plastics and environmental pollution. Regrettably, we see much plastic wash up, and witnessing the impact it has on nature makes us more determined to try and help. Adopting this new range of uniform is one way in which we can do so.”
- Simon Whiting, Mermaid Quay Centre Manager
