Elis, the circular economy pioneer: used textiles as new resources

Elis, the leader in workwear rental & maintenance services, is taking a new step in its circular economy strategy, with a fundamental new idea: the launch of Workwear to Workwear, the first collection of fully recycled eco-designed clothing with 60% of materials from used Elis textiles. Managing the entire life cycle of clothing, the brand is marking a new milestone in the industry: becoming the only player in the market able to recycle its own clothing to make new ones. This world-first illustrates the French company’s ambition to make the circular economy a sustainable performance driver.

ELIS in figures (international / France)

• 1968: creation of the Elis Group
• Operating in 30 countries
• 487 plants and distribution centres (84 plants and 54 centres in France)
• 57,583 employees, including 13,129 French employees
• 2024 revenue of €4,573.7 million (of which €1,354.6 million in France)
• 400,000 customers
• 79.6% of Elis textiles are reused or recycled
• 35% reduction in CO2 emissions and 60% reduction in water consumption compared to a workwear purchase and maintenance model 

The Workwear to Workwear recycled apron

• 100% recycled
• 60% Elis’s end-of-life textiles and 40% recycled polyester
• CO2 emissions: kg of CO2 reduced by 60%, equivalent to 58 km of car journeys avoided
• Water consumption reduced by 90%, equivalent to 40 showers avoided¹

¹ Comparaison des émissions de CO₂ et de la consommation d’eau du tablier WorkWear to Workwear VS un tablier standard en Asie. Méthodologie de calcul : EF 3.1, base de données Ecoinvent 3.10. ACV simplifiée réalisée en 2024

Textile recycling from its own waste: a new commitment and priority for elis

The textiles sector is among the most impactful on the planet and only 1% of textiles are recycled in Europe. In this context, Elis is the only player in the market to offer fully recycled clothing made using its own fabrics. This project shows a rare and exemplary command of circularity and has been acknowledged by several major awards including at the Nuit de la RSE (CSR Night), the Sustainable Transformation Summit, the European Circular Fashion Awards, the Cégos Les Mines competition and the Circular Alliances Awards.

With the ambitious goal of recycling or reusing 80% of its end-of-life textiles by the end of 2025, the French company is thus positioning itself as a leader that turns environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation and sustainable performance.

In partnership with Le Jacquard Français, Elis has created several garments from the new Workwear to Workwear collection as a beacon for this approach, incorporating recycled materials from its own used textiles, including the Chef’s jacket and the “zero-waste” apron. These are aimed at several sectors: hospitality, commerce and services. Other collections, such as polo shirts and t-shirts, will be launched soon. And because limiting environmental impact starts from the design process, Elis is pushing its approach even further by not wasting any fabric during the manufacturing process.

A committed circular economy player for over 75 years

As a pioneer in sustainable development, Elis has made a radical decision: to base its business model on product-as-a-service models, prioritising services over products and rental over purchase. Its rental & maintenance expertise mainly focuses on four markets: hospitality, industry, healthcare, and commerce and services.

The textile industry has been identified as one of the three main sources of pressure on water and among the top five in terms of raw material use and greenhouse gas emissions (ADEME). Consequently, Elis wants to make a positive contribution to society by offering solutions that have less impact and consume fewer resources (cotton, water, energy, polyester, wood etc.). According to a life cycle assessment conducted by Elis in 2024², workwear rental & maintenance, rather than purchase and home maintenance, reduces CO2 emissions by 35% and water consumption by 60% over the entire life cycle of the garment.

Integrating sustainable materials, eco-design, extending the life of garments, optimising the washing stage – everything is done to limit environmental impact. Through these initiatives, Elis supports companies and communities in their ecological transition.

By integrating practical and sustainable solutions into their daily practices, Elis helps them meet their CSR commitments while improving their performance.

² Methodology: ISO 14040, 14044, Environmental Footprint 3.1 Method, in accordance with the principles and frameworks defined by EN ISO 14040:2006, EN ISO 14044:2006/A2:2020 and ISO/TS 14071:2014
Databases: Ecoinvent 3.9.1, ADEME and Elis specific data.