Sustainability Efforts: Universal Robina Thailand’s New Uniforms Made of Recycled Plastic Bottles

URC Thailand continues to step up its sustainability efforts. ​Universal Robina Corporation's (URC) Thailand office has increased its sustainability efforts with the "URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign." The regional subsidiary's campaign encourages the recycling of PET plastic bottles into uniforms, emphasizing the importance of lowering carbon emissions and combating global warming.

The URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign seeks to cut CO2 emissions by 1.714 kilograms per shirt. Each uniform shirt is manufactured from 14 recycled 600-ml PET water bottles, which were collected between January and April 2024. URC Thailand collected 21,000 plastic bottles to make into polo shirts.

​By June, 1,500 shirts had been created and delivered to staff. The reduced CO2 emissions from all shirts totaled 2,571 kg CO2, which is equivalent to planting 215 trees.

URC Thailand employees also actively participated in the design process, and Vichida Pengnum's (Senior Employee Relations Supervisor) design was ultimately picked for the business polo. To honor diversity and innovation, the employees conducted a fashion show to proudly display their new uniforms. 

Looking ahead, URC Thailand hopes to continue this project to help reduce plastic waste and carbon emissions. It plans to make an additional 4,800 shirts in the future, requiring 67,000 recycled plastic bottles.

Sustainable fashion resonates with URC, both locally and internationally. Last year, URC Flour launched its own upcycling effort, collaborating with local firms AraPilak and Aecovas Apparel to create eco-friendly clothes from recycled cotton sacks.

In the Philippines, URC manufactures renowned products like Great Taste, C2 Cool & Clean, Piattos, Maxx chocolates, and Cream-O cookies, which have been a part of Filipinos' lives for decades. URC is one of the country's leading food and beverage makers, with a considerable and expanding presence across ASEAN. Its top regional brands include Lexus, Tivoli, and Fun-O.

​URC Thailand's URGreen Upcycling Uniform Campaign seeks to cut CO2 emissions by 1.714 kg per shirt.