Air Canada highlights circular uniform program for Earth Day
Air Canada uniform vest prepared for reuse or transformation as part of the airline’s circular sustainability program
Air Canada is marking Earth Day by outlining how its employee uniforms are reused, donated and repurposed through a structured circular program designed to reduce waste and extend the life cycle of textiles.
The airline’s Uniforms team evaluates returned garments through four sustainability streams: Rewear, Donate, Transform, and Repurpose, ensuring each item goes to the most suitable outcome, based on information from the airline.
Gently used uniforms are cleaned and redistributed to employees at no cost through the Rewear program, supporting both sustainability and cost efficiency. Surplus new but outdated items are donated to Brands for Canada, which distributes clothing to families in need through partnerships with charities and schools.
Items that are no longer suitable for wear are processed through Debrand, where materials are recycled or upcycled into new products such as furniture stuffing. In the past year, Air Canada diverted approximately 4,500 kilograms of garments through Debrand and Brands for Canada combined.
“It is always worthwhile to send back an item you no longer need, since some of our programs are very specific,” said Charlène Lohezic. “For example, we launched a cotton-to-rags program last year to transform 100 percent cotton t-shirts into cleaning supplies for Maintenance.”
The initiative has already processed about 150 T-shirts, producing more than 300 cleaning rags for operational use.
Air Canada says the program reflects a broader commitment to circularity within its operations, demonstrating how airline uniforms can be managed beyond their initial use to create environmental and social value.
