POC Member, Girlguiding, with its iconic and recognisable uniforms for so many in the UK, has just undergone a major rebrand with sustainability at its heart.
Products of Change is thrilled to be welcoming Michelle Marley, change programme buying manager at Girlguiding, to speak at the POC Conference and share about the journey the organisation has been on to deliver this impactful project, hand-in-hand with the next generation.
Back in April 2024, Girlguiding launched its new environmental sustainability strategy after research from the Girls’ Attitude Survey said 4 in 5 girls say youth organisations like Girlguiding should do more – Girls’ Attitudes Survey | Girlguiding.
This was a key consideration when the organisation selected its design partner, HemingwayDesign for a complete overhaul of its uniforms, setting out together on what would become “the largest girl-led co-design, engaging with over 55,000 of our members who fed back significant concerns around climate change and the impact of plastics on the planet,” said Michelle.
Girlguiding, the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated to girls, is made up of 300,000 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, who come together to laugh, learn, explore and have adventure in communities across the UK every week. Around 80,000 volunteers make guiding happen by giving up their time, talent and enthusiasm.
So much of the feedback from the 55,000 girls mentioned environmental impact that there was no doubt it had to be central to the redesign, so Girlguiding also teamed up with the Circular Textiles Foundation for the project. The next generation understands the importance of protecting the environment more than ever before, and to be able to give them a voice for advocating their concern and enable real change within their lives is completely invaluable.
“It was abundantly clear from the project engagement phase with members that we needed to do something different with the new uniform, utilising this opportunity in the best way possible, not only to reach more girls and young women but to show we were committed to making a difference, to source better, more sustainably and impact a real change. This is what led us on the start of a long journey to delivering a more sustainable uniform range,” said Michelle.
Michelle emphasised that it was important that they delivered on sustainability without token gestures, instead focusing on authentic changes that make real, long-lasting impact.
This meant focusing on the core garments where the vast majority of the volume lies, such as t-shirts and hoodies, and moving them to organic cotton wherever possible. Other changes include switches to recycled polyester where the garment requires function that cotton cannot deliver on.
The team also set about working towards achieving circular garments to further reduce the environmental impact of the range and teamed up with the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF), an independent certifier and training provider dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular textile economy by advocating for Design for Recyclability.
The new certified collection spans 15 styles worn across all four Girlguiding sections for girls aged 4-18, as well as by young leaders and adult unit Leaders, with upwards of 280,000 garments certified as part of the collection’s launch over the summer. Each style has been assessed against CTF’s Design for Recyclability criteria, confirming that the garments can be processed through fibre-to-fibre recycling at end of life, rather than being sent to landfill or incineration.
Every certified garment will carry the ‘Infinitee’ mark, CTF’s on-product certification confirming it has been assessed as compatible with existing fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies.
A key change delivered through the redesign project is the move from polyurethane (PU) based prints to water-based prints across the collection. PU prints act as a contaminant in fibre-to-fibre recycling, meaning printed garments would previously have been rejected by recyclers or downgraded. By converting every print in the range, Girlguiding and its supply partners have removed one of the most common barriers to textile recycling without compromising print quality.
“We are certainly expecting to see a reduction in emissions with the new uniform, based on the improvements we’ve made to more sustainable fabrics and processes. We’re currently piloting a life cycle assessment and will run a life cycle assessment of all our core garments in due course. This will help quantify the reductions to our carbon footprint,” said Michelle. This fits into Girlguiding’s broader environmental sustainability strategy which extends way beyond its uniforms into four key pillars:
- Building awareness and knowledge about sustainability across staff and volunteers.
Girlguiding is developing useful guidance such as how to talk to girls about climate anxiety and carbon smart travel, launched staff sustainability training and will be piloting and launching volunteer training in due course. - Reducing its carbon footprint across Girlguiding
They have set an ambitious target of a carbon footprint 50% reduction by 2040 across scope 1, 2 and 3. Having already moved Trading operations to a more energy efficient building, they are now working closely with their largest network properties, conducting energy reports to identify energy and cost saving solutions. - Encouraging sustainable guiding
Girlguiding launched its new Eco award, developed with Leslie Sell Charitable Trust funding, on Earth Day 2025, the Eco award has been designed to give members the tools and knowledge to take collective action on climate change issues within their local communities.
Through the Eco award, girls can protect the environment in ways that are realistic, fun and sustainable for them – learning good habits for life and making a positive impact on the world around them. So far around 12,000 Eco award badges have been purchased, and counting! - Inspiring and driving change in wider society
Environmental scientist Laura Anderson, known as Less Waste Laura, joined Girlguiding on the 55th Earth Day as their environmental ambassador.
Working alongside other charities, Girlguiding has piloted leadership programmes (such as the Environmental Leaders Programme with the Leadership Skills Foundation, WWF and RSPB) and is part of wider organisations, such as the Fit For Future network, sharing learnings with other charities with environmental sustainability strategies.
Working closely with fundraising, Girlguiding are consistently developing bids, including consortium bids with other youth organisations, to support girls in green jobs and decarbonisation projects.
At the POC Conference, Michelle will take attendees through the journey the company has been on towards sustainability, and discuss the challenges and solutions along that journey, including supplier engagement and balancing the all-important tension of affordability with sustainability.
“Put your audience at the centre of sustainability decisions,” said Michelle, “You don’t have to be perfect to make progress. Start with meaningful, practical changes and build momentum over time. 50% of our garments are certified by the Circular Textiles Foundation. We’ll work hard to maintain this and continue to establish how we can build on this achievement as well as taking the learnings forward into other merchandise categories.”
Hear the full conversation at the POC Conference on 11 November at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Find out more or get your tickets here.
