Planet
Accreditations
Global Recycled Standard
Positive Planet
At Leo Workwear, sustainability has always been central to our mission, and we’ve long sourced fabrics made from recycled materials from supply chain partners certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Now, we’re proud that every Leo Workwear garment is fully GRS certified, meaning the entire product (from recycled yarns to finished garment) meets strict environmental, social, and ethical criteria, including traceable materials, limits on harmful chemicals, responsible water and energy use, and safe working conditions. Full product certification guarantees credibility, consistency, and a genuine reduction in environmental impact, rather than just certifying components.
Achieving this milestone involved rigorous audits, verification of recycled content, and independent inspections across our supply chain. For us, this certification is not an endpoint but a foundation for ongoing efforts to produce high-performance workwear that is responsibly made, transparent, and sustainable.
Following all the successes since the launch of EcoViz in 2019, we are proud to announce we have completed 3 years with Positive Planet with the Bronze award!
Positive Planet is a third-party organisation that are assisting us on our mission to become Net-Zero by 2050. We are proud to discover that the actions that Leo has taken over the last 5 years have led to a saving of over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. "This saving is due to a less carbon-intensive production process for our recycled polyester compared to virgin polyester fabric production."
Our Positive Planet Certification is associated with carbon reduction, which further demonstrates our strategy to maximise carbon in setting before looking at offsetting solutions.
By achieving this accreditation, we have:
-
Measured our scope 1,2 and upstream scope 3 emissions
-
Developed a carbon reduction plan
-
Committed to achieving net zero by 2050
ISO 14001 Certified
ISO 14001 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste. Since 2021, Leo Workwear have been ISO 14001 accredited, as is much of the supply chain throughout Bangladesh, Vietnam and China.
SCSS Gold membership
The school is a free learning platform offering CPD-accredited training and resources across a wide range of sustainability topics, from carbon management and biodiversity to social value and sustainable procurement. Its purpose is to take complex ideas and turn them into practical, actionable steps that businesses and employees can apply in their day-to-day work.
Our Gold membership with the school highlights our commitment to deepening our understanding of sustainability. It demonstrates that multiple members of our team are actively engaging in workshops, assessments, and structured learning pathways. We’ve also contributed our own case study (see below), sharing how we put these principles into action.
Looking ahead, we’ll continue to use the school to drive progress towards our own sustainability goals, while also helping our customers achieve theirs. Staying on top of new regulations is a key part of this journey, ensuring we can provide the most relevant and up-to-date support.
One area of focus is how we make better use of the data we already have. From lifecycle assessments to carbon accounting, the question isn’t just about collecting information; it’s about what we do with it. By applying these insights to improve our operations and sharing them openly with our customers, we can support wider industry progress.
Packaging
At Leo, we believe that keeping our garments clean, dry and protected before they're worn is essential, and there's no better solution for this than a plastic bag.
A circular, sustainable approach to packaging is essential for the future of our planet, and so we partnered with Change Plastic for Good to create the Leo Cares bag.
If our bags end up outside of the recycling loop, they feature an innovative biotechnology called BDP, which responsibly deals with the end of life:
-
BDP tricks microbes into consuming the bag
-
Within the next few years, the bag will become a source of food for microbes
-
No micro-plastics left behind, just compost and natural gas
All the inks used on our Leo Cares bags are now completely petroleum-free and are instead water, plant or organic pigment-based. This ensures they have no impact on the environment at the end of life.
We have to use plastic,
so we use the best
We ensure our packaging is recycled, recyclable and biodegradable
FSC Boxes
Not only does every Leo cardboard box contain recycled cardboard, the cardboard is also sourced from responsibly managed forests, each box branded with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) logo.
Bagged in fives
On two very high-volume waistcoat products, Leo has moved from bagging in singles to bagging in fives. Moving these two key lines has saved over 3 tonnes of plastic since implementation in 2023.
Swing tickets
We have now removed all swing tickets, replacing them with internal labelling with QR codes to all the relevant information.
Transport
99.85%
Delivery Accuracy
Our delivery accuracy of 99.85% ensures the absolute minimum amount of C02 is used to deliver your order.
Sea Freight
We always aim to ship our products by sea freight, only resorting to air freight in extreme circumstances. To maximise efficiency and reduce environmental impact, we consolidate orders into 40ft containers and ensure they are filled to capacity.
DPD
We deliver through DPD, as their low carbon strategies stretch beyond electric vehicles and focus on many other areas, such as:
-
Waste recycling
-
Recyclable packaging
-
Eliminating single use plastic
-
Reaching 100% renewable energy usage
Action starts at home
Action starts at home
Our building and operations at Leo HQ in Barnstaple (North Devon) are constantly monitored and improved:
Working with our recycling partners to ensure nothing goes to landfill
Zero landfill waste
Solar panels
200 solar panels on-site generate renewable energy
Energy reduction
Continually measuring our impact with 100% LED lighting
Electric vehicles
All replacement cars are either Hybrid or Fully Electric