At Summerland Bank, we talk a lot about sustainability—and for good reason. It’s one of our core values and a guiding principle in everything we do. So, when we refreshed our brand and transitioned from ‘Credit Union’ to ‘Bank,’ it was only fitting to ensure that our practices stayed true to being ethical and eco-friendly.

Rebranding involved not only updating our signage and branding but also replacing our staff uniforms. As part of our mission to minimise our environmental footprint, we searched for ethical uniform suppliers in Australia and found a partner that shared our values of sustainability and responsible supply chain practices. 

But there was a challenge: what would we do with our old uniforms? With our logo embroidered on each garment, donating them wasn’t a secure option. 

That’s where Upparel, a fellow B Corp business, came in. By working with Upparel, we found an innovative way to recycle our old uniforms while making a measurable environmental impact. 

Here’s how it worked:

• All old uniforms were collected and returned to our Lismore Head Office. 

• Two pallets of uniforms were shipped to Upparel’s Melbourne facility for processing. 

• Through this collaboration, we prevented these clothes from going to landfill, avoiding the equivalent of 1508 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. 

By partnering with Upparel, we successfully recycled our old uniforms, significantly reducing our environmental impact and staying true to our core value of sustainability.