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Organizing the NATO Summit was quite a task for the 50,000 employees and volunteers involved. That’s why the Dutch Ministry of Defence decided it was time for a fitting thank-you gift. The result? A towel made from military uniforms. But this raises an interesting question: what actually happens to Dutch army uniforms when they don’t get turned into towels? In this article, I’ll tell you all about it.
NATO summit workers receive towel made from army uniforms
To make the gift, the Ministry of Defence approached Spinning Jenny, a sustainable spinning mill based in Nijverdal. This relatively young company specializes in transforming textile waste into new yarns. Although they haven’t been around that long, they are already making great strides in sustainable innovation.
Recently, they made a towel for Zeeman, created from old denim workwear that employees used in stores. They also collaborated on a sweater made from various recycled materials, including acrylic, viscose, and cotton. Customers can still buy it for only €21.99. And it doesn’t stop there. Last year, the mill teamed up with G-Star to produce jeans that were 100% made in the Netherlands.
Now, the Ministry of Defence wanted to offer employees and volunteers something that wouldn’t end up in the trash right away. The towel turned out to be the perfect product. After all, everyone uses towels. Each towel consists of 40% old army uniforms, which clearly shows in its army green color. It also features a special NATO Summit logo, making it a truly unique item.
Where do old army uniforms go?
That, of course, leads to the next question: where do Dutch military uniforms go when they don’t become towels? The answer isn’t simple. They don’t have just one destination, several different projects exist.
In recent years, people have donated a significant number of usable uniforms to the Ukrainian army. For instance, in 2023, the Ministry shipped about 64 cubic meters of women’s uniforms due to a major shortage of suitable gear for female soldiers. But they didn’t stop there. A year later, the Ministry of Defence announced a partnership with the Penitentiary Institution in Almelo, where inmates inspect used army uniforms before shipping them to Ukraine. They aimed to send 30,000 uniforms.
Other uniforms get transformed into entirely new products. For example, Remade Industry makes tote bags, toiletry bags, and first aid kits from discarded military gear. A small portion also goes to auction, where collectors and enthusiasts purchase them. I don’t know exactly how much, but I discovered this while researching the illegal online sale of Dutch army uniforms. I conducted this investigation on behalf of Mediahuis, and the article I wrote about it appeared in De Telegraaf (Dutch), among others.
The projects mentioned above serve as just a few examples. I don’t know all the details of what else happens to discarded uniforms, but one thing is clear: they don’t all end up in one big pile. And that’s a good thing because plenty of great and sustainable ways exist to give this textile a second life.
Warm regards,
Aileen