The Invest Plymouth Team recently sat down with James Holmes, Production Director to find out more about Project Plan B, an innovative Plymouth-based company leading the way in sustainable workwear and uniform solutions.
Project Plan B isn’t just about designing and supplying uniforms—they’re on a mission to revolutionise the industry with sustainability and circular economy principles at the core of their operations. Their garments are designed to be fully recyclable, tackling the issue of textile waste head-on.
A standout initiative is their collaboration with The Salvation Army on Project Reclaim, which won the Plastics Industry Award 2024 for Recycler of the Year! This initiative focuses on collecting, recycling, and repurposing post-consumer and post-industrial polyester textiles, significantly reducing textile waste.
Their model is a shining example of circularity in action all taking place right here in Britian’s Ocean City.
With sustainability becoming a top priority across industries, businesses, large organisations, and even the military have a huge opportunity to make a difference by choosing recyclable workwear solutions.
What is the name of the company and how long have you been in Plymouth?
Plan B – We have been operating in Plymouth for the last 15 years.
What is the sector that you specialise in?
We specialise in the design and manufacture of recyclable workwear and uniforms. In addition, we offer a circular end-of-life solution by recycling polyester uniforms into textile rPET. This recycled material can be repurposed into new textiles and other next-life applications, reducing waste and supporting the circular economy.
In 20 words, how would you describe the business?
We create sustainable, recyclable workwear and uniforms, recycling end-of-life garments into high-quality rPET for next life applications.
Do you supply to Plymouth/SW/UK-wide/overseas?
UK-wide/overseas
What would you say was your best-selling product/service?
Our business offers two unique and complementary solutions: the design & manufacture of fully recyclable workwear and uniforms, and the ability to recycle them at end of life. With expertise in both clothing design and recycling technology, we ensure that every garment we create is optimised for circularity.
What would you say is the best thing about doing business in Plymouth?
Plymouth is a fantastic city, but all our clients are in the North of the UK and abroad. Unfortunately, our engagement with local businesses is limited, likely due to minimal marketing and a lack of presence at networking events. Increasing our local outreach would raise awareness of our services, especially among industries that need uniforms for their workforce.
And what of the future … where do you see Project Plan B in 10 years’ time?
In 10 years, Project Plan B will be at the forefront of a transformative shift in the textile recycling industry. Over the next decade, we anticipate significant growth as we continue to advance our recycling technology and sustainable design capabilities. This expansion will not only solidify our market position but also drastically increase the volume of polyester textiles diverted from landfill and incineration, giving these materials valuable next-life opportunities.
As the textile industry moves away from simply using plastic bottles for polyester yarns, the demand for true fibre-to-fibre recycling is growing rapidly. Project Plan B is uniquely positioned to lead this change, driving the shift towards a fully circular system. In this system, end-of-life textiles will be continuously regenerated, creating a closed-loop process that eliminates waste and maximises resource efficiency. This evolution is crucial for the UK’s sustainability goals, as it helps to reduce the environmental impact of textile waste, which has long been a significant issue. By advancing this model, Project Plan B will not only help reduce the UK's landfill burden but also contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy.
And how about yourself … how long have you worked at Project Plan B and what is your role and how did you come up with the idea of recycled clothing?
I co-founded Project Plan B 15 years ago with my two business partners, combining over six decades of experience in the textile industry, with a particular focus on workwear and uniforms. As Production Director, I oversee both the manufacturing supply chain and our recycling facility.
Around eight years ago, we set out to make clothing more sustainable by integrating polyester yarns made from recycled plastic bottles into our garments. This sparked a key question: if plastic bottles can be recycled into yarn, why can’t clothing made from those same bottles be recycled in the same way? The challenge was that garments were traditionally not designed with recycling in mind, and no technology existed to enable this.
Determined to change this, we developed our own innovative process, one capable of recycling post-consumer textiles. Today, we design and manufacture garments with their end-of-life in mind, ensuring they can be fully recycled using our technology. Our goal is to drive a true circular transformation in the textile industry, where clothing is never considered waste but instead remains part of a continuous loop of reuse and regeneration. This is why Project Plan B is so crucial to the future of the UK’s textile industry, as we create a scalable solution to reduce the environmental impact of textile waste and promote sustainability.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I live a very simple and quiet life outside of work, I enjoy walking the coastlines of Cornwall and Devon, and I particularly enjoy cooking….. especially on a Sunday.
If you could have a business lunch with anyone who could significantly influence you or the business, who would that be and why?
I would choose to have a business lunch with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as DEFRA plays a pivotal role in shaping policies on waste management, sustainability, and textile recycling. The UK is currently falling behind Europe in implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, a policy that holds manufacturers accountable for a product’s entire lifecycle, including its end-of-life disposal.
In contrast, several European countries are making significant progress. France has set ambitious recycling targets, aiming for a 70% recycling rate (excluding reuse) by 2024 and 80% by 2027, with specific sub-targets for fibre-to-fibre recycling. The Netherlands has also introduced a 75% preparation-for-reuse and recycling target. Without similar mandatory frameworks, the UK risks lagging further behind in addressing textile waste effectively. Swift policy action is needed to align with these advancements and ensure that textile recycling and recyclability are prioritised.
A meeting with the Secretary of State would provide a crucial opportunity to discuss the urgent need for the UK to adopt structured, mandatory regulations rather than relying on voluntary initiatives. Stronger policies would drive investment in domestic recycling infrastructure, create new economic opportunities, and reduce the UK’s dependence on exporting textile waste. Furthermore, this discussion could highlight industry challenges, advocate for incentives that support sustainable innovation, and explore potential funding opportunities to accelerate the transition towards a fully circular textile economy.