SUSTAINABILITY

By FedEx | First published: November 7, 2022    Updated: August 19, 2026

The life of a FedEx uniform doesn’t end after retirement. Here’s how our local teams have recycled thousands of old uniforms into sustainable gifts, bags, and even alternative fuels.

• When FedEx uniforms worn by frontline team members reach the end of their working life, textile recycling can give these garments a second life while helping to reduce waste. 
• From courier caps to versatile bags, FedEx teams have collaborated with local organizations to breathe new life into old uniforms.
• Beyond uniform recycling, FedEx is advancing a range of initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, including sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and electrifying our global parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet.

At FedEx, our purpose is to connect people and possibilities across the world as responsibly and resourcefully as possible. Around the globe, our teams are committed to delivering a more sustainable future by seeking new and innovative ways to minimize our operational footprint.

When it comes to fostering sustainability, no step is too small. In Asia Pacific (APAC), our teams are uncovering an often overlooked opportunity to reduce waste: uniform recycling.

Giving old uniforms a new lease of life

FedEx frontline team members receive a new uniform every year. However, this means that thousands of old uniforms pile up and potentially generate waste.

Rather than simply disposing of them, how can retired uniforms be transformed into sustainable and useful products? Across APAC and beyond, FedEx teams have answered this question in a range of creative ways.

New upcycled caps

As textile recycling technologies advance, new opportunities are emerging to give old clothing a second life. In Thailand, one company at the forefront of textile recycling is SC Grand. Certified by various global organizations, SC Grand has over 60 years of experience recycling used clothes into sustainable textile products.

In 2022, the FedEx Thailand team collaborated with SC Grand to break down more than 200 old uniforms into fiber, yarn, and fabric. These materials were then transformed into over 700 FedEx caps.

By working with a local sustainability partner, we were able to benefit from their shared expertise to minimize our environmental footprint.

Innovative gifts for customers

The possibilities of uniform recycling go far beyond sustainable garments. Over in the Philippines, our local teams have been working with social enterprise Mori Notes since 2022 to turn retired uniforms into meaningful gifts.

In 2025, for instance, we transformed 300 retired shirts into 200 neck pillows and 200 versatile gadget pouches. Over the years, we’ve also recycled old FedEx uniforms into Mori Notes Pursebooks, which function as both a notebook and a pouch.

Bags of all sizes

In China, we’ve given FedEx’s old uniforms a second life as sturdy bags. In 2024, nearly 1,200 old uniforms were collected, cleaned, sanitized, pressed, cut, and sewn into more than 400 new FedEx crossbody bags and fanny packs.

Even the leftover fabric didn't go to waste. It was repurposed into low-carbon alternative fuels to replace the use of coal in industrial manufacturing. This initiative had the potential to prevent more than 1.33 tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the carbon absorbed by 20 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Meanwhile, our FedEx Hong Kong team worked with social enterprise Dress Green to recycle uniforms into an array of sustainable bags. From tote bags to laptop sleeves, umbrella cases, and waist bags, these FedEx products reinforce our commitment to reducing waste and operating more sustainably for the long haul.

What else is FedEx doing to operate more sustainably?

At FedEx, we’ve set a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. Uniform recycling is just one of many initiatives we’ve embarked on to reduce our emissions and environmental impact. As we progress toward our goal, we continue to adopt innovative practices that help create a more sustainable future for our people, customers, and communities.

From an operations standpoint, we’re gradually transitioning to a 100% electric parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet. We’re also working to responsibly manage energy use and waste generation across our global network of facilities, with the aim of sourcing 100% of our facility electricity from renewable sources by 2040.

Our owned aircraft operations are the largest contributor to our emissions footprint. That’s why we’ve invested significant resources to reduce this footprint through fuel conservation, aircraft fleet modernization, and sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). So far, these efforts have enabled us to achieve a 32% reduction in aircraft emissions intensity since 2005.

In terms of our services, we’ve developed innovative solutions to support our customers’ sustainability efforts. Our digital shipping tools make it easy for customers to go paperless where possible. Through FedEx Sustainability Insights, we're also helping businesses gain greater visibility into their carbon footprint by tracking their shipping emissions.

Advancing sustainability across our operations is a top priority at FedEx. As we continue to evolve our global network, every initiative brings us one step closer to protecting our future, our people, and our planet.

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For more information on our sustainability initiatives, check out our latest Corporate Responsibility Report.