In facilities across the country, DuPont™ Tyvek® protective apparel helps workers stay protected in environments where contamination control, particle protection, and workplace safety are essential. But what happens after those garments have served their purpose?
For qualifying organizations, disposal doesn’t have to be the only option.
The DuPont™ Tyvek® Protective Apparel Recycling Program gives used Tyvek® and Tyvek® IsoClean® garments a second life by diverting them from landfills and recycling them into durable, practical products.
Giving Used Tyvek® Garments a Second Life
Rather than sending used garments to a landfill, participating organizations can collect and recycle qualifying Tyvek® apparel through DuPont’s recycling program.
Once processed, the recycled material can be transformed into products such as:
- Lumber pallets
- Park benches
- Shipping and storage containers
- Landscape timbers
- Dunnage and other non-apparel applications
For every case of 25 Tyvek® coveralls recycled, approximately 10 pounds of HDPE are diverted from the waste stream and put back to work in new products.
How the Program Works
The DuPont™ Tyvek® Recycling Program is designed to be simple for qualifying end users.
The program includes:
- Program setup
- Collection guidance
- Transportation
- Storage
- Recycling services
Participating garments are collected onsite and shipped to a DuPont recycling partner, where the material is processed and repurposed into new applications.
Customer Spotlight: How Curium Reduced Waste Through Recycling
One organization already seeing the benefits is Curium, a manufacturer and supplier of nuclear medicine products.
Curium uses more than 1,400 DuPont™ Tyvek® garments every month throughout its laboratories and manufacturing facilities.
According to Brian Ferris, Senior EHS Specialist at Curium: “We were excited that the program is a no-cost operation and keeps the garments out of landfills.”
To make recycling part of everyday operations, Curium implemented designated collection containers for used garments. Once collected, garments are placed into recycling containers provided through the program and shipped to a DuPont recycling partner at no cost.
The results went beyond simply diverting waste.
Ferris explained: “We have less transportation steps, and our frequency of trash pickup at a designated building has been reduced from five days a week to two.”
By participating in the program, Curium streamlined waste handling, improved operational efficiency, and helped keep hundreds of garments out of landfills every month.
Why Organizations Participate
For qualifying facilities, the recycling program may help:
- Reduce landfill-bound waste
- Lower waste-related handling and disposal costs
- Increase eligibility for grants and incentives
- Contribute toward ISO 14001 initiatives
- Increase employee engagement around environmental initiatives
Does Your Facility Qualify?
Organizations may be eligible if they:
- Have facilities based within the continental United States
- Use at least 300 cases (or 7,500 garments) of qualifying Tyvek® or Tyvek® IsoClean® coveralls annually
- Use eligible Tyvek® products with part numbers that start with “TY” or “IC”
- Have used garments that are free from hazardous contamination, oils, or not designated as a DOT-regulated hazardous material and/or an EPA/State/Local regulated waste
Learn More
The DuPont™ Tyvek® Protective Apparel Recycling Program enables qualifying facilities to reduce waste and give used protective garments a second life.
Interested in finding out if your facility qualifies?
Call 1-800-931-3456 or visit personalprotection.dupont.com.