South Korea to recycle discarded police uniforms into new products

The Korean National Police Agency and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment have signed a memorandum of understanding to implement a circular resource system for discarded police uniforms. This initiative marks the first case of establishing a recycling and upcycling framework for public sector group uniforms.

Following a design update to police uniforms after ten years, an estimated 130,000 sets of old uniforms will be generated over the next two years. Previously, approximately 300 tons of police uniforms were incinerated annually. Under the new agreement, these uniforms will be diverted from incineration to various recycling processes.

Depending on the material and condition, the uniforms will be repurposed into products such as bags, wallets, and dolls through upcycling. Other methods include physical recycling to create yarn for gloves and scarves, or converting materials into construction supplies and furniture. Additionally, chemical recycling will be used to break down polyester into molecular components to create new petroleum-based products. The government plans to expand this resource circulation model to military, firefighting, and school uniforms in the future.