Girlguiding uniform collection certified for recyclability by the Circular Textiles Foundation
280,000 'Infinitee' certified garments to launch this summer as part of wider uniform redesign project, shaped by the views of 55,000 girls and volunteers.
UK, 5 August 2026 — Girlguiding, the UK's largest youth organisation dedicated to girls, has achieved certification from the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF) for over half of its new uniform collection, following a four-year national project to redesign the range.
Co-created with nearly 55,000 of its members, sustainability was highlighted as a key consideration by girls from the very beginning with lots of their uniform designs including requests to protect the planet by using recyclable and eco-friendly materials. The project is just one of many sitting within Girlguiding's wider environmental plan for the organisation to become more sustainable, with the aim of cutting its overall carbon emissions by 50% by 2040.
The certified collection spans 15 styles worn across all four Girlguiding sections for girls aged 4-18 — Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers — as well as by young leaders and adult unit Leaders, with 280,000 garments produced for the collection's launch over the summer. Each style has been assessed against CTF's Design for Recyclability criteria, confirming that the garments can be processed through fibre-to-fibre recycling at end of life, rather than being sent to landfill or incineration.
Every certified garment will carry the ‘Infinitee’ mark, CTF's on-product certification confirming it has been assessed as compatible with existing fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies.
A key change delivered through the redesign project is the move from polyurethane (PU) based prints to water-based prints across the collection. PU prints act as a contaminant in fibre-to-fibre recycling, meaning printed garments would previously have been rejected by recyclers or downgraded. By converting every print in the range, Girlguiding and its supply partners have removed one of the most common barriers to textile recycling without compromising print quality.
Felicity Oswald, Girlguiding CEO, said: “Engaging 55,000 girls is an enormous collaborative effort, but throughout the process girls have repeatedly told us how much they care about the environment and the importance of sustainability. “We’re really proud to have created a uniform range that will carry the ‘Infinitee’ certification mark, all while looking great and being comfortable and practical enough to wear for every guiding adventure. By designing the uniform to last, and be passed on for continued use, we’ll also be helping to ensure participation in guiding is kept affordable and sustainable for future generations to come.”
Tim Cross, Founder and CEO of the Circular Textiles Foundation, said: "With 280,000 garments at launch, this is circular design at genuinely national scale. Every garment carrying the 'Infinitee' mark has been independently assessed against our Design for Recyclability criteria, so parents and volunteers know it can be recycled into new fibre at end of life, not sent to landfill or incineration."
"Girlguiding's decision to reformulate every print in the range shows what's possible when recyclability is built in from the start. It's proof that designing for recyclability doesn't mean compromising on quality, comfort or how a garment looks, it simply means making the right choices early."
The project reflects a growing shift among uniform providers towards designing out barriers to recycling at the point of manufacture. Because uniform ranges are produced at volume, to consistent specifications, over long periods, changes made at design stage compound year on year, making them one of the most effective categories in which to embed circular design.
Notes to Editors
About the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF):
The CTF is an independent certifier and training provider dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular textile economy by advocating for Design for Recyclability. Through rigorous product certification and industry training and collaboration, CTF provides brands, retailers and recyclers with the tools and standards needed to make fibre-to-fibre recycling a commercial reality. The CTF's ‘Infinitee' mark is a certification mark granted by the UKIPO (2024) and EUIPO (2026), carrying legal recognition across the UK and all 27 EU member states. As a certification mark, it provides a legally enforceable assurance that goods bearing the mark meet a defined standard — in this case, that the garment is designed to be recycled.
About Girlguiding:
Girlguiding is the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated to girls, with around 385,000 members. Girls can do anything. We help them know that, whether they’re 4 or 18 or in between. Wherever they are in the UK, girls have a home at Girlguiding. We show them a world of possibilities, big and small. We help them think big and be bold in a space where they can be themselves, get creative, explore, and have fun. We’re over 300,000 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, who come together to laugh, learn, explore and have adventures, in communities across the UK and virtually. We're 80,000 volunteers who make guiding happen by giving time, talent and enthusiasm. Registered Charity No 306016 girlguiding.org.uk
Media contacts
Girlguiding: For further information and images please contact Girlguiding PR team at press.officeaccount@girlguiding.org.uk or 020 7592 1891
CTF: Ruth Hickman, Head of Communications, Circular Textiles Foundation, ruth@thectf.co.uk