Accelerating Sustainability Leadership At Arco

Following a year of robust financial results and strategic investment, Arco - the UK and Ireland’s leading safety expert - is reinforcing its commitment to sustainability with the publication of its annual Sustainability Report. This report demonstrates how the company’s financial strength is enabling bold action on environmental and social responsibility, ensuring customers benefit from both market-leading safety solutions and responsible sourcing practices.

Connecting Investment and Sustainability

Arco’s recent annual accounts statement revealed how the company had made significant investments in innovation, infrastructure and customer experience. It also highlighted continued focus and commitment to their sustainability strategy, a key element of its long-term growth plan.

Guy Bruce, CEO of Arco, commented:

“This has been a pivotal year for Arco. Our strong financial performance gives us the platform to accelerate sustainability initiatives that matter to our customers and communities. Sustainability isn’t an add-on - it’s embedded into our strategy, shaping how we design products, manage our supply chain and deliver social value.”

Empowering Responsible Purchasing

Jim Harbidge, Head of Sustainability at Arco, said shifting attitudes in the safety and workwear industry reflect greater responsibility in corporate purchasing.

“We’ve reached the limit of how cheaply things can be made. Businesses want to show they are purchasing responsibly, so we design for longevity. This helps Arco’s customers keep products in use for longer, enjoy a stronger return on investment, and reduce overall environmental impact.”

A Sustainability Blueprint

Arco’s sustainability and circularity efforts are held up as a blueprint to follow in the workwear and safety industry. This was substantiated by the retention in May 2025 of EcoVadis Gold status, making Arco the only UK-based safety specialist to have this distinction. In the past 12 months, Arco has achieved notable successes in its sustainability journey including:

• Responsible Products: Over 15% of all garments in the product range feature textiles sourced from certified ‘better’ and recycled materials; plus an expanded Responsible Choice range.

• Partnerships in Circularity: Collaboration with Stuff4Life give garments a second life to reduce waste. Selected footwear and hard-hat ranges include a back-to-manufacturer recycling option at end-of-life.

• Zero Waste Commitment: 75% of Arco waste is recycled into new products, with zero waste to landfill.

• Carbon Reduction Targets: Arco, as the first safety specialist in the UK to have fully validated carbon reduction targets via the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), will cut emissions by 4.2% annually, reaching Net Zero by 2045.

• Ethical Supply Chain: 17 years membership of the Ethical Trading Initiative; full product traceability from raw material to finished goods.

• Social Value: 1,200 employees contributed 2,200 volunteer hours; with a dedication to community initiatives that boost employability; 60 charities supported through grants and matched funding.

  
  

Looking Ahead

Arco’s Sustainability strategy is designed to deliver measurable impact while supporting customers in meeting their own Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.

By aligning financial strength with environmental and social responsibility, Arco continues to set the benchmark for safety and sustainability in the industry.

The full Sustainability Report is available here.