Hand-stitched, upcycled bags will give a second life to NHS uniforms that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill, in a new project by two recent graduates from the University of Brighton.
The bags are handstitched by Angus Clifford, a recent Product Design graduate who is working with gomi, a Brighton-based sustainability design studio co-founded and led by University of Brighton 3D Design & Craft graduate, Tom Meades.
Launched on 29 May, the project is a collaboration with NHS Sussex to raise funds to support local healthcare services.
Materials for the gomi day bag – which is designed to be comfortable to hold and suitable for carrying essentials for school or work – include retired medical scrubs collected from Brighton General Hospital with support from the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. All the profits made from the sale of the collection will go directly to the Sussex Community NHS Charity.
Last summer, says the university, Angus and Tom launched a unique line of sustainable textile products to sit alongside the gomi electronics range, from laptop sleeves to cable organisers, all made from waste courier uniforms. The idea which was Angus’ final university project demonstrated how delivery companies including Deliveroo, Just East, Uber Eats – and many more – could reduce the amount of waste generated from the millions of courier uniforms they hand out every year.
Angus who received a residency at Plus X Innovation to work on a limited collection of bags following his graduation in 2024, said: “Earlier this year, Tom and I put out a call on social media asking for old uniforms which were no longer in use. Among the responses were various pieces of NHS equipment and scrubs. This small run of bags is not only a great way to raise money for Sussex Community NHS Charity, but also a chance to show what’s possible with uniforms that would otherwise go to waste.
“I haven’t seen many initiatives like this before, and I hope this project which only started as idea during my time at the university, demonstrates how upcycling these uniforms can be more than a one-off. It is a creative, sustainable model that could be scaled up to raise even more funds for the amazing work the NHS does for us.”
Tom Meades, who is also a guest lecturer of design courses at the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering at the University of Brighton said: “We’re always looking to find ways to take unloved waste materials and give them value through design. Our aim is to make materials feel treasured and avoid them becoming waste again in the future.
“We live in a world swamped with waste materials, so using recycled materials in products feels like the new norm for us – the challenge is really designing meaning into a product, so that it’s treasured and will avoid becoming waste again. We do this through finding sentimental materials that evoke a story for the user.”
The NHS x gomi Day Bags are designed to be lightweight, durable, and designed for everyday use. It features bold colours and distinctive designs honouring the hard work and dedication of the NHS workers who once wore the uniforms. Each buy offers a chance for customers to support sustainability, local design, and the NHS.
The NHS x gomi Day Bag will be available to purchase from Thursday, 29 May via the gomi design website.
