Leading Workwear-as-a-Service provider presents its sustainability report: awards, measurable progress and investment in an efficient laundry and service network across Europe
Dreieich, 18 June 2026 – CWS Workwear, a leading Workwear as a Service provider, has today published its 2025/26 Responsibility Report. The report demonstrates how service quality and sustainability impact are directly linked in the company's day-to-day operations, from sales and laundry to logistics and customer service. With the motto 'Service with purpose', the report documents measurable progress, including achieving an EcoVadis Gold medal (placing CWS Workwear in the top five per cent worldwide), sourcing 81 per cent of the company's electricity from renewable sources, and launching a comprehensive investment drive in the European laundry network.
CWS Workwear takes full responsibility for the entire lifecycle of its customers’ workwear. This includes everything from the initial consultation and fitting to cleaning, repairs, logistics and customer support. This circular service model is at the heart of the business, serving as a catalyst for sustainability and responsibility by keeping clothing in use for longer and saving resources. Modernised laundries reduce water and energy consumption, while digitalised processes increase transparency and lower emissions. This precisely underpins the central theme of the report, 'Service with purpose': responsibility is not just a concept, but something that is demonstrated by people delivering services every day. The 2025/26 Responsibility Report highlights this impact.
'In 2025, we grew at a record pace, investing and expanding strategically. Sustainability and responsibility have become even more integral to our business strategy. They strengthen our business resilience, competitiveness, and long-term trust,” emphasises Hartmut Engler, CEO of CWS Workwear.
ESG progress in 2025: EcoVadis Gold (top five per cent) and 81 per cent renewable electricity
By 2025, CWS Workwear had further improved its ESG performance, embedding sustainability more firmly within its day-to-day operations. This is reflected in external recognition, too: EcoVadis awarded CWS Workwear a Gold rating, placing the company among the top five per cent of assessed companies worldwide. Further key figures:
CWS Workwear also reaffirms its commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), with the aim of reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by up to 42 per cent by 2030, based on 2021 figures.
‘Building on our own progress and the external recognition we achieved in 2025, our focus in 2026 is on further integrating sustainability and responsibility into all aspects of our business operations, as well as continuing our transformation,’ says Leonie Biesen, Head of Sustainability & ESG at CWS Workwear.
Expanding the laundry network to increase efficiency and impact
One of the key drivers of the transformation is expanding the European laundry network. By doing so, CWS Workwear is enhancing service reliability, capacity and resource efficiency — particularly with regard to water and energy consumption. Three sites are planned for gradual commissioning in 2026:
Transparency and traceability: Reporting readiness across the value chain
In light of the growing demand for sustainability reporting and traceability, CWS Workwear is improving transparency and reporting readiness throughout the value chain. To this end, the company is continuously improving the quality of its data, its governance and its compliance and is embedding responsibility even more firmly within the supply chain. This includes enhanced due diligence in the area of human rights and closer involvement of suppliers.
Read now: The Responsibility Report 2025/26
Prepared in collaboration with RYZE Digital, this report makes complex ESG content understandable and relevant to all target groups. You can read the full report here.
Founded in 1899, CWS Workwear has been dedicated to serving customers to protect their workers and the planet for more than 125 years. We are a leader in the workwear industry providing Workwear as a Service with customised, stylish, long-lasting and protective workwear, encompassing more than a century of innovation and service.
Embracing a circular business model, we are committed to creating a sustainable and resilient future, marking our position as a leader in the workwear industry with a European presence. Our operations span 15 countries with a dedicated team of 5,300 professionals across more than 100 locations. Our infrastructure includes 30+ state-of-the-art industrial laundries in Europe. This enables us to serve our extensive customer base of over 35,000 customers across all CWS Workwear markets, providing our services to over 1.5 million people daily. Leveraging our local presence, we thrive for a close and local partnership with our customers.
Our commitment to sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, guided by an ambitious roadmap aimed at reducing both our own and our customers' CO2 emissions along the entire value chain. By fostering 360 customer experience and maintaining proximity to our clients, we ensure our workwear solutions meet specific needs, support responsible production practices and significantly reduce carbon footprints.
"Work your style. For you, for your business, for the planet."
Further information is available at www.cws.com/workwear.
