New compression garment reuse service appeals for donations to support people with lipoedema
People across the UK are being urged to donate unwanted compression garments to help launch a pioneering new reuse service for people living with lipoedema.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have partnered with charity Talk Lipoedema and circular fashion specialist Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS) to trial the compression garment reuse service, which aims to improve access to essential compression clothing while giving unwanted garments a second life.
Our research highlighted a clear opportunity to reduce waste while helping people access garments that can make a real difference to their quality of life.
Lisa Macintyre
Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University's Design School
The project will collect good-quality, ready-made compression garments that are no longer needed, professionally clean and sanitise them, assess their condition and make them available through an organised online platform for people who could benefit from them.
The initiative was inspired by findings from a recent survey involving 373 people with lipoedema, which explored lived experiences of using compression garments. The research revealed widespread frustration at the number of garments that go unused when they don’t fit or no longer meet an individual's needs, often ending up stored in drawers despite remaining in good condition.
Unused compression garments can represent a significant financial loss for both individuals and healthcare services, while also contributing to unnecessary textile waste. At the same time, many people with lipoedema face challenges accessing or affording replacement garments.
The survey findings have already been published in an open-access research paper and helped shape the development of the new reuse service.
Lisa Macintyre at Heriot-Watt University said: "Our research highlighted a clear opportunity to reduce waste while helping people access garments that can make a real difference to their quality of life. By working with Talk Lipoedema and ACS, we're creating a practical solution that supports both people and the environment.
“We're now asking people to donate good-quality compression garments they no longer need so we can help launch the service and ensure more people with lipoedema can benefit from compression."
Through the scheme, donated garments will undergo professional processing to ensure they are suitable for reuse before being photographed and listed online. The aim is to create a trusted, accessible route for people with lipoedema to obtain compression garments while extending the lifespan of products that might otherwise go to waste.
The project team involving research associates Gigi Jiang and Sophia Murden is now appealing for donations of good-quality ready-made compression garments suitable for people with lipoedema that don’t fit or are no longer required.
The researchers hope the trial will demonstrate how circular economy principles can be applied to healthcare textiles, creating both social and environmental benefits.
Isobel MacEwan, Chair at Talk Lipoedema, said: “Misfitted compression garments end up in landfills, money is wasted and patients are left suffering. We don’t need more waste – we need better fitting garments and a way to not waste garments that don’t fit.”
Michael Cusack, Chief Sustainability Officer at ACS, said: “At ACS, we believe there is enormous potential to apply circularity to healthcare textiles. Compression garments are a great example of valuable products that may still have useful life when their original user no longer needs them. This pilot gives us the opportunity to explore how they can be safely recovered, assessed and returned to productive use – reducing waste, conserving resources and potentially helping more people.”
People interested in donating suitable compression garments or learning more about the reuse service can find further information at: https://www.talklipoedema.org/compression-reuse