The chef's filipina, the best reflection of your restaurant.
One of the most internationally recognized uniforms is the chef's uniform. For cooks worldwide, choosing their work clothes is a crucial process, as the garments must meet high quality standards, reflect the best of each establishment's cuisine, and preserve a centuries-old tradition. One of the most important pieces in any chef's uniform is the chef's jacket. But do you know the history of this garment? In 1822, the celebrated French chef Marie-Antoine Carême was portrayed in an illustration wearing a chef's jacket. Marie-Antoine's influence on European cuisine was fundamental in popularizing the jacket. From there, its use spread throughout the Old Continent initially, and later gained a place in kitchens around the world. At the end of the 19th century, this garment began to be mass-produced in the United States, leading to its complete dominance in chefs' uniforms. Now, the safety and comfort of the users are paramount when selecting the best chef's jacket. The materials must be suitable to protect them from burns or splashes; there is a wide variety of fabrics that can be used depending on the specific tasks of each chef. At GDI, we will guide you through this process, analyzing your staff's work with you to select the best materials. Furthermore, the garment's design is essential for several reasons. The jacket's characteristics can vary depending on the chef's role; for example, if they work near the fire, long sleeves are essential to prevent accidents, while if the work doesn't involve contact with fire, short sleeves are appropriate for greater mobility. Additionally, the corporate image of each restaurant and kitchen, and the message you want to convey through the chefs' uniform, also come into play. Our Design department will work with you to create the best garment and image for your restaurant, from the colors to the placement of your logo and the various features of the garment. At GDI, we have extensive experience providing uniforms to companies in the food and restaurant industry. Throughout our history, we've outfitted the kitchens of many of your favorite restaurants across the country. If you work for a company in this sector and would like to start projecting your corporate image and give your employees the best work tools, contact us and together we'll find the perfect solution for you. We look forward to hearing from you! Octavio López Rios – Executive Chef of GDI
Staff turnover, a risk to your corporate image
You may have seen people wearing a uniform—a t-shirt, jacket, or garment with their company logo—on your way to work, on a weekend outing, or simply going about your daily activities. The use of uniforms is a positive thing since employees are one of the main assets a company has to differentiate its identity and brand, being a factor that helps the company stand out from the competition and build trust with the customer. Now, imagine seeing someone on the news or on social media one day who was arrested for committing a crime while wearing your company's uniform or a t-shirt with your logo in the trash, polluting the environment and taking more than 50 years to be absorbed by the environment. Before you know it, it's trending, memes and criticisms appear about the poor management and control that the brand and/or company has over this very important element. An event like this can severely damage the reputation and image of any company, regardless of its size or industry. But what can be done as an organization? Employee turnover is one of the biggest problems for the Human Resources departments of any company, and keeping track of the uniforms of each employee becomes an extremely complicated mission. In Mexico, employee turnover reaches a rate of 16.75%, the highest among Latin American countries. For example, in our country, the restaurant industry alone has a value of close to 250,000 billion pesos. According to data from the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (Canirac), the food sector generates around 700,000 million direct jobs and nearly three million indirect jobs in Mexico, but it is also one of the sectors with the highest staff turnover. Where do all those uniforms that are being left behind end up? What happens to those thousands of garments? Doesn't it make you nervous? Currently, despite these high turnover rates, there are still organizations that do not ensure the proper disposal of their uniforms after their useful life, potentially becoming victims of misuse of their corporate image or being involved in an inconvenient and regrettable incident due to not having taken the necessary measures with a uniform that was incorrectly discarded. That is why at GDI Uniforms, committed to the environment as a Socially Responsible Company and taking care of our clients' corporate image as their best business partners, we offer our clients the Controlled Destruction and Disposal of Uniforms Service, where our business partners protect their brand and have the assurance that their uniforms will only be used to create recycled products and in favor of the environment. Our service ranges from the collection by GDI or shipment by the client of obsolete uniforms, the destruction of garments ensuring that the misuse of obsolete uniforms is avoided, photographic evidence and document certifying the destruction of all garments and the recycling. The resulting material is reprocessed to generate new by-products: carpet fabrics, upholstery yarns, new garments, and so on. Get in touch with us and together we'll develop a program that protects your corporate image and the environment! Vanessa Orendain García – Account Executive at GDI
Circular Economy, a challenge for the textile sector
We live in a world of constant change, in every sense; people, companies, climate, processes, trends, concepts, etc… Evolving is necessary and beneficial if we approach it in the right way. And for those of us who dedicate ourselves to creating/producing, it is no exception. Currently, production in a company is based on a cycle where raw materials are transformed into products, marketed, and then discarded. At GDI, we have adopted the concept of Sustainability as part of our core values. We seek to go beyond recycling and reusing materials, implementing actions in recent years to achieve a Circular Economy. In other words, produce, use, and throw away? No! Our approach is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. “The circular economy advocates using as many biodegradable materials as possible in the manufacture of consumer goods that can return to nature without causing environmental damage when they reach the end of their useful life. In cases where it is not possible to use eco-friendly materials, the objective will be to facilitate a simple decoupling to give them a new life by reincorporating them into the production cycle and composing a new piece. When that is not possible, it will be recycled in an environmentally friendly way.” Some of the principles of the circular economy that we already implement in our operation are: Reuse: reusing certain waste or parts of it, which can still be used to make new products. Repair: giving broken products a second life. Recycling: using materials found in waste. But you might ask: how do you apply it? Which products have it? Well, a few years ago we started with the dream of contributing more and we began with research, tests, many tests with which we achieved extremely valuable processes that we are proud of: Garments made with recyclable material. This consists of the development of garments with fabrics made from PET bottles; it is one of the most convenient ways to recycle plastic bottles and prevent their accumulation. At GDI we produce an average of 230,000 garments annually with 50% PET, which represents the recycling of more than 688,000 PET bottles. Regeneration: Development of new garments with fabrics obtained from the recycling of clothing that has gone through a circular system. At GDI we produce an average of 68,000 regenerated trousers annually using fabrics from recycled garments. Also within this process, through our garment destruction program designed to protect our clients' brands, as part of our care for the environment, the material resulting from said destruction is reprocessed to generate new by-products: Fabrics for carpets, yarns for upholstery, among other things. At GDI, we strive to minimize our environmental impact with eco-friendly products and processes, reducing energy consumption and improving the environmental quality of our processes through sound resource management. Today, given the times we are living in, it is more important to reflect on the fact that we do not live in isolation. We share the same air, the same planet, and therefore, everything you or I do has a ripple effect. This is our small contribution as a responsible company, as the GDI family, for you, for me. Get in touch with us and together we'll develop a program that protects your corporate image and makes you part of this cycle for the environment! Liliana Jiménez Figueroa – Senior Account Executive by GDI
5 companies in Mexico with sustainable practices
Restoring our Earth must be a priority for everyone to stop and reverse the degradation it has suffered. The interest in sustainability is not a fad; it is our opportunity to rebuild the environment and is a movement that is moving towards a long-term investment strategy and that in 10 or 15 years will be completely commonplace in global markets. Being a company with Sustainable Development strategies has several benefits. Incorporating these strategies benefits our companies, as it demonstrates transparency, creates financial value, improves our organization's reputation, promotes continuous improvement, helps manage regulatory compliance, strengthens risk management and stewardship, improves the management system and decision-making, attracts and retains key talent, attracts long-term capital with more favorable financial conditions, and improves our competitive position in the market. Below, we show you different sustainable actions that some of the most important companies in our country are implementing. At GDI Uniforms we are your suppliers and strategic partners to work together to reduce our environmental impact. The company has PetStar in Mexico, the world's largest recycling plant, and IMER, the first recycling plant built in Latin America. Together they can process more than 85,000 tons of this material per year, which is equivalent to filling the Azteca Stadium three times. This investment includes initiatives for recycling plant infrastructure, collection and recycling in a three-year plan and strengthens its commitment as the main recycler of food-grade PET in the country, IMCC (The Mexican Coca-Cola Industry) detailed in a statement. They have a joint work plan with their Private Label suppliers to achieve several milestones. Among these, the following stand out: 100% recyclable packaging, certification of the use of palm oil and its derivatives, as well as certification for the use of paper, cellulose and wood in the manufacture of its packaging, as well as the objective that all products containing soy or those derived from the meat marketing chain are produced without risks of deforestation. With a focus on tackling environmental problems, they also announced their commitment to drastically reduce and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in their operations by 2040. The Sustainable Barley Innovation Program (PICES) offers support to farmers to provide them with the best technologies available in the sector and thus seek to achieve the best yields, income and obtain a higher quality barley grain for Heineken beers. This initiative for the countryside seeks to sustainably impact the agricultural sector in Mexico. It has a Sustainable Uniforms program, through which uniforms for its employees were acquired that are made of 50 percent cotton and 50 percent recycled PET fibers. These uniforms, when they reach the end of their useful life, are transformed into rags and other products; in 2020, 16,657 pieces were collected, equivalent to 5,552 kilograms of fabric. We have sustainable programs such as regenerated garments, sustainable garments and uniform destruction, each of them aligned with our strategic pillars of: At GDI Uniforms as your strategic partner, we take care of your brand and we take care of the environment.
Latin American companies are committed to sustainability
In a survey of 450 CEOs, 60% said they have a strong affinity for issues such as gender equality, circular economy, climate change, and the workforce of the future. Sustainability and the circular economy, which a few years ago were almost ignored practices, quickly climbed among the priorities of the most prominent companies in Latin America and the world, and came to be among the aspects that receive the most attention today. Furthermore, 45% of business leaders in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico said they already have a sustainability strategy in their organizations; and 22% said they are working on one, placing this issue as a priority agenda among corporations in the region. The CEOs' responses suggest that sustainability is not seen as a "standalone program" but as a cross-cutting or multidisciplinary issue, a way of approaching business. Today it is difficult not to associate a company's profitability and economic development with its sustainability policy. Not only because a sustainable business is one that will be able to sustain itself in the long term, but for several other reasons: customer preference in choosing products and brands, talent attraction, and regulatory compliance. In all these areas, a sustainable company will have advantages over one that is not. In the case of the textile industry, which is the second most polluting industry in the world after the oil industry, achieving a balance between nature and textile production is paramount. The current trend is to develop textiles and materials that come from organic waste. In addition, textile companies are adopting new practices such as considering the life cycle, avoiding animal testing, and aligning their daily operations towards a sustainable lifestyle and collaborating against climate change. In Mexico, textiles are recycled at a rate of only 0.5% per year; on average, each person throws away 3 kg of clothing, of which only 15 grams would be recovered. This is why it is important to innovate with organic fabrics that reduce the pollution rate. At GDI we have sustainable projects that seek to reduce the environmental impact of our company and that of our business partners. Recycled Garments Program: They are made with fabrics manufactured from PET bottles, which is one of the most convenient ways to recycle plastic bottles. Furthermore, at practical levels there is no difference between traditional and recycled polyester. During the recycling process, the fiber is reconstituted at a molecular level, and therefore recycled polyester is just as strong, durable, and has the same properties as virgin polyester. The two polyesters differ in their environmental impact; PET has a much lower environmental impact than traditional polyester. Regenerated Garments Program: They are made with fabrics made from recycled textiles; That is, they are made from regenerated waste from post-consumer cotton garments. Natural fibers such as wool and cotton can be mechanically recycled, but the process decreases the length and quality of the fibers, which is why it is necessary to add virgin fibers. These latter serve as a supplement, since it is not currently possible to include 100% recycled materials in garments. Controlled Garment Destruction Program: With this service, we prevent post-consumer uniforms from having a negative impact on the planet and on our client's corporate image. The intention is to prevent our clients' uniforms from being discarded, polluting the environment, or from falling into the hands of someone outside the company, damaging its corporate image. The program begins with GDI collecting the uniforms or the Client sending them. Afterwards, a process of destroying garments begins, ensuring that the misuse of obsolete uniforms is avoided. Customers are given photographic evidence and a document certifying the destruction of all the garments. The resulting material is reprocessed to generate new by-products, which are used as carpet fabrics, upholstery yarns, among other things.
Innovation and sustainability at GDI
Today more than ever, it is essential to turn our attention to clean technologies, both new and established, that have the capacity to meet the growing demand for energy and contribute to mitigating climate change, as well as the professional development of the protagonists of this transformation. Today, there is a shared commitment to leave the planet better than we found it. Sustainable Development in organizations is the engine of a sustainable future that must ensure social equity, ecology and the environment. Technological advances have allowed us to improve our quality of life. Beyond economic and social resources, technology allows us to achieve sustainable global development. ICT systems and tools enable improved energy efficiency and intelligent energy management. Therefore, most companies only look for efficient products supported by sustainable equipment. Among the most prominent technologies we find: What are the advantages of sustainable development? At GDI Uniforms we create optimal processes to always obtain a high quality result. We always strive to create innovative, high-performance fabrics and accelerate our processes thanks to the new technologies we implement. We are at the forefront of developments and innovations in the textile industry, which includes various factors such as production technologies; coloring techniques; denim, dyes and auxiliaries; finishing treatments; innovative and high-performance fabrics; always analyzing the changes in the textile and clothing industry, respecting environmental sustainability at all times. At GDI we are clear that new advances and technologies will drive a new type of industry where the main characteristics will be interconnection, which will be more collaborative and automated. Since 2019 we have had the Gerber Technology Atria cutter, the most modern and efficient fabric cutter in the world. This cutter is unique in its class, as it incorporates an integrated IoT technology solution that guarantees precision, optimizes productivity, and increases material utilization when cutting fabric. This cutter, in addition to increasing our production capabilities, incorporates innovation into our organization with its comprehensive solution that ranges from design, pattern creation, mark generation and production planning, thus achieving a reduction in material costs of up to 30%, minimizing our environmental impact. Investing in innovation and sustainability brings us many advances, because in addition to improving the ecosystem it allows us to gain competitiveness and thus increase profitability. We are proud to say that we are the only uniform company in the region that has this type of state-of-the-art technology. At GDI we are convinced that by implementing these types of actions the world will be more inclusive and sustainable, improving the quality of life for all people.
GDI Uniforms joins the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
The US The Cotton Trust Protocol sets a standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It provides quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurements about the production of responsibly grown cotton and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics. US cotton UU. has focused on sustainability for decades. According to Field to Market data, over the past 35 years cotton has increased land use efficiency by 31% while reducing soil loss by 44%, water consumption by 82%, energy expenditure by 38%, and greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Although cotton has told its sustainability story and highlighted its decreasing environmental impact, more and more brands and department stores are demanding industry-wide standards and independent verifications. To address this growing concern, the U.S. cotton industry UU. structured and created the US The Cotton Trust Protocol defines new standards for sustainably grown cotton and the continuous improvement of that sustainability, which will be measured and verified by a third party. The cotton industry of the US UU. It invests more than $100 million annually in scientific research to continue developing the most advanced tools needed to reduce its environmental footprint. These technologies help producers save money while protecting and even improving the environment. The goal of the Trust Protocol is to help brands and department stores communicate this progress to end consumers. The Trust Protocol has a four-step process: The standards are about defining sustainability goals for the cotton industry. By 2025, the North American cotton industry aims to increase land use efficiency by 13% and soil carbon by 20%, while simultaneously reducing soil loss by 50%, water consumption by 18%, and greenhouse gas emissions by 39%. The measurement includes the voluntary affiliation of US cotton producers. UU. to measure and keep track of its environmental impact. The purpose of the U.S. cotton industry UU. It is to affiliate half of the cotton producers by 2025. Verification will involve the participation of internationally recognized external verification organizations to monitor progress towards the goals. Finally, the USCTP will be the only cotton sustainability organization able to provide annual, quantifiable, and verifiable information to track sustainability progress. Therefore, the Trust Protocol supports and verifies the progress of US cotton, through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Choosing Trust Protocol cotton gives brands and retailers the fundamental assurances they need that the cotton fiber element in their supply chain is grown more sustainably with less environmental and social risk. Finally, the US The Cotton Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors, comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society, and independent sustainability experts. As well as by the cotton farming industry, including producers, ginners, traders, wholesalers and cooperatives, factories and cotton seed managers. At GDI Uniforms we are very pleased to join the US Cotton Trust Protocol. Through this effort we guarantee that the cotton used in our products comes from a sustainable supply chain. In addition to complying with environmental, labor, safety and health regulations in US cotton farming.
Do you know the difference between Sustainability and Sustainable Development?
According to their root meanings, "sustainable" and "sustainable" do not mean the same thing, but they are two words we often use as adjectives to describe environmentally friendly processes and activities. Unfortunately, they are not synonyms, and using them interchangeably is incorrect. The difference between "sustainable" and "sustainable" is not that complicated to understand; each has characteristics that make them distinct. Below, we explain their respective characteristics. SUSTAINABILITY. The dictionary of the Spanish language defines sustainability as "that which can be supported or defended with reasons." Sustainable development is making proper use of current resources without compromising those of future generations. This development includes sustainable processes to preserve, protect, and conserve current and future natural resources. It does not take into account the specific cultural, political, and social needs of human beings. Herman Daly, an American ecological economist, professor, and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize) in 1996, defined some principles of sustainability. Daly also states that we should promote technologies that increase the productivity of natural resources (greater benefit from resource use) and reduce those that require a greater quantity of natural resources to produce the same output. SUSTAINABILITY refers to the pursuit of social and economic progress that ensures a healthy and productive life for human beings, but without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Based on the global importance of natural resources and the need for their rational use according to Daly's principles, sustainability seeks social development that contributes to improving the quality of life, health, education, and culture of all people. At GDI, we are convinced that by implementing these types of actions, the world will be more inclusive, improving the quality of life for everyone. Therefore, both concepts are put into practice at GDI because we care about the future of the ecosystem and strive to make proper use of all natural resources. We seek the appropriate way to perform our work under the corresponding human processes, taking into account constant innovation, without neglecting the care of the environment, trying not to generate waste and seeking alternative inputs that are environmentally friendly.
Appropriate attire for the automotive sector
In a business like car manufacturing, the work clothes worn by employees are important. That is why the choice of clothing and uniforms to be used within the different operational areas in automotive plants must be done with prudence, always keeping in mind the care of the employees and facilitating the execution of their activities. The automotive industry is made up of a long chain of roles and types of work. The process begins in the manufacturing environment with operators, technicians and engineers, continues with quality supervisors and ends with executives who sell the final product. Each of them with specific clothing needs. In the first instance, the mandatory complements that help mitigate the danger factor within a plant are: Within the same plants, the automotive industry has quite functional textile alternatives, from denim and reinforced cotton, to modern fire-resistant fabrics. Currently, companies have the option of choosing from a wide range of items such as industrial pants, short or long-sleeved shirts, overalls and work jackets, among others. Taking this into account, an employee cannot enter a factory wearing their everyday clothes. The clothing must be special, as it was designed to be a second layer of protection for the limbs, protecting the skin from liquids such as oil, grease or paint, as well as scrapes from metal pieces or abrasive tools. In general, the automotive trade tends to involve the handling of various substances, such as grease or exposure to molten metal residue. It is thanks to work clothes that the worker can get as dirty as necessary without it affecting his personal appearance. Some garments include resistance to industrial washing or easy stain removal, giving both the employee and the employer the assurance that the garments will be up to the task. In other words, spending hours assembling auto parts is tiring for an operator, and if what they are wearing does not allow freedom of movement, the job becomes irritating. When work gets tough, the workwear market (generic name for clothing that covers and protects the human body) offers various options that make workdays more comfortable and therefore more efficient. Another important point is that, when considering options, companies frequently wonder which clothing brands they should choose. This is because the integrity of the employees is paramount, but, without forgetting that they must have better durability than other types of clothing, since they are garments of continuous and rough use, the sense of belonging that the employees should feel when wearing the uniform is also taken into consideration. Taking this into consideration, GDI is your best option when choosing clothing for your employees, as we are experts in various sectors, and the automotive sector is one of them, making the right clothes, from administrative clothing to special uniforms for your plants. Providing a comprehensive service, ranging from safety, comfort and a design that differentiates your brand, without forgetting the care of the ecosystem. Contact us to see the catalog of garments for your sector.
Do you know what Clean Technologies are?
Clean technologies are those that, when applied, produce no side effects or disrupt the environmental balance. They are based on sustainability and primarily use natural and renewable resources such as aerothermal, geothermal, and hydrothermal energy. The main reason for the existence of so-called "clean technologies" is none other than to reverse the global environmental imbalance that affects us all. Some of the objectives of clean technologies are based on three pillars: Types of Clean Technologies. Within clean technology, there are branches or categories that share a common goal but operate in different strategic sectors. Some of these are: There are various sectors where the implementation of these technologies has begun, but it is a process that takes time, as it involves creating a completely different culture from the traditional one, but one that is necessary for the well-being of the ecosystem. At GDI, we are concerned about the environment, and therefore we contact suppliers who seek to use these new technologies to ensure that the garment creation process includes fabrics made from natural fibers. We also have a software and cutting system that allows us to make a more precise cut without generating so much waste or fabric scraps.