RETAIL PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Join Ramco, Help for Heroes, the Winchester School of Art (part of the University of Southampton), HM Prison Service, and British Material Unit by becoming a partner of Operation Upcycle and helping drive sustainable change and social impact.
Operation Upcycle is a national initiative turning surplus military textiles into sustainable, contemporary fashion with purpose. Bringing together Ramco UK, UK fashion students, His Majesty’s Prison Service, and veterans’ charities, we’re creating a circular fashion model that benefits people, the planet, and the Armed Forces community.
Every year, thousands of military uniforms are retired due to damage, design updates, or end of service life.
Many can’t be resold and risk ending up in waste streams, contributing to the 711,000 tonnes of post-consumer textiles discarded each year in the UK (WRAP, Textiles Pact).
But each garment carries marks of service - telling stories of the people who wore them, and of the heritage and history of our armed forces. Something that we shouldn’t let go to waste.
Through the leadership of Ramco, the creativity of UK fashion students from the Winchester School of Art, and the support of veteran charity Help for Heroes, we’re transforming thousands of ex-military garments into something extraordinary; sustainable, contemporary fashion with purpose.
Join Operation Upcycle and be part of our shared goal to create meaningful change across sustainability and circularity, fashion, veteran support, education, and social welfare.
WHY OPERATION UPCYCLE?
Products with purpose
Every item is thoughtfully designed and crafted from upcycled materials sourced from military uniforms, helping divert usable resources from waste and resulting in sustainable fashion garments rooted in purpose and impact.
A story and meaning your customers connect with
Consumers want to shop more sustainably and understand where products come from and the impact their purchases make. Operation Upcycle supports the Armed Forces community through upcycled fashion products that honor veterans and their military experiences, and tell authentic stories worth sharing.
Education-driven design
Operation Upcycle is embedded in the BA Fashion Design curriculum, resulting in commercially driven products created by the UK’s next generation of designers and inspired by the Armed Forces community.
Marketing support
We provide point-of-sale materials, product information, social media collaboration, and storytelling assets to help drive awareness and engage customers.
We’re looking for retail partners committed to sustainability to connect responsibly designed products with the right audience, whilst supporting the veteran community through our partnership with Help for Heroes.
WHY PARTNER WITH US?
Want to find out more?
THE OPERATION UPCYCLE 2026 COLLECTION
What we’re creating:
Garments
Working with reclaimed military textiles, students designed a range of innovative, professionally finished garments. Each piece combined sustainable practice with a strong social narrative, showcasing creative approaches to contemporary fashion design.
Accessories & DIY Kit
Alongside the garments, students developed a curated range of accessories that explored identity and storytelling through military textiles. One accessory will be available as a DIY kit, inviting sewing and crafting enthusiasts to create their own piece at home in a way that is both functional and sustainably minded.
We’re currently fine-tuning designs and discussing production with manufacturers. We’ll share photos of designs as soon as we can, so keep an eye on our socials for the latest updates.
YOU’LL JOIN
The MoD’s resale and reuse contractor for military textiles, Ramco set up Operation Upcycle to transform uniform waste into sustainable fashion garments - whilst helping people, the planet, and our Armed Forces community.
Operation Upcycle’s charity partner focussed on helping the project drive real social impact, create national awareness through storytelling, and support veteran engagement.
Winchester School of Art (part of the University of Southampton) is one of the UK’s leading centres for art and design research, education, and knowledge exchange. Working with OpUp, BA Fashion Design students are redesigning military textiles into sustainable, commercial fashion garments inspired by veteran experiences and military heritage.
BMU is a designer-led startup reutilising surplus textile waste and driving change through open-source design tools, repositories, and systems.
BMU (supported by East West Trading) helps us understand military textile design, heritage, and camouflage and feature functionality - so that we can create a thorough reuse and educational process.