Primark unveils latest sustainable and ethical trade pledges

The fashion retailer has today pledged that all clothing in its stores will be made using recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030. At present, this figure stands at 25% of the company’s offerings.

Primark also said it would alter and enhance its design processes to allow for all of its clothes to be recyclable by 2027.

Increased durability will also be a factor as it attempts to improve by 2025 one of the main complaints regarding the quality of fast-fashion items. The company will work with UK charity WRAP to define industry guidelines on the durability of clothing going forward.

The retailer will also work with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions by half throughout its value chain, aiming to achieve this by 2030.

As part of the new ’Primark Cares’ commitments, the company will expand its sustainable cotton programme to train farmers to use more regenerative farming practices over the next nine years.

Improving workers’ rights is a key focus of the new strategy and Primark plans to expand its established ethical trade initiatives to ensure a living wage for workers, as well as presenting greater opportunities for women within its supply chain.

Stores will also be incorporated into Primark’s sustainable plans, with growing numbers of recycling bins in stores for customers to donate items. There will also be opportunities for consumers to learn more about extending the lifespan of their Primark purchases.

Primark chief executive Paul Marchant said: “Our ambition is to offer customers the affordable prices they know and love us for, but with products that are made in a way that is better for the planet and the people who make them. We know that’s what our customers, and our colleagues, want and expect from us.

“This isn’t the start of our journey. We’ve been working to become a more sustainable and ethical business for over 10 years. One in four of all the clothes we sell already come from our Primark Cares range of products made from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials.

“Our new commitments mark a significant acceleration in the pace and scale of change, requiring us to think differently about how we do business. Right from how our clothes are designed and manufactured, through to how we sell them in stores.”