Primark Announces First Circular Product Line

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by KnowESG
KnowESG_Circular Fashion
Image courtesy of Primark

Primark is set to release its inaugural line of products that are intentionally created for either recycling or reselling. The new circular product range, crafted according to Primark's newly-developed Circular Product Standard, which is grounded on the principles introduced by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, will be available for purchase by mid-April.

Primark's new 35-item collection, which features men's, women's, and children's clothing, consists of versatile styles, designs, and colours that can be seamlessly paired with your existing wardrobe essentials.

With every piece meticulously crafted to promote durability, recyclability, and appropriate fibre composition, this collection marks Primark's first step toward achieving a more circular economy. Later in the year, more circular product ranges are also expected to roll out.

The collection includes fashionable and comfortable items such as wide-legged jeans, relaxed-fit denim pants, and casual t-shirts that you can mix and match, all of which can be repurposed into new clothing and materials once they've reached the end of their lifespan. Prices range from £4 to £20 as part of Primark's ongoing commitment to making sustainable fashion affordable for all.

The entire collection has been thoughtfully designed to support circularity, with a focus on three main aspects:

Sustainable sourcing: All garments in the collection are crafted from at least 95% sustainably sourced cotton through the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme. The programme provides training to cotton farmers to reduce their water, fertiliser, and pesticide usage, resulting in increased profitability. The remaining 5% of materials are trims, buttons, or embellishments, which have been designed to be recyclable or removable whenever feasible.

Durability: Primark is determined to extend the life cycle of clothing by enhancing its longevity. This collection has undergone rigorous testing in accordance with Primark's enhanced durability wash standard.

Recyclability: Each piece in the collection is made to be recyclable at the end of its useful life. Trims and buttons can be removed to facilitate the reuse or recycling of the garment into new fibres or products. Customers can drop off their used clothing at textile donation points located in select Primark stores.

Primark's Circular Product Lead, Nicholas Lambert, explained that the new collection is the result of years of work to create a new framework that enables their teams and suppliers to design more circular products. The collection of affordable wardrobe staples is intended to be reworn, repaired, and recycled, and it was designed with that end in mind.

Lambert hopes that customers will join them on their journey to change mindsets about what an affordable, circular product can look like. He also noted that this collection is just the first step in their commitment to becoming a more circular business, and they plan to roll out the new design principles to more suppliers to scale it up.

Primark has published its new Circular Product Standard, which will be used to design products with a focus on sustainability and circularity. By implementing this framework, Primark is taking steps to ensure that its products are made to last and that they can be easily recycled at the end of their life.

The standard will be updated annually to reflect the company's progress in this area. This demonstrates a long-term commitment to sustainability and a willingness to continually improve and evolve.

In collaboration with Circle Economy, a circularity think tank, and Sustainable Fashion Academy, a non-profit sustainability educator, Primark has developed a new framework based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's vision for a circular economy for fashion.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a global leader in circular economy thinking and worked with the climate action NGO WRAP to consult on the new framework. Both Circle Economy and Sustainable Fashion Academy partnered with Primark to create a custom Circular by Design training programme. The programme is designed to educate Primark's Product Teams and key suppliers on the theory and practice of the circular economy and its practical application in their daily work.

After piloting the Circular Product Standard framework last year, Primark is launching a collection based on the framework. During the pilot, an initial group of designers, buyers, and suppliers received training in circular design from Primark. This year, the company plans to expand the training to over 500 members of its product teams, as well as selected suppliers.

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Source: Primark

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