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Primark shares progress on its journey to make more sustainable fashion affordable for all

Primark Cares

One year on: Primark shares progress on its journey to make more sustainable fashion affordable for all

In the face of rising cost-of-living pressures, Primark remains intent on delivering its vision of making more sustainable fashion affordable for all. One year on since the launch of its Primark Cares sustainability strategy, 45% of all clothes Primark sold came under its Primark Cares label denoting clothes that contain either recycled or more sustainable materials*. Primark has committed to transition 100% of its clothes to its Primark Cares label by 2030, while keeping its same Primark great value pricing.

  • Primark publishes its inaugural Sustainability and Ethics Progress Report, revealing progress since launch of its sustainability strategy

  • Almost half (45%) of all Primark’s clothes now contain recycled or more sustainably sourced materials, up from 25% at the launch of its sustainability strategy last September*

  • 252,800 farmers** trained in the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme (PSCP): on track to train 275,000 farmers by end of 2023, cementing this programme as the biggest of its kind of any single fashion retailer.

In the face of rising cost-of-living pressures, Primark remains intent on delivering its vision of making more sustainable fashion affordable for all. One year on since the launch of its Primark Cares sustainability strategy, 45% of all clothes Primark sold came under its Primark Cares label denoting clothes that contain either recycled or more sustainable materials*. Primark has committed to transition 100% of its clothes to its Primark Cares label by 2030, while keeping its same Primark great value pricing.

Primark’s inaugural Sustainability and Ethics Progress Report sets out the company’s progress across its Primark Cares commitments and also outlines its broader social impact and environmental sustainability work across its products, stores and the wider supply chain. The increased focus and investment in new teams and skills across the business has allowed Primark to accelerate progress against its commitments.

Other year one highlights from the Report include:

  • 40% of all cotton clothing units sold contained cotton that is recycled, organic or sourced from its PSCP, up from 27% at launch.

  • New Circular Design Training Programme piloted for 24 members of the Product team and six suppliers, to be scaled up in the next 12 months.

  • 43 repair workshops took place across the UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI), encouraging customers and colleagues to keep and wear their clothes for longer.

  • 252,800 farmers** trained in the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme (PSCP): on track to train 275,000 farmers by end of 2023, cementing this programme as the biggest of its kind of any single fashion retailer.

  • Almost 3,000 farmers from the PSCP participated in a pilot for the adoption of more regenerative cotton farming in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

  • Textile Takeback boxes now rolled out across all UK, ROI, Germany and Austria stores – representing 65% of all stores internationally.

  • Primark established a Packaging Centre of Excellence to explore new ways to eliminate single-use plastic and non-clothing waste by 2027.

  • Commissioned and funded research with the Anker Research Institute to provide new or updated Global Living Wage Coalition estimates for four of Primark’s sourcing markets – Bangladesh, Cambodia, Turkey and Vietnam.

  • Established four new Colleague Networks, creating inclusive and supportive spaces for colleagues to discuss, represent and shape Primark’s thinking on neurodiversity and disability; cultural diversity; gender and life stages; and LGBTQIA+.

The past 12 months have been about building the right foundations for our sustainability strategy, Primark Cares. Much of our focus has been on getting ourselves set up in the right way to meet the commitments we’ve made, which is why pilots and processes have been as important as the progress we’ve delivered during this first year,” commented Primark Cares Director Lynne Walker. “One year ago, we made a new promise to change the way we make and source our clothes, with a commitment to think differently about how we do business. To provide focus, we set deliberately stretching targets reaching to 2030. We’ve spent the last year investing in and growing our expert teams, collaborating in new ways within our own business and also with suppliers and partners to support our transformation. It’s felt challenging at times and we know we’re only getting started but one year in, we’re more committed than ever to make more sustainable fashion affordable for all.”

This foundational year has also been critical to developing important internal processes and programmes including:

  • Building on the existing teams and scaling capability across the business with 61 people now dedicated to sustainability and ethics in Primark’s Head Office and more than 130 team members in Primark’s Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability team, set up 15 years ago and now operating in 12 key sourcing markets.

  • Developing a renewable energy roadmap with partner RenEnergy and recruiting carbon leads in Bangladesh, India and China to support suppliers to reduce emissions as part of Primark’s commitment to halve carbon emissions across its whole value chain by 2030.

  • Piloting a new framework for an enhanced durability wash standard with leading climate action NGO WRAP. This has started with denim and 60% of the product tested so far has passed this new enhanced standard.

  • Launching the Spark wellbeing programme to 70,000 colleagues***, encouraging colleagues to be their best selves and find balance in both work and life.

For more information, visit www.primark.com/en-gb/primark-cares.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

* More sustainably sourced materials are defined by Primark as materials in which efforts are made to help reduce environmental impact. More information can be found on its fibre glossary: https://corporate.primark.com/en-gb/a/primark-cares/product/our-approach-to-more-sustainable-fibres

** This is based on data up until the end of August 2022. This includes farmers that are currently being trained and those that have completed training under the programme.

*** Number of employees at the time of launch in February 2022.

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