Primark Fibres

Over the past while, We’ve been changing the way we make and source our clothes, so we want our customers to understand more about the fibres in our clothes. Up to now, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve had a range of clothing labelled with the ‘Primark Cares’ logo our stores and online. The key criterion for inclusion in this range is that the products are made using a set minimum one of the recycled or more sustainably sourced fibres in the list below. The minimum requirement for each fibre for inclusion in the range is also detailed below under the ‘Composition’ section of each fibre.

However, we have progressed to a point where the majority of our clothes are now made from these fibres, and these numbers are continuing to increase; this is now becoming the norm for us. We’ve therefore decided we no longer need to differentiate a separate Primark Cares range of clothing, so you will soon notice that the Primark Cares logo won’t be included on our product labels or on our website product pages. Updates to our product labels take time, so it may be a while before use of the logo there is fully phased out. But don’t worry – the removal of the logo is all that is changing! Our minimum fibre composition requirements will remain, and we will continue to provide customers with information on the recycled or more sustainably sourced fibres our products are made from on product labels, on our website product pages and in-store.

You can read more about our commitments here.

Plant-derived fibres

Defined by us as fibres which are sourced and harvested directly from plants.

Organic cotton

Cotton is a soft fibre grown on cotton plants. Organic cotton is grown using methods which have a lower environmental impact than growing conventional cotton. It is certified to a universally recognised high standard (either Organic Content Standard (OCS) or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).​

Cotton from the Primark Cotton Project (formerly the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme)

This cotton comes from our Primark Cotton Project, the biggest of its kind of any fashion retailer. The project trains farmers to grow cotton using less water, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which helps to reduce the environmental impact of the cotton we source and improve farmer livelihoods. You can find out more here.

More sustainable viscose, modal and lyocell

More sustainable viscose, modal and lyocell are fibres made using the cellulose found in wood. To protect ancient forests and their biodiversity, the wood used to make these fibres is sourced from responsibly managed forests.

Recycled materials

Defined by us materials which would have otherwise have been thrown away, which are then turned into new materials.

Recycled cotton

Recycled cotton is made using cotton waste which is spun into new fibres. Recycled cotton used in Primark product is verified to a universally recognised high standard; either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

Recycled acrylic

Acrylic is a man-made fibre. Recycled acrylic is made using acrylic fabric waste which is spun into new fibres. Recycled acrylic used in a Primark product is certified to a universally recognised high standard; either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

Recycled polyamide (nylon)

Polyamide is a man-made fibre, often called nylon. Recycled polyamide is made from plastic waste which is spun into new fibres. Recycled polyamide used in a Primark product is certified to a universally recognised high standard; either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).​

Recycled polyester

Polyester is a man-made fibre. Recycled polyester is made from plastic waste which is spun into new fibres. Recycled polyester used in a Primark product is certified to a universally recognised high standard; either the Recycled Content Standard (RCS) or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

Recycled metal

Recycled metals used at Primark include zinc, steel, brass and iron. These are certified to a universally recognised high standard; either the Recycled Content Standard (RCS) or the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

More complex product categories such as lingerie, swimwear, outerwear, homeware, shoes and toys may include trims, embellishments and non-fabric materials. In these cases, the claim will only reference the part of the product that contains the more sustainable material. This is to allow the product to meet our durability testing requirements, or if there no more sustainable alternative currently available.

This glossary represents the majority of our recycled or more sustainable fibres and it is regularly updated to reflect any changes. There may be instances where our product labels differ to this glossary while updates to our labelling are taking place.