Designing for a more circular future

What is circularity?

What do we mean when we talk about “circularity” in fashion? Or when we say we're working on becoming a more circular business?

For us right now, circularity means designing and creating our clothes with the future in mind—so they can be worn again and again, then given a new life as new clothes or materials once our customers are finished with them.

Circularity needs a shift in mindset, from the way we design, create and reuse clothes, to what we do with them once they've reached the end of their life.

How are we bringing circularity to life at Primark?

Introducing our first circular collection and Circular Product Standard

We’ve launched our first product collection designed to be reloved or recycled using our new Circular Product Standard, which is based on principles established by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The new Primark Circular Product Standard is a framework for how we intend to design products now and in the future. The standard will be used by our Product Teams and suppliers to support our goal: for our clothes to be loved for longer, then recycled at the end of their life.

Our new Circular Product Standard was developed in consultation with circularity think tank Circle Economy and the non-profit sustainability educator Sustainable Fashion Academy. The new framework is built on the vision of a circular economy for fashion by our partner the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global thought leader on the circular economy, and in consultation with climate action NGO WRAP. We also worked with Circle Economy and the Sustainable Fashion Academy to develop a custom Circular by Design training program. Its goal is to educate our Product Teams and key suppliers in the theory and practice of a circular economy, and how they can apply it in their everyday work.

The entire collection has been designed to be reloved or recycled, with a focus on three key parts: 

1. More sustainably sourced materials ¹ : the clothes in the collection are made from at least 95% cotton from the Primark Sustainable Cotton Program, which trains cotton farmers to use less water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, earning an increased profit as a result. The other 5% is made up of trims, embellishments or buttons, which, where possible, have been designed to be removable or recyclable. 

2. Durability: everything has a life cycle—even clothes. But how long an item should last, and what Primark (and customers) can do to extend its life is something we're challenging ourselves to address. This new collection has been tested for increased durability in line with Primark’s new enhanced durability washing framework ². You can read more about our work on durability here. 

3. Recyclability: every piece is designed to be recycled at the end of its life. This means, where possible, trims and buttons can be removed—so the items can be more easily reused or recycled, either into new fibers or new products. Customers can drop off their pre-loved clothing at their local textile donation point. These are currently available in all Primark stores in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.  Our goal is to eventually offer this service in all our markets, but it's important we get this right before we introduce it into other countries. There's also a growing network for recycling and reselling clothes, including a variety of charities, companies, and local initiatives. Where the information is available, we've provided details of your local recycling facilities and initiatives here ,but you can also contact your local township or county to check what services they offer.

Last year we piloted the Circular Product Standard framework, and this new collection is the result of the trial. We trained an initial group of designers, buyers and suppliers in circular design. Based on how successful this was, we will now roll this training out to over 500 members of Primark’s Product Teams this year, along with additional selected suppliers.

Love your clothes for longer

In case your clothes need repairing or reworking at any point, we’re hosting repair workshops so you can learn to repair or upcycle them. You can find a full program and sign up here Our Repair Workshops. Since these workshops are not currently available everywhere, we’ve also created an online customer hub featuring easy-to-follow videos that cover everything from basic stitching to sewing on buttons and zippers.  

We know circularity is a relatively new (and pretty technical) concept. So we’ve created a glossary of all the terms we use to help you understand what we mean when we talk about this collection and our ambitions in this area, which can be found here Primark Cares Key Terms.

Some of our other work in this area

EMF And The Jeans Redesign

We know that we can’t make all changes alone. So since 2018 we’ve been working with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, benefitting from their network, knowledge and expertise on how to embed more circular practices into our business. This covers everything from the design and materials we use to the production and manufacturing of our clothes and products. 

In July 2021, we extended our relationship with the Foundation by becoming a Network Partner; we now sit on their Fashion Advisory Board. Recognizing that the best way to show progress in action is through product, we joined the Foundation’s Jeans Redesign Project last year. You can read more about our partnership here.

Cradle To Cradle Certified® Denim

In June 2021, we launched our first Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold certified mom fit jeans. The Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Standard is a set of globally recognized criteria for safe, more sustainable products with a lower impact on the planet. They were 100% organic cotton, produced using less water and energy, made to last and designed to be recycled. 

Starting with the end in mind

We know this is only a small step in our journey to becoming a more circular business, and we have more to do. It’s about taking real action to create positive change and while we’re not at the very beginning, we know it will take time. We also know that we can't do it alone. But we’re ready and willing to go full circle in our mission to become more circular.