Primark launches its first circular product collection with more to come this year

Fast fashion giant Primark is launching its first circular product range designed to be rehomed or recycled, which is due to hit stores this month.

The 35-piece collection, which includes menswear, womenswear and kidswear, is made up of universal silhouettes, designs and colours that customers can mix and match with wardrobe staples. Each piece has been designed with enhanced durability and recyclability with the aim to help reduce fashion waste.

Pricing is, as expected, within Primark’s typical affordable range from £4 to £20, making sustainable fashion accessible to all.

The collection has been designed using Primark’s new Circular Product Standard, which is a new design framework based on principles established by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Jules Lennon, Fashion Lead at Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: "Through their participation in The Jeans Redesign, and development of their Circular Product Standard, Primark is taking a step forwards in its long-term circular economy journey. Now there is a clear pathway and a need to continue driving action, at pace and scale."

The collection has been designed with a focus on three key parts:

• More sustainably sourced materials: the clothes are made from at least 95% cotton from the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme. The other 5% is made up of trims, which, where possible, have been designed to be removable or recyclable.
• Durability: everything has a life cycle, even clothes. The collection has been tested for increased durability in line with Primark’s new enhanced durability wash standard.
• Recyclability: every piece is designed to be recycled at the end of its life. Customers can drop their pre-loved clothing off at their local textile donation points, which are currently available in Primark stores,

Nicholas Lambert, Circular Product Lead at Primark, commented: "This collection brings together years of work to create a new framework, with the ambition of enabling our product teams and suppliers to create more circular products that are designed with the end in mind.

"While we hope our customers enjoy wearing every piece in the collection, we also want to bring them on this journey with us as we look to change mindsets about what an affordable, circular product looks like. This collection was created by a small group of our designers, buyers and suppliers piloting our new Circular Product Standard and, while we know this is just one small step in our commitment to become a more circular business, we’re excited to now roll these new design principles out across our business and with more suppliers, allowing us to scale it up."