Primark “on track” to hit sustainability goals by 2030

Primark has published its second ‘Sustainability and Ethics Progress Report’, sharing its commitment that all of its clothes will be made from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030 is “well on track”.

This year, over half (55%) of all clothes sold by Primark contained recycled or more sustainably sourced materials, up from 45% last year. That was supported by the launch of a new circular product collection this year, with over three million units of circular clothing sold.

Two years on from the launch of its sustainability strategy, Primark Cares, the retailer’s aim is to “make more sustainable fashion affordable for everyone”.

Primark’s target to halve its carbon emissions across its value chain by 2030 has now been assessed and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and its award-winning Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme (PSCP) is marking its 10th year.

Almost 300,000 farmers have been trained in more sustainable farming methods – surpassing Primark’s target of 275,000 farmers by the end of 2023. The programme is now run in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, while a pilot also launched in Turkey this year.

Cotton is Primark’s most used fibre for its clothing and this year 46% of cotton clothing sold was either organic, recycled or sourced from the PSCP.

Primark has also rolled out traceability and compliance platform, TrusTrace, to help gather data from the full supply chain of products, from raw materials to finished product. This information will help Primark to better understand and manage its supply chain.

Lynne Walker, Director of Primark Cares, said: “Primark Cares is driving everyone in Primark to change. Year two was about gaining momentum: scaling and embedding the principles, programmes and processes that will take us to 2030 and beyond, while acknowledging the learnings we face along the way.

“We continue to work with our partners and suppliers to drive change, and we’ve learnt more than ever how collaboration is crucial for delivery of our Primark Cares commitments. We’ve also been focused on upskilling and training our colleagues, who are an integral part of how we make change happen in our business.

"Another critical element is how we can inspire and educate our customers and bring them with us on our change journey. This includes being more transparent about where and how our clothes are made, the changes we are making and what it means for them.”

Primark has over 400 stores globally and continues to expand across new and existing markets with the aim of reaching 530 stores by the end of 2026, including the upcoming new market of Hungary.