Retailer plans to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate single use plastics by 2027. Primark’s commitment to using recycled or sustainably sourced fabrics for all its clothing within a decade has been made by the company. This promise will not result in price increases.
The retailer also promised to make clothing that is “recyclable by nature” by 2027. Only 25% of its clothing is made from sustainable or recycled materials.
Primark, owned by Associated British Foods (ABF), plans to begin making its entry-price T shirts for men, women, and children with sustainably sourced cotton in the next year.
As part of its commitment to “make sustainable fashion more affordable for everyone”, the chain also pledged to make its clothes last longer.
It also plans to collaborate with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions in its supply chain and eliminate single-use plastics by 2027. Primark also pledged to pay a living wage to its workers worldwide by 2030.
Paul Marchant, the chief executive of the company, stated that the company’s ambition was “to provide customers with the same affordable prices they love, but with products that are better for the environment and the people who produce them. We are aware of what our customers and colleagues want and expect from our company.”
Marchant urged the fashion industry and other industries to take action to increase sustainability. “We don’t know all the answers, and we aren’t able to do it alone. He stated that he was committed to working in partnership with the industry to achieve real, scale-able change.”
This retailer usually accounts for PS1 of every PS14 spent on clothes in the UK and recently stated that its sales had rebounded after the reopening.
According to market analysts GlobalData Primark is still the largest clothing retailer in the UK by value, despite not selling its products online. However, it lost the top spot in 2020 to Marks & Spencer after its stores were closed for lengthy periods during the coronavirus pandemic.
GlobalData’s UK retail research director Patrick O’Brien said that most consumers still focus on price. He said, “It is noteworthy that [Primark’s] announcement is not aimed at its customers but at its investors.” “Investors drive companies to be more sustainable to meet their sustainability criteria than shoppers,” he said.
“While surveys reveal it to be a growing area of consumer concern, there is scant evidence that, for the moment at least, sustainability and other ethical concerns are usurping price as the key purchasing driver,” he said, adding that Boohoo’s sales had not been affected by revelations last year about the treatment of workers in its supply chain.
