Primark says 55% of its clothes are now made from sustainable materials
Two years since the launch of its sustainability strategy, Primark has said it is on track with its commitment to have all of its clothes made from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030.
The retailer has released its second Sustainability and Ethics Progress Report which shows how it has scaled up pilot programmes and projects over the last 12 months as it looks to drive change.
It has revealed that some 55% of all clothes sold by the retailer this year contained recycled or more sustainably sourced materials, up from 45% last year. This was supported by the launch of a new circular product collection with over three million units of circular clothing sold.
Primark has also rolled out a traceability and compliance platform, TrusTrace, to help gather data from the full supply chain of products, from raw materials to the finished products. This information will help Primark to better understand and manage its supply chain.
This year, Primark’s target of halving carbon emissions across its value chain by 2030 has been assessed and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
With the majority of carbon emissions arising from its supply chain, the retailer has been helping suppliers to understand the opportunity to switch to renewable energy sources and has scaled up its energy efficiency programmes across 57 factories in Bangladesh, China and Cambodia. It has also appointed regional carbon leads to support suppliers and factories locally.
In addition, Primark has been working to reduce energy usage in its stores. It said 70% of its stores are now powered by renewable or low-carbon electricity and 141 stores have made the switch to energy-efficient lighting.
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, and the issues and what role the fashion industry and they, as customers, can play in this change.”
