Primark is launching its first product range designed and made to be recycled. From mid-April, customers can shop the new circular product collection, designed using Primark’s new Circular Product Standard, which is based on principles established by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

This 35-piece collection includes menswear, womenswear and kidswear, with prices ranging from 22 RON to 125 RON.

Every piece in the collection has been designed and made to be reloved or recycled with a focus on three key parts:

1. More sustainably sourced materials: the clothes in the collection are made from at least 95% cotton from the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme, which trains cotton farmers to use less water, chemical fertilisers 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 Primark is challenging itself to address. This new collection has been tested for increased durability in line with Primark’s new enhanced durability wash standard.
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 fibres or new products. Customers can drop their pre-loved clothing off at their local textile donation point, which are currently available in Primark stores in selected markets.

Speaking about the new collection, 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. This has led to the creation of our first circular collection of affordable wardrobe staples that customers can rewear, repair and ultimately recycle. 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.”