manager_1 Primark, a fast fashion giant in Ireland, has announced that all of its clothing will be made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030 as part a new strategy for sustainability.
The company announced Wednesday that only 25% of its current fashion meets these standards while setting new goals.
Over the next year, the retailer will switch all of its entry-price point tees for men, women and children to sustainably sourced cotton.
It also aims to achieve other targets by 2030, including halving carbon emissions throughout its value chain and pursuing a living wages for its workers.
The company plans to increase the durability of its clothes by 2025 to make them last longer. It also plans to make its clothing more recyclable by 2027.
Primark is widely considered the face of throwaway fashion. Primark sells t-shirts for as low as 2 Pounds.
These concerns have been raised both over the possible environmental damage and the potential exploitation by those who make such cheap items. Primark announced Wednesday that the new targets would not affect prices.
Paul Marchant, CEO, stated that “Our goal is to provide customers with the same affordable prices that they love and products that are better for the environment and the people who make them. We know this is what our customers and colleagues want and expect of us.”
This news comes days after Primark reported a decline in sales for the fourth quarter due to Covid restrictions.
The company stated in its pre-closing trading update that fourth quarter like-for-like sales are expected to be 17 per cent lower than those of the previous year.
Primark was hard hit by the pandemic because unlike its competitors, it does not have an ecommerce site to offset losses due to the closing of its stores.
The company stated that it had experienced strong sales in markets which have reopened. It anticipates that it will achieve sales of 3.4 million pounds during the second half 2021.
