Primark joins The Fashion ReModel's circularity campaign

Value fashion retail giant Primark is boosting its green credentials, becoming one of the first participants in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's The Fashion ReModel initiative.

The project involves leading brands from across the fashion industry taking steps to scale circular business models.

Announced during the World Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, Primark joins the initiative alongside other high-profile brands including H&M Group, Zalando, Arc'teryx and Reformation. It is also supported by the British Fashion Council, Global Fashion Agenda, Fashion for Good, Textile Exchange and the Waste & Resources Action Programme.

Participants will explore how to unlock barriers to expand new revenue streams in resale, rental, repair and remanufacturing.

Primark said the initiative aligns with its own commitment to giving clothes a longer life, which is part of its wider sustainability strategy, 'Primark Cares'.

Additionally, while 55% of its clothing is already made from recycled materials or more sustainable sources, the retailer said it is committed to making that 100% by 2030.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, it is predicted that if fashion resale, rental, repair and reconstruction could reach a 23% market share by 2030, together this could lead to an overall reduction in emissions. CO2e for the fashion industry of up to sixteen%.

Primark said it has made used clothing more accessible to customers in stores since partnering with Vintage Wholesale Company in 2022 to offer vintage clothing through Wornwell concessions. Developments are also underway for new customer offers on used products, including a trial of 'Primark presents Pre-loved' in seven UK stores later this month, featuring an exclusive collection of vintage music t-shirts in time for the festival season.

Nick Lambert, circular product lead at the retailer, said: “There needs to be a greater acceleration towards circularity in the fashion industry to move away from the traditional take, make and dispose model.

“We started small with our circularity ambitions, but we are working to scale this up within our business so it can be truly integrated into the way we design and make our clothing in the future. Scaling up circularity has taken some time, but we truly believe we can use our scale to help deliver real change for the industry.”