Primark signs multi-year textile-to-textile recycling agreement with Circ

Budget retailer Primark has signed a long-term purchase agreement with textile-to-textile recycling company Circ to introduce recycled polyester made from textile waste into its clothing from 2029.

The agreement marks Primark’s first multi-year offtake deal with a textile-to-textile recycler and is intended to help the value retailer scale its use of circular materials while reducing its reliance on virgin polyester.

The recycled polyester will be produced at Circ’s planned commercial facility, which will source textile feedstock globally, including post-consumer and post-industrial waste, and will focus on maintaining the value of European textile waste.

Circ’s technology is designed to recycle polycotton blends, separating and recovering both polyester and cellulose from textile waste so the materials can be reintroduced into fashion supply chains.

In a statement, Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ, said: “This partnership with Primark represents exactly the kind of long-term commercial commitment needed to move textile-to-textile recycling from innovation to industry standard.

"When a global fashion retailer commits to integrating recycled materials into future collections, it sends a powerful signal across the industry: the demand is here, the materials are ready, and the opportunity to scale circular material supply chains is real.”

The partnership builds on Primark’s Primark Cares strategy, which focuses on keeping clothes and materials in use for longer and reducing waste. Its approach includes circular design principles, a Circular Product Standard and initiatives supporting clothing reuse and repair.

Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares, added: “We launched Primark Cares with a focus on improving the quality and longevity of our clothing, and in the process show that clothes made to last longer don't have to come at a higher price. Since then, we've delivered tangible progress, including increasing the use of recycled fibres, introducing products designed to be recycled and enhancing traceability across our supply chain.

"This partnership is an important milestone in accelerating our ambitions to further embed circularity in our business and help scale innovative textile-to-textile recycling solutions that could play a transformational role in the future of fashion.”