How Primark Is Changing Its Ways when It Comes to Sustainability

We’ve talked at length during this series about how younger generations are looking to spend their money with those retailers which demonstrate a worldview that aligns with their own. We’ve also discussed how these customers are even willing to spend more on products that are sustainably produced by ethical companies.

With that in mind, what is one sector of retail which young people gravitate towards more than others? That’s correct – fashion. And what is one of the most notorious corners of the retail space when it comes to ethical business practices and sustainability? You’ve got it – also fashion.

Disposable fast fashion is responsible for huge proportions of the waste that ends up in landfills and, in the scramble to provide cheap mass-produced clothing for customers, brands in the space can often turn a blind eye to exploitative business practices.

Primark

As one of the biggest brands in the fast fashion space, Irish founded retail giant, Primark has faced many criticisms for the way its clothing products are produced.

The brick-and-mortar committed – Primark has no ecommerce presence besides the ability to purchase gift cards online – Boston Massachusetts headquarter retailer has been pulled up for the presence of poor working conditions and low wages in its global supply chain, as well as the environmental impact of its fast fashion products.

However, Primark is now looking to transform this image and has committed itself to transforming its operation into an altogether more sustainable beast.

In Q3 2021, Primark announced its intention to make all its clothes more sustainable within the decade, by 2030 and to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions and eliminate single use plastics three years earlier than that by 2027. What’s more, Primark has promised that it will be able to make all its products from recycled or sustainably sourced products without increasing its prices as a result.

"Our ambition is to offer customers the affordable prices they know and love us for, but with products that are made in a way that is better for the planet and the people who make them," said Primark CEO, Paul Marchant. "We know that’s what our customers, and our colleagues, want and expect from us. [However] we don’t have all the answers and we know we can’t do it alone. We’re committed to work in partnership with the industry to drive real change at scale."

Primark is also committing to improving the longevity of its clothing products by using more durable materials and a higher quality of production. Clothing which lasts longer will mean less waste ending up in landfills and more that can be kept and/or recycled.

Fast-Fashion

The fashion industry is a cornerstone of many global economies and represents a value of more than $2.5 trillion. The industry is also responsible for some 75 million jobs worldwide.

While its importance to the economy cannot be overstated, the environmental impact of the fashion industry is staggering:

• The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second.
• Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic.
• 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes – the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
• The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, that share of the carbon budget could jump to 26% by 2050.
• Some 93 billion cubic meters of water – enough to meet the needs of five million people – is used by the fashion industry annually, contributing significantly to water scarcity in some regions.
• Around 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the fashion industry.

As one of the biggest players in the physical retail space and the fast-fashion world, this is what makes it so important that a brand such as Primark is committing to these changes. Manmade climate change is become ever more apparent in global weather and geological events and the volumes of plastic pollution choking our seas is a critical mass.

Global industry needs to stand up and take responsibility for its role in this crisis and make significant changes to avert future disaster.

Final Thoughts

Primark committing to these changes is incredibly encouraging. We have a long way to go to address the issues associated with fast fashion retail and, while the customer led demand for cheap clothing also needs to be addressed, real and meaningful change must always come from the top.

Sustainability will be a core part of the conversation at Future Stores Seattle 2022, taking place in July at The Sheraton, Seattle.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.