Primark is expanding its partnership with recycled cotton producer Recover and will introduce the former’s RColorBlend fiber on a global scale with the launch of a new leisurewear range.
The partnership supports Primark’s commitment, through its Primark Cares strategy, to increase the amount of clothing containing recycled materials and builds on its ambition to make more sustainable fashion affordable for all. Recover is a global producer of low-impact, high-quality recycled cotton and blended fibers, including RColorBlend. The company transforms textile waste into recycled fibers and blends, helping to close the loop on fashion.
RColorBlend is produced by blending Recover’s colored recycled fiber from textile waste–from factory floor cutting waste or used clothes–together with a recycled carrier fiber. Color accuracy is achieved by mixing the two types together, with no additional dyeing treatment and limited water and chemicals to reduce the environmental impact.
The range is made using recycled cotton and polyester fibers and includes T-shirts in a range of colors, including gray, blue and pink. It will launch in selected stores across 14 markets in Europe and the U.S.
“I am delighted to be expanding our partnership with Recover to continue to bring their innovations to a wide market and support our work to increase the amount of recycled material we’re using in our clothes,” Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares at Primark, said. “For change to happen at scale across the fashion industry, we need partnership and collaboration and we will continue to invest in partnerships like this to support our ambition to become a more circular business and reduce the impact that we have on the environment.”
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Alejandro Raña, chief business development officer at Recover, said this latest product offering is another important milestone in the company’s long-term partnership with Primark, with the aim to make circular fashion accessible and affordable for everyone.
“By integrating Recover’s RColorBlend recycled fiber within their supply chain, Primark can produce high-quality garments in a large range of colors and with minimum environmental impacts, helping to have a long-lasting effect on the industry,” Raña said.
The Primark Cares strategy is at the heart of its business model with a forward-looking commitment that focuses on giving clothing a longer life, protecting life on the planet and improving the lives of people who make Primark products. As part of this it has unveiled nine commitments it is working to achieve by 2030. These include making all of its clothes from recycled or more sustainably sourced materials, ensuring clothing is recyclable by design, halving carbon emissions across its value chain, eliminating single-use plastic and pursuing a living wage for workers in its supply chain.
Backed by recent investment from Story3 Capital and Goldman Sachs, Recover is on a mission to scale its proprietary technology to make a lasting positive impact on the environment and partner with brands and retailers and other change-makers to meet the industry’s sustainability targets.