The agreement will see recycled polyester supplied from Circ’s planned commercial facility, which is intended to be the company’s first industrial-scale textile-to-textile recycling plant.
Circ said the partnership would bring its recycled polyester to Primark customers “at scale and an affordable price” from 2029, supporting the retailer’s efforts to increase its use of circular materials and reduce reliance on virgin polyester.
The agreement is Primark’s first multi-year offtake agreement with a textile-to-textile recycler.
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.”
Commercial textiles recycling facility
The recycled polyester supplied under the agreement will be produced at Circ’s commercial facility, which is designed to process textile waste at industrial scale.
The facility will source textile feedstock globally, including both post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste.
Circ said global sourcing will include the valorisation of European textile waste, with material collected from several locations to supply the facility.
The agreement with Primark provides a long-term customer commitment ahead of the commercial facility’s production, helping establish demand for recycled material as textile-to-textile recycling moves towards larger-scale operations.
The partnership forms part of Primark’s wider Primark Cares strategy, which includes efforts to keep clothing and materials in use for longer and reduce waste.
The retailer said it has been working to increase the use of recycled fibres, introduce products designed to be recyclable and improve traceability across its supply chain.
Lynne Walker, Director of Primark Cares, said: “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.”
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