Circ, Primark Sign Long-Term Deal To Scale Textile-To-Textile Recycled Fibres
Circ, a textile-to-textile recycling technology company, has entered into a long-term partnership with international fashion retailer Primark to introduce recycled polyester made from textile waste into Primark clothing from 2029.
The agreement is aimed at scaling the use of recycled fibres across Primark’s clothing range while reducing the retailer’s reliance on virgin polyester. It also represents Primark’s first multi-year offtake agreement with a textile-to-textile recycling company.
The recycled polyester covered by the agreement will be produced at Circ’s planned commercial facility, which is being developed to enable textile-to-textile recycling at industrial scale. The facility is expected to source textile feedstock globally, including post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste, with European textile waste forming part of its feedstock strategy.
Focus on Circular Materials
The partnership forms part of Primark’s efforts to increase the use of circular materials through its Primark Cares strategy. The retailer is working to keep clothing and materials in use for longer, reduce waste and incorporate circular design principles into product development.
Primark has also introduced a Circular Product Standard and initiatives focused on reuse and repair to extend the useful life of garments.
“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,” said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ.
“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,” he added.
Lynne Walker, Director of Primark Cares, said the agreement would support the retailer’s efforts to further integrate circularity into its business and supply chain.
“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,” Walker said. “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.”
Recycling Blended Textile Waste
Circ’s patented technology is designed to address one of the major challenges in textile recycling: blended fabrics.
The technology separates and recovers polyester and cellulose from polycotton textiles, allowing both components to be converted into materials that can be reintroduced into fashion supply chains.
The company said the technology is particularly relevant to the fashion industry because polycotton blends are widely used but have historically been difficult to recycle through conventional mechanical processes.
The Primark agreement is expected to support the transition of Circ’s technology from commercial development towards larger-scale deployment, while providing a future route for textile waste to be converted into recycled fibres for new clothing.
