Asda is to start selling clothes made from recycled plastic bottles in the supermarket’s latest move to improve sustainability.
The retailer’s George chain today announced the move to improve the “ethical and environmental” impact of its products.
The products launching in the retailer’s spring/summer 2019 range include George Home cushions and throws that have been made from recycled plastic bottles, as well as blouses and dresses made with fabric from recycled polyester clothing.
It is part of a commitment by the brand to only use polyester sourced from recycled materials by 2025. Asda today extended the commitment to include sourcing only certified sustainable viscose and sustainable cotton by the same deadline.
Asda said George, the second largest fashion retailer in the UK by volume, would also ramp up its work to tackle microfibre shedding, with a full microfibre strategy to be published later this year.
Asda was the first big supermarket to sign up to The Microfibre Consortium, through which it is currently performing tests to understand the extent of shedding from different fabrics.
George will publish a list of its second tier apparel factories - those typically dyeing, printing and finishing garments - on its website. It will join its existing list of first tier factories, where clothes are cut, sewn and trimmed.
“As the second largest clothing retailer in the country, we have a responsibility to do the right thing by our customers, not only on the price and quality of our goods, but also on the impact we have on the world around us,” said senior vice president for commercial Nick Jones.
Read more: Asda ‘war on plastic’ cuts 6,500 tonnes in first year
“Our George sustainability strategy builds on the work we’ve done to date and sets stretching targets and commitments to reduce the environmental and social impact of our products; because we know that, for our customers, looking after the environment is always in fashion.”
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