- Textiles 2030, the first in a new wave of international sustainable textile agreements, launches today.
- Major household names join including ASOS, Boohoo, Dunelm, John Lewis, M&S, New Look, Next, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Ted Baker, Tesco and The Salvation Army.
- WRAP urges business to help change clothes and homeware for good and halve their climate impact in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
- Textiles 2030: UK Sustainable Textile Action Plan – a roadmap to 2030 - is revealed.
Over the next decade, the voluntary agreement will slash the environmental impact of UK clothing and home fabrics through practical interventions along the entire textiles chain.
Textiles 2030 has secured commitment from more than 18 major brands and retailers, 26 re-use/recycling organisations and 21 affiliates. This means that the agreement is supported by more than half the UK market at launch, with nearly 60% of clothing placed on the market (by sales volume) by UK retailers coming under the agreement.
Major household names signed up to Textiles 2030 include ASOS, Boohoo, Dunelm, John Lewis, M&S, New Look, Next, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Ted Baker, Tesco and The Salvation Army.
Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP: “I’ve been impressed by the way business has committed to reducing the environmental impact of its products and striving for net zero. They clearly see this as core to their business models and essential for building back better as they recover from the pandemic. We have been working with business to develop Textiles 2030 to drive forward the sector-wide change needed to redress how we use textiles. Our research shows that public demand is there for clothes made more sustainably, and not disposable fashion so the time is right for this transformation.
“Textiles 2030 will create a fashion sector fit for the future and lower the environmental impacts of other household textiles. This is just the beginning of a decade long programme and we need more companies to show their commitment to their customers through Textiles 2030. With clothing having the fourth largest impact on the environment after transport, housing and food we simply cannot afford for sustainability not to be the next big thing in fashion.”
WRAP also unveils the Textiles 2030 Roadmap which will direct the actions under Textiles 2030. This sets out the water and carbon reduction targets, and the key milestones and activities necessary to introduce circular use of textile products and materials at scale.
The Textiles 2030 Roadmap shows what signatories must do to deliver the targets, with key outcomes by the end of 2022, 2025 and 2030. These actions will transform the UK’s make-use-dispose fashion culture into one where products are made sustainably, used longer and then re-used or recycled. The Target-Measure-Act approach will be used so that textiles businesses set tough targets, measure impact and track progress on both an individual business basis, and towards national targets and public reporting.
Textiles 2030 environmental targets are:
· Cut carbon by 50%, sufficient to put the UK textiles sector on a path consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change and achieving Net Zero by 2050 at the latest.
· Reduce the aggregate water footprint of new products sold by 30%.
Roadmap ambitions for circular textiles, which partner signatories will join forces to achieve:
· Design for Circularity: agree good practice principles, including durability, recyclability, use of recycled content and minimising waste, and implement them as appropriate to their business model and customer base, to lower the impact of product placed on market in the UK.
· Implement Circular Business Models: pilot reuse business models as appropriate to their product ranges, share learning, and develop large-scale implementation to extend the lifetime of clothing in the UK – and decouple business growth from the use of virgin resources.
· Close the Loop on Materials: set up partnerships to supply and use recycled fibres for new products, accelerating the commercialisation of fibre-to-fibre recycling in the UK.
Footprint modelling shows that these three actions towards circularity could deliver half of the climate target.
Textiles 2030 is also being supported by Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE. The Crossbench peer and Chancellor of the University of Nottingham is an advocate for sustainable textiles and recognises the need to act. Baroness Young said, “We urgently need to protect the planet from the damaging, unsustainable impact of the way we produce and consume clothing and textiles. Innovation, creativity and commitment, underpinned by collaboration is essential if we are to be successful. By working together, businesses across the UK can take the critical steps needed to transform business practices in the sector for good and achieve our climate goals. With WRAP’s expertise in delivering initiatives such as Textiles 2030, and with the sector’s knowledge and expertise I am excited by the impact we can achieve together. I urge every fashion and textiles business in the UK to sign up to Textiles 2030.”
The launch of Textiles 2030 will be marked by a virtual event to take place on Monday 26th April. It will be hosted by WRAP CEO, Marcus Gover and will feature an expert panel including Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE and Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow MP.
Textiles 2030 builds on the foundation of the SCAP 2020 voluntary agreement (Sustainable Clothing Action Plan) which saw businesses respond to growing public demand for fashion with a softer environmental footprint, by adopting robust measurement and targeted action. SCAP was successful in helping signatories achieve and surpass the water and carbon targets.
The UK’s Textiles 2030 is the first national agreement in what will become a global network of initiatives, under the new Textiles Action Network, to reduce the environmental impact of clothing around the world.
WRAP, in partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and supported by the Laudes Foundation, has developed a set of globally relevant targets and will launch the second commitment, in Denmark, in summer 2021. These initiatives will deliver the first ever readymade plans to achieve global circular economy targets on clothing by co-ordinated national action. The plans can be used by individual nations and tailored to suit their circumstances, whilst still directing action towards global targets.
Further details and joining information can be found here.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
The Textiles 2030 Roadmap will be published here on Monday 26th April 2021. Please contact [email protected] for an advanced copy from 2pm Friday 23rd April.
Textiles 2030 signatories below:
| Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS) | Alford Storage and Textile Company (ASTCO) | Arco Ltd |
| ASOS | ||
| ASDA | BAM (Bamboo Clothing) | Bank & Vogue |
| Barnardo’s | Boohoo Group | British Heart Foundation |
| Cancer Research UK | Charity Retail Association | Choice Textile |
| Chris Carey Collections | CTR Group | Dunelm |
| East London Textiles | Fashion Roundtable | Frasers Group |
| Global Organic Textile Standard | Gymshark | HireStreet / Zoa Rental |
| iinouiio | JD Sports | John Lewis & Partners |
| Manchester Metropolitan University | Marks & Spencer | Missguided |
| New Look | Next | Nottingham Trent University |
| Oxfam | Oxfam Ireland | Packaged Group Ltd (PGL) |
| Pep&Co | Pink Elephant Group | Primark |
| Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide (PCIAW) | Project Plan B | Recyclatex |
| Re-Fashion | Reward4Waste | Roberts Recycling Ltd |
| Sainsbury’s | Salvation Army Trading Company | Savanna Rags |
| SOEX UK | Suez | Ted Baker |
| Tesco | Textile Exchange | Textiles Recycling Association |
| Textiles Recycling International | The British Fashion Council / Institute of Positive Fashion | The British Retail Consortium |
| The Little Loop | The Microfibre Consortium | The Textile Institute |
| The University of Sheffield | The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) | Thrift+ |
| University of Glasgow | University of Leeds | Worn Again Technologies |
| Zenith Textiles Ltd |
Signatory quotes
- Simon Platts, Responsible Sourcing Director, ASOS - "Sustainable sourcing is an essential element of ASOS’ longstanding Fashion with Integrity strategy which is why we are excited to be part of Textiles 2030. As signatories to the predecessor Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, against a 2012 baseline we achieved a reduction in our water footprint of 10%, our carbon footprint of 20% and 4% waste reduction for every tonne of clothing sold in the UK, but we want to go further, faster. By collaborating with our industry colleagues, sustainability experts, academics and government we will able to achieve more than we could alone.”
· Danny Hobson, Head of Ethics and Sustainability, Arco - “Arco’s involvement with WRAP’s Textiles 2030 project marks our commitment to learn, collaborate and increase circularity along our supply chain. As experts in safety we have a responsibility to ensure that the products we sell to keep people safe, have as little impact on the environment as possible. We are delighted to be a signatory for this project and play our part alongside other businesses in the UK working to create a circular economy and reduce waste.”
· Rosie Howells, Head of Sustainability at boohoo group plc - “The best way to drive real change is by working with other retailers towards shared goals. That is why we are proud to support the Textiles 2030 initiative and publicly commit ourselves to reducing our impact on the planet’s resources. In order for our business to continue to succeed, we know we need to innovate and deliver creative solutions. I am excited to see where this partnership takes us and share our learning with the industry as we work together to protect our environment.”
· Dayna Wragg, Sustainability Lead, Frasers Group - “As one of the founding signatories of Textiles 2030, Frasers Group is proud and excited to be collaborating with fellow leading retailers and others to reduce the impact of the textiles industry on the environment and climate change."
· Jeremy Mace, Head of Quality, Dunelm - “Dunelm are thrilled to be part of WRAP’s Textiles 2030 Action Plan. As a homeware retailer, our aim is to progressively reduce the impact of our products on the planet, to help make sustainability accessible for all our customers. This is just one step of many, in our wider sustainability journey.”
· Ben Francis, Chief Product Officer, Gymshark - “We’re really proud to be part of Textiles 2030 here at Gymshark. As a young company, we’re at the beginning of our sustainability journey. This programme fits in perfectly with our sustainability strategy and will give us the opportunity to develop meaningful collaborations and projects that will be key to achieve our targets. We’re fully committed to putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do, so we’ll play our part in reducing emissions, virgin resources, and developing products that follow circularity principles.”
· Monique Leeuwenburgh, Head of Product Technology at M&S Clothing & Home - “At M&S, we source all our clothing with care and want to ensure nothing goes to waste. We’ve made huge progress over the last decade by working together with our suppliers and partners – from launching our clothes recycling scheme Shwopping to using 100% responsibly sourced cotton for our clothing. But we know there is always more to be done as we work towards becoming a net zero business, and that’s why we’re partnering with the wider industry through Textiles 2030 to create real change at scale.”
· Dr Mark Sumner, School of Design, University of Leeds - “We are incredibly proud to be the first university to sign up as an Affiliate to Textiles 2030. The School of Design leads the sector in addressing urgent issues around sustainability in textiles, including pioneering initiatives such as Future Fashion Factory which brings together industry partners, technology and researchers to help inform – and transform – manufacturing practice. The energy and ambition of Textiles 2030 is inspiring, and we look forward to working with so many other key organisations to continue to address the impact that UK clothing and fabrics have on the environment.”
Action from textiles businesses is urgently needed for the following reasons:
• Climate change - we must halve GHG footprint linked to textiles and minimise the pressure textile production has in water-stressed locations. Both exacerbated by increasing consumption of materials.
• Demands for action – from consumers (choosing brands with clear sustainability credentials), Government (planned financial and regulatory policies including Extended Producer Responsibility and corporate reporting), and investors (seeking climate-related financial disclosures and clear Environmental, Social and Governance strategies).
• Business benefits from Building Back Greener – the growing demand for new business models such as re-commerce, increasing supply chain resilience through closed-loop sourcing, increasing customer loyalty through service-based models and accessing preferential interest rates on sustainability-linked loans.
WRAP invites journalists interested in attending to contact the Media Relations team here.
WRAP textiles experts will be available for interview – please contact the Media Relations team here.
Voluntary Agreements - WRAP design, develop, convene, manage and support collaborative change programmes, mobilising businesses, governments, local authorities and other stakeholders to reduce the end-to-end environmental impacts in key sectors of production and consumption – food, textiles and plastic packaging.
WRAP is a global NGO based in the UK. It works with governments, businesses and individuals to ensure that the world’s natural resources are used sustainably. It is the charity leading The UK Plastics Pact (a world first) as well as Love Food Hate Waste, the Courtauld Commitment, the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, Textiles 2030 and Recycle Now. WRAP works collaboratively and develops and delivers evidence-based, impactful solutions to reduce the environmental cost of the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the plastic packaging we use. Founded in 2000 in the UK, WRAP now works around the world and is a Global Alliance Partner of The Royal Foundation’s Earthshot Prize.
Contact Frances Armitage, Media Relations Specialist: [email protected] 07971 656 172 or Media Enquires: [email protected] 07951 346 196.