Textiles 2030 wins gold for Best Environmental or Sustainable Programme

Launched in April of this year, Textiles 2030: UK Sustainable Textiles Action Plan has been named the Best Environmental or Sustainable Programme by Corporate Engagement Awards 2021 which recognises innovative partnerships and collaborations.

The most ambitious ten-year programme for clothing and textiles in the world, Textiles 2030 was developed and is managed by WRAP, the UK’s leading sustainability charity. It is part of the Textiles Action Network and over the next decade, the voluntary agreement will halve the carbon impact of UK clothing and home fabrics through practical interventions along the entire textiles chain.

The agreement secured commitment from some of the UK’s major brands and retailers and partners from across the value chain and is supported by more than half the UK market. This means nearly 60% of all clothing placed on the market (by sales volume) by UK retailers comes under the agreement’s ambitious environmental targets.

Major household names signed to Textiles 2030 include ASOS, Boohoo, Dunelm, John Lewis, M&S, New Look, Next, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Ted Baker, Tesco and The Salvation Army.

Dr David Moon, Interim Director of Collaboration & Change WRAP, said “We are delighted to receive this important award for Textiles 2030, and thank our partners QSA Partners and Flourish CSR for their hard work. With COP26 in full force and the world focussed on what we must do to combat the worst effects of climate change, Textiles 2030 shows how collaboration, ambition and strong environmental targets can drive forward significant change across an industry. This approach, which unites industry from the design, manufacture, sale and end of life has the circular use of products and materials at its heart and directly supports our climate goals. I am delighted the UK plays such an active part in directing this change.”

The Textiles 2030 environmental targets are:

• Cut carbon by 50% (“keeping 1.5 degrees alive”).
• Reduce the aggregate water footprint of new products sold by 30%.

Textiles 2030 Roadmap ambitions for circular textiles, which 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.

The award was given to WRAP and its partners QSA Partners and Flourish CSR.