Extending Product Lifetimes: WRAP's Work on Clothing Durability

WRAP's work on durability has been pioneering over the last decade.

Through our Clothing Longevity Protocol and our collaboration with the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) on the Durability Research Project as part of Textiles 2030, we have transformed the fashion industry's approach to product design.

A shift that has empowered businesses to create clothes that last longer with retailers such as Primark, ASOS and John Lewis launching products to market having implemented WRAP’s durability best practice.

The fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive sectors, with short clothing lifespans contributing to excessive waste, resource depletion, and high carbon emissions. Integrating durability into mainstream clothing design is crucial for reducing these environmental impacts. Simply put, if clothes last longer, they need to be replaced less often, which decreases waste, reduces the need for new clothing production, and means that items can have a second, third or fourth owner. 

In 2014, WRAP launched the world-first Clothing Longevity Protocol, a comprehensive framework of tests and performance criteria that has become essential for leading brands to assess the physical durability of their clothing. Now being updated and expanded through the ongoing Durability Research Project - a collaboration between WRAP, LITAC, and 25 fashion brands - the protocol is helping businesses prepare for upcoming eco-design policies and provides a unified testing method for durability across a wider range of clothing items. These new benchmarks will enable brands to design longer-lasting products, adapt to circular business models like rental and resale, and better communicate the durability of their garments to customers, while also allowing for easier comparison within the market. 

WRAP’s research shows that extending the lifespan of clothing by just nine months could reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by up to 30%, saving £5 billion in resources annually.  

The Clothing Longevity Protocol is crucial for brands like Primark and ASOS, guiding rigorous product testing from colour fading to wash endurance, improving product quality. And this important work continues through The Durability Research Project where we are working with 25 brands including Primark, ASOS, John Lewis, F&F at Tesco and River Island to realise the single biggest opportunity to minimise the environmental impact of clothing. 

Results

As of May 2024, Durability wash testing now covers 39% of all Primark clothing.

The Clothing Longevity Protocol has been crucial for brands like Primark and ASOS, guiding rigorous product testing from colour fading to wash endurance, improving product quality.

WRAP's partnership with LITAC is advancing durability research. The LITAC Durability Research Project aims to set new industry benchmarks by 2025, extending the product range and focusing on both physical and emotional durability - the relationship we have with our items and the emotive factors that affect how much we use them.  

With over 850 tests completed in its first phase and more than 4,800 specimens tested, the project is delivering significant findings to improve the lifespan of clothing. The findings are also contributing to WRAP's Textiles 2030 initiative and the Circularity Roadmap.

See how ASOS, Primark and John Lewis Partnership have embedded circular design processes based on WRAP’s durability guidance.