With a new partner, Primark is improving its colleagues’ training in circular design

In addition to Primark’s design and product teams, the new training will involve selected suppliers who will review Primark’s clothing by category to understand how circular principles can be applied to them. Through the program, they learn how to apply the principles of circular design to different product categories, adapting Primark’s approach based on the unique characteristics of each product type. The CTF will also hold a series of workshops that will help put the theory of circular design into practice and show colleagues how they can incorporate it into their everyday lives.

Nicholas Lambert, Head of Circulation at Primark, said:

“At Primark, this is the next step to really start incorporating circular design principles into the foundations of our product design and production. Our teams are looking forward to honing their skills through this customized new training and understanding how we can apply this knowledge to our design processes. We want to continue to encourage our in-house designers and suppliers to come up with fun and innovative ways to elevate our clothes beyond what our customers have originally come to expect from us.”

Tim Cross, founder of CTF, added:

“Knowledge sharing is key to tackling the industry’s problems quickly and at scale, and that’s where the Circular Textiles Foundation comes in. We’re making design for recyclability popular and available and accessible to everyone. Working with Primark, we hope to take one step closer to the whole to drive industry-wide change. We look forward to Primark joining us on this journey and contributing to the opportunities ahead.”

The partnership between Primark and CTF builds on the first Circular Design Training program completed last year by more than 500 Primark employees. This initial programme, developed in collaboration with Circle Economy and the Sustainable Fashion Academy, aimed to introduce Primark’s design and product teams to the principles of the circular economy and the Primark Circular Product Standard.