and is it greenwashing or an actual attempt at sustainability?
Primark Cares is a campaign by Primark/Penneys to inform consumers of Primark's sustainability efforts. Similar to other fast-fashion brands, the label seems to only be in relation to certain products which claim to be more environmentally friendly.
Right off the bat, due to its fast-fashion business model of constantly churning out new trends – Primark/Penneys loses a lot of sustainability points.
This business model breeds an unhealthy working environment for garment workers and farmers due to the pressure to meet unreasonable deadlines.
It is also un-environmentally friendly due to the fact that the overproduction of clothes leads to a lot of textile waste and a throwaway culture.
Sustainable Cotton Programme
Primark’s promise of “sustainable cotton” is vague - a lot is not even organic cotton, its just cotton they’re claiming to be “more sustainable.”
Has decreased water use by 4% but alternative fibres such as linen and lyocell have much lower water use than cotton.
Reduced chemical fertiliser and pesticides, but due to the fact that “organic cotton would have lower yields” and therefore cost more, Primark are not willing for the farmers that they’re “training” to forgo these chemicals completely.
It has apparently improved wages for farmers. In India, profits increased on average 200% after the three years, while in Pakistan they rose 26.8% after the first year of training.
Primark does not disclose the percentage of its cotton that comes from this programme
Environmental
It has minimal published greenhouse gas emissions reduction initiatives beyond energy efficiency in stores and has not set a reduction target
Primark’s environmental initiatives are a step in the right direction, but they just aren’t enough to minimise the brand’s huge carbon footprint as a fast-fashion chain.
Despite the introduction of "sustainable cotton" the vast majority of Primark's materials are still synthetic and unsustainable
Ethical
It makes a lot of promises on their website, but there’s no proof to back any of these up.
They are part of the Ethical Trading Initiative - a good initiative in theory, with member NGOs like Oxfam however no audit process for their members and isn’t a reliable source for judging a company’s supply chain.
Outsources manufacturing - does not control its supply chain! Allows Primark to avoid responsibility for any labour issues that may be occurring
Like many other brands, Primark cancelled a huge amount of orders at the start of the COVID-19 crisis and refused to pay. After many months of pressure from the #PayUp campaign, Primark eventually agreed to pay in September 2020
However according to payupfashion.com, it “has not responded to [their] demands that brands contribute to the Severance Guarantee Fund for laid-off garment workers and contribute 1% of net revenue towards direct relief for garment workers impacted by the pandemic” despite being a signatory to the ILO Call to Action, which promised in March 2020 to “protect garment workers’ income”
Primark claims to do annual audits of their factories, however does not publicly share its audit reports – no proof of exactly what they’re doing to ensure the rights of garment workers.
No proof that they pay their workers a living wage.
If a company is providing truly ethical working conditions and a living wage through their supply chain, they will be shouting it from the rooftops and it's likely to be a cornerstone of their brand & a reason many people buy from them. If a brand is not doing this, it is safe to assume that they are not & they are complicit in worker exploitation.
After claims recently that up to 1000 workers employed by GY Sen in Myanmar (which supplies Primark) were locked inside their factory by supervisors who tried to prevent them from joining anti-coup protests, this #PrimarkCares campaign stinks of greenwashing.
It leaves a bitter taste especially when celebrities and influencers, such as Laura Whitmore, are encouraging their followers to buy from them. While I recognise their intention might be in the right place, making sustainability more affordable, Primark/Penneys is not the answer to that problem.
If you're looking for sustainable shopping to replace Primark, I have lots of brands featured on my blog - but secondhand is always your best bet for the affordable alternative!
Hope you enjoyed today's post 💗
Love,
