Primark has signed its first multi-year offtake agreement with textile recycling company Circ. Under the agreement, Circ will supply Primark with recycled polyester made from textile waste, which is expected to enter Primark's clothing lines from 2029. The agreement also supports Circ in building its first industrial-scale textile-to-textile recycling operation.

Key Points

  • Primark signs its first multi-year offtake agreement for textile recycled materials with Circ, with recycled polyester planned for use in its clothing from 2029.
  • Circ will produce this recycled polyester at its planned commercial facility, with feedstock sourced globally, including post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste, among which is textile waste from Europe.
  • Circ's patented technology targets hard-to-recycle polycotton textiles, separating and recovering both polyester and cellulose.

Technological Breakthrough Targets the Blended Fabric Challenge

Circ's patented recycling technology specifically handles polycotton blended fabrics—materials long considered difficult to recycle. Its process can separate and recover polyester and cellulose from mixed textile waste, producing materials that can re-enter the fashion supply chain. The recycled polyester covered by the agreement will be produced at Circ's planned commercial facility, which will be Circ's first industrial-scale textile-to-textile recycling project, with feedstock sourced globally, covering post-consumer and post-industrial waste, and including textile waste of European origin.

Statements from Both Parties and Strategic Context

Circ CEO Peter Majeranowski said this partnership represents exactly the kind of long-term commercial commitment needed to move textile-to-textile recycling from innovation to industry standard; when a global fashion retailer commits to integrating recycled materials into future collections, it sends a clear signal to the entire industry: demand already exists, materials are ready, and the opportunity to scale circular material supply chains is real.

The partnership is part of Primark's broader Primark Cares strategy, which includes initiatives to extend the life of clothing and materials and reduce waste. Primark has already introduced circular design principles into product development through its Circular Product Standard, and has launched reuse and repair programs to help customers extend the life of their garments.

Primark Cares Director Lynne Walker said that when Primark Cares was launched, it focused on improving clothing quality and durability and proving that longer-lasting clothing need not be priced higher; since then the company has made tangible progress, including increasing the proportion of recycled fibers used, launching products designed for recycling, and enhancing supply chain traceability. She called this partnership an important milestone in accelerating the further embedding of circularity into the business, helping to scale innovative textile-to-textile recycling solutions that could be transformative for the future of fashion.

What It Means for the Industry

This is Primark's first multi-year offtake agreement with a textile-to-textile recycling company, and it also provides a long-term demand outlet for Circ's industrial-scale recycling capacity. For the used clothing and textile recycling industry, brands locking in recycled raw materials through multi-year offtakes means recycled fibers are moving from pilot procurement toward scaled supply chain integration, and the commercialization of recycling for the high-difficulty category of polycotton blends is being pulled forward as a result.

Source: Primark Signs Long-Term Deal with Circ to Scale Textile-to-Textile Recycling - EME Outlook Magazine · Originally published 2026-09-30