One in three pairs of women’s pyjamas could soon be sustainable

Primark has launched their first sustainable cotton range in conjunction with its Sustainable Cotton Programme. Consisting of 16 different pairs of pyjamas, the range will be on sale across stores as sustainable cotton become a permanent installation in stores.

“This is a really exciting moment for all of us at Primark. Our pyjamas are some of our best-selling products; in fact, one in three women’s pyjamas bought in the UK are from Primark. We’ve chosen one of our key product lines because we’re serious about bringing sustainable cotton into our business,” said Steve Lawton, Trading Director at Primark.

The pyjamas will retail at a price of £6.00 per set, the same price as regular cotton - enticing buyers to switch to sustainable cotton whilst maintaining their affordable fashion promise.

Primark joined forces with CottonConnect and the Self-Employed Women’s Association in 2013, working to train female farmers in India in sustainable farming methods.

Now in 2017, Primark have successfully used the cotton throughout their supply chain, with results from the 1,251 farmers who were trained from 2013-2016 showing improved cotton yield, through the reduction in water and chemical usage, and on average, an increase in profits by more than 200%.

“Our long-term ambition is to ensure that all the cotton we use is sustainably sourced. There has never been a single definition of sustainable cotton. For us, sustainable cotton is about reducing the environmental impact of cotton production, improving the livelihoods of the farmers, and doing so in a way that means we continue to deliver great value to our customers,” said Katharine Stewart, Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability Director at Primark.

So far 6,000 farmers have or are receiving training from the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme. Learning appropriate farming techniques for specific land, including seed selection, sowing, soil, water, pesticide and pest management, to picking, fibre quality, grading and storage of the harvested cotton.

In 2016 Primark announced that an additional 10,000 women would be taking part in the programme, which will no doubt increase as sustainable cotton becomes a solid addition to Primark stores.

Screenshot courtesy of Primark website