// George at Asda commits to selling items made of recycled plastic bottles and clothing
// Forms part of commitment to use only polyester from recycled materials, and sustainable cotton and viscose, by 2025
// The grocer’s fashion & homewares arm is also poised to launch a microfibre strategy this year
George at Asda has announced a new sustainability pledge whereby it will sell products made from recycled plastic bottles and clothing.
The products launching in George’s spring/summer 2019 range include own-brand home cushions and throws that have been made from recycled plastic bottles, and blouses and dresses made with fabric from recycled polyester clothing.
The fashion and homewares arm of the Big 4 grocer said this was part of a commitment to use only polyester that is sourced from recycled materials by 2025.
The move is accompanied by commitments to sourcing only certified sustainable viscose and sustainable cotton by the same year.
The pledge is in addition to existing commitments to use 100 per cent sustainable timber by 2020 and palm oil, which has in place since 2014.
George said it would also extend its work looking at microfibre shedding, with a full microfibre strategy to be published later this year.
Asda was the first big supermarket to sign up to the Microfibre Consortium, through which it is currently performing tests to understand the extent of shedding from different fabrics.
The retailer will also help its customers to understand more about the sustainability of their garments and how to reduce the environmental impact, with increased visibility of garment care and awareness of how they can repurpose, reuse or recycle old clothing.
George said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” towards incineration and donates garments that cannot be sold to charitable organisations to be repurposed.
George added that it would begin to publish a list of its second-tier apparel factories – those typically dyeing, printing and finishing garments – on its website, joining its existing list of first-tier factories, where clothes are cut, sewn and trimmed.
“We have a responsibility to do the right thing by our customers, not only on the price and quality of our goods, but also on the impact we have on the world around us,” Asda senior vice president for commercial Nick Jones said.
“Our George sustainability strategy builds on the work we’ve done to date and sets stretching targets and commitments to reduce the environmental and social impact of our products; because we know that, for our customers, looking after the environment is always in fashion.”
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