Credit: John Lewis
Retailer says 20-piece collection is designed to minimise waste and maximise product longevity
John Lewis has launched a new 'circular' clothing and bedding collection, comprised of longer-lasting products made using recycled materials.
The retailer said the 20-piece collection, which was unveiled this morning, supported its plans to ensure all its own-brand products are designed with circularity in mind by 2028.
Products in the range - which includes nightwear, babywear, men's cashmere garments, mattresses, and filled bedding duvets and pillows - have more recycled content than previous collections, and are designed for longevity and easy recycling at the end of their life, John Lewis said.
Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability at John Lewis Partnership, said the new collection was testament to the retailer's commitment to circular design.
"Each product has been thoughtfully designed to minimise waste and maximise longevity, helping to give customers more choice for responsible products," she said. "I'm personally very excited by the new nightwear products in the collection which are not only designed to be more easily recycled at their end of life but look and feel amazing too."
John Lewis said it had collaborated with circular economy experts at the University of Exeter on a comprehensive framework and strategy for circular design, developed in line with recommendations by waste charity WRAP.
The framework is built around three core principles: sustainable material choices, durability, and cyclability, or ensuring products are easier to recycle.
Professor Fiona Charnley, co-director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy and UKRI circular economy hub at the University of Exeter Business School, said the collection was an example of how the framework could be applied to a "diverse range of products with differing requirements and lifetimes".
"This is a pioneering step forward in John Lewis' transition towards a circular economy we look forward to seeing the wider impact of the strategy across the business and their customers," she said.
Sophie Scanlon, textiles specialist at WRAP, said the charity was delighted to see its circular design toolkit principles "in action".
"Up to 80 per cent of clothing's impacts are determined at the design phase, so it's great to see John Lewis taking the practical steps to embed this within their collections to make a difference," she said. "Designing for circularity is a key pillar of WRAP's Textiles 2030 programme and this toolkit utilises industry-wide expertise to help brands implement circular design holistically, with every stage of a product's life cycle considered which, in turn, can reduce an item's environmental impact."
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