George at Asda to sell products made from recycled plastic bottles and clothing as part of new sustainability pledge

George, the fashion and homewares arm of the supermarket chain Asda, will for the first time sell products made from recycled plastic bottles and clothing, as part of a commitment to use only polyester that is sourced from recycled materials by 2025.

The products launching in the retailer’s Spring/Summer 2019 range include George Home cushions and throws made from recycled plastic bottles, and blouses and dresses made with fabric from recycled polyester clothing.

The move – which Asda claims is the first for a supermarket retailer – is accompanied by commitments to sourcing only certified sustainable viscose and sustainable cotton by 2025, as well as existing commitments to 100% sustainable timber (by 2020) and palm oil (in place since 2014).

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 has a zero-tolerance policy towards incineration and donates garments that cannot be sold to charitable organisations to be repurposed.

To further increase transparency around its supply chain, George will 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.

Asda senior vice president for commercial Nick Jones said: “As the second largest clothing retailer in the country, 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.

“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.”