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'Primark effect' leads to bursting landfill sites

By Suzannah Ramsdale on Tuesday 25 November 2008

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Primark Oxford Circus, London-

We may love our fast fix of fashion from budget stores such as Primark but it is causing real problems at landfill sites, according to MPs.

The 'Primark effect' is to blame for a vast increase in cheaply made clothes ending up in waste disposal sites.

Most fast fashion items are made from man-made materials which are often tough to recycle.

As a result, the proportion of textile waste found at council tips has risen from 7% to 30% in just five years.

The Commons environment select committee have been urging retail bosses to focus on producing long-lasting fashion, rather than clothes that get binned after a couple of wears.

'The whole notion of throwaway fashions needs to be re-examined,' said Tory MP Micheal Jack, who is chairman of the committee.

'People may want something that is fashionable, but they should also be thinking about whether what they are buying will last.'

Asda chiefs, who are responsible for the cheap fashion range George, attended the committee meeting and vowed to concentrate on quality rather than cut-price style.

'We are moving away from fast fashion,' said Asda spokesman, Julian Walker-Palin.

'We did a survey with our customers at the beginning of the year. They said they are now making product choice decisions around quality and value for money.'

'They are shopping for wardrobe essentials rather than fast-fashions, which tend to be impulse buys,' he added.

However, Primark's recent announcement that they have seen a 17% increase in profits this year may tell a different story.