Selfridges And Jutexpo Partner To Launch World's First Garment Covers Made From Recylced Plastic Bottles

The garment covers, given to customers as a complimentary gift with items such as high-end suits, dresses and coats, are available in small, medium and large and each one is made using seven, eight and 12 plastic bottles respectively. 

They have been rolled out in-store since the beginning of January and are now available in all Selfridges stores. It is anticipated that the first six months of garment covers will result in more than 222,000 plastic bottles being recycled from post-consumer waste. 

Daniella Vega, Selfridges Sustainability Director comments: “As signatories to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment on plastics, Selfridges is delighted to support new innovation that slows plastic pollution – and this garment bag is a great way of sharing this message with our customers and brand partners.” 

The Jutexpo covers are made from a fabric using 100% recycled plastic bottles and are the first to have the integrity of certification to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). 

The HALT™ process turns the bottles into a durable and practical fabric called rPet, short for recycled polyethylene terephthalate, which is strong, durable and can be wiped clean.  

Robbie McGregor, Director of Jutexpo said: “As far as we are aware, this is the first time in the world that post-consumer plastic bottles have been used to create garment covers, reducing plastic waste and giving plastic bottles another useful purpose rather than ending up in landfill, incineration and uncontrollable waste streams. 

“We are delighted to be working with Selfridges on this project, which is tackling the issues around plastic bottles and the ways in which they can be repurposed in a meaningful way.” 

Market-leading reusable bag supplier Jutexpo was formed by father and son Barrie and Sam Turner after they spotted a gap in the market for reusable bags made out of Jute to minimise plastic bag usage.   

It also supplies bags made from Juco, an increasingly popular finer weave option which is made up of a blend of 75% jute and 25% cotton. This is in addition to traditional Cotton and Jute. 

Jutexpo have ethically-produced 80 million reusable bags since the company was formed in 2002. 

Jutexpo operates to the Jutexpo Standard, which is a set of the 10 key elements which it considers to be the minimum when it comes to ethical and technical standards, awards and credentials.  

FACTS AND HISTORY

The Scale of the Problem

• UK adults buy 7.7 billion single-use plastic water bottles each year – around 150 per person. Londoners are among the highest users of bottled water in the UK – the average Londoners buys 175 bottles of water each year. That’s over a billion on a city level.
• Only around 50% of plastic drink bottles in UK household waste streams are collected for recycling Global production of plastic totalled 311 million tonnes in 2014 (up from 299 million tonnes in 2013 and 288 million tonnes in 2012)
• 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year from land
• By 2050, plastic in the ocean could outweigh fish
• Plastic is a serious and persistent threat to marine life and habitats

NOTES TO EDITORS

Project Ocean

Launched in 2011, Selfridges Project Ocean has tackled the issues of endangered fish in the Food Hall, and shark oil in beauty products. In 2015, we turned our attention to the urgent issue of marine plastic pollution and created our most successful campaign to date.

For 2015, Selfridges were the first retailer to commit to the removal of all single-use plastic water bottles across the business, including its concessions and back of house. With a supporting exhibition, water bar and fundraising drive, this bold change cemented Selfridges as retail activists.

Other institutions, such as Manchester Art Gallery have followed suit, and as a direct result ZSL have been granted funding to research the reality of taking the water bottle stance London wide; a legacy Selfridges are truly proud of.

Project Ocean Partners include the Zoological Society of London, Greenpeace and members of the Marine Reserves Coalition.

SELFRIDGES TIMLINE

Selfridges since 2011 has marked and celebrated huge change across its business with regards to sustainability.

2017

• Removed all plastic straws from food halls, concessions and restaurants
• Converted to green energy
• Launched a partnership with Positive Luxury
• Launched CupCycling initiative (coffee cups are recycled and turned into Selfridges shopping bags)
• Launch of Buying Better labelling (cotton, denim, British makers)
• Won National CSR award and Better Society Award for our partnership with ZSL, and TVE award for Material World film 

 2016       

• Removed microbeads from all beauty products
• With ZSL and partners, launched #OneLess campaign
• Second Carbon Trust triple standard
• Won IGDS award for best sustainable department store 

2015

• Removed all single-use plastic water bottles
• Removed all plastic carrier bags 

2014 

• First department store to be awarded and retain The Carbon Trust Triple Standard for reduction in energy, water and improved waste management 

2013 -  Selfridges banned squalene from all beauty products in the Beauty Hall

2012 - Selfridges Co-founded the Marine Reserves Coalition, which has now evolved into the Great British Oceans coalition (including the Zoological Society of London, Greenpeace, Marine Conservation Society, Pew Charitable Trust, RSPB and Blue Marine Foundation)

2011 - Selfridges launched Project Ocean 

2009 - Selfridges banned the sale of foie gras

2005 - Selfridges became fur free