John Lewis launches towels made from recycled plastic

John Lewis says it has achieved a technological breakthrough in the use of recycled plastics for a new range of towels that are fluffy and soft. 

On sale from August, the new Croft Collection sees 35 per cent recycled polyester and 65 per cent regenerated cotton used for the items, comprising face cloths, hand and bath towels and bath sheets. 

The collection has been produced following almost two years of extensive testing by John Lewis, its partners and suppliers. 

“It took 18 months to develop these towels with our supplier,” explained Zoe Brady, John Lewis’s towel buyer. 

“Initially, it was hard to create the soft, luxurious feeling we wanted from recycled materials but we got there in the end. The recycled polyester makes these towels quick drying, and the cotton means they’re highly absorbent, too.”

The new collection sits along other initiatives from retailers and brands incorporating the use of recycled materials into their products.