Selfridges launches garment covers made from recycled plastic bottles

Selfridges is the first retailer in the world to supply customers with garment covers made from recycled plastic bottles.

Supplied by Jutexpo, the covers are made from a fabric using 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles, using its HALT process, which turns the bottles into recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPet).

The covers are the first to have the integrity of certification to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

Available in small, medium and large, each one is made using seven-12 plastic bottles.

The garment covers are given to customers as a complimentary gift with items such as high-end suits, dresses and coats. 

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, said: “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.”

Robbie McGregor, Director of Jutexpo added: “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."