M&S currently operates more than 210 bio-CNG trucks, including around 150 Scania 4×2 units and 26 Scania 6×2 vehicles. The company said it plans to add further trucks over the next year, lifting the size of its lower-emission fleet to more than 300 bio-CNG vehicles by the end of March 2027. The expansion supports M&S’ wider Plan A ambitions, including its goal to become a net-zero business across its value chain by 2040.

To support the larger fleet, M&S has signed a long-term agreement with CNG Fuels to install Mobile Refuelling Stations (MRS) at distribution centres. The company said these sites will provide daily capacity to refuel more than 300 CNG trucks, complementing CNG Fuels’ public-access network of 16 stations. That national network is also being expanded, with CNG Fuels aiming to support up to 20,000 truck refuels per day by the end of 2028.

Bio-CNG is produced from renewable waste feedstocks, including food waste and agricultural by-products such as manure, and is positioned by operators as a “drop-in” alternative that can reduce emissions without waiting for full electrification of long-haul transport.

Julian Bailey, Transport Director at M&S, said the retailer has tested multiple options and is scaling what it sees as the most deployable solution for heavy fleet decarbonisation today. “Moving to lower-carbon logistics with reduced dependency on diesel and the increased use of new technologies and lower carbon fuels is key to achieving our Plan A Net Zero ambitions. We trialled a range of technologies and have chosen Bio-CNG as a key solution for decarbonising our logistics fleet as it is a proven, flexible and cost-efficient fuel supported by mature infrastructure.”

Philip Fjeld, CEO and co-founder of ReFuels, said biomethane offers an immediate pathway to reduce emissions in road freight, especially when combined with refuelling infrastructure designed for large fleets. “We are proud to support M&S as they shift towards more sustainable logistics. Biomethane is a cost-efficient here-and-now solution to decarbonise road transport, and our Mobile Refuelling Stations help large fleets decarbonise quickly. This agreement underscores the rapid growth in demand from major UK retailers and distributors.”

Scania, which supplies a significant share of the vehicles in the programme, said collaboration across manufacturers, fuel providers and fleet operators will be key to delivering meaningful reductions at scale. “We are pleased to be working in collaboration with Marks & Spencer, and to be playing an active role in helping them reach their Plan A Net Zero ambitions.

“At Scania, we are driving the shift towards sustainable transport systems that are better for business, society and the environment. By working together with our partners, we can develop transport solutions that reduce our carbon footprints, while making sure that we continue to meet the demands of a growing population – profitably and sustainably

“It is testament to the vision and the shared values between the three companies that we can work side-by-side. And this is just the beginning, we are very excited to be in partnership with Marks & Spencer and CNG Fuels, and we can’t wait to see how this partnership grows and evolves in the future.”

Alongside the expansion in biomethane-powered trucks, M&S said it is also trialling electrification in its distribution network. The retailer currently operates 13 battery-electric HGVs with zero tailpipe emissions, as well as five battery-electric rigid trucks, across its food and non-food logistics operations.

Under the agreement, Retraced’s upstream traceability capabilities will be connected with Trimco Group’s labelling, packaging, RFID and data services. The combined set-up is intended to support product-level supply chain transparency from the earliest sourcing stages through to finished goods, giving brands a single, integrated workflow for supplier and product data.

A key element of the joint offer is on-product QR labelling. Brands will be able to apply QR codes generated by Trimco Group to items, allowing consumers, retailers and regulators to view structured details on origin and supply chain journey by scanning the label. Depending on how a client chooses to implement the solution, the information can be presented through Trimco Group’s Digital Manager with ProductDNA or through Retraced’s platform.

The partners said the approach is designed to support compliance with existing and incoming rules, including the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, by ensuring that verified data is not only collected but also linked to specific products in a consistent format.

Trimco Group sustainability and compliance director Camilla Mjelde said the value of transparency depends on whether it can be delivered in a usable way. “Transparency only creates value when it is accessible, structured, and connected to the physical product. By integrating our ProductDNA platform and labelling expertise with Retraced’s upstream traceability technology, we are making it significantly easier for brands to turn complex supply chain data into clear, credible product information.”

Retraced said its platform already supports brands with supplier mapping, data administration, claim verification and collaboration across partner networks. By combining these functions with Trimco’s on-product labelling and identification tools, the companies say brands can validate data and share it more effectively with external stakeholders—while keeping compliance checks closer to real time.

Retraced’s policy compliance and partnerships director Roman Houlbreque said brands need traceability that does not remain trapped in back-end systems. “Supply chain data on its own doesn’t create value if it stays in disconnected systems. Brands need to bring that information to the product level in a way that is usable for compliance and communication. By partnering with Trimco Group, we are closing that gap — linking upstream data with on-product solutions in a way that is practical and scalable.”

By anchoring verified upstream information to QR-enabled labels, the partnership aims to make product-level supply chain transparency operational—supporting both regulatory disclosure and the wider industry push for clearer, more credible product claims.

The athleticwear brand’s US Cotton Trust Protocol membership will begin translating into product changes later this year. As an initial rollout, Under Armour plans to source Trust Protocol-tracked cotton for all graphic T-shirts in its Freedom collection this fall. The Freedom line is positioned as a tribute to military personnel, veterans and first responders.

Under Armour’s sustainability director Aaron Driggers said cotton provenance and production practices are becoming central to how the company evaluates materials. “Under Armour believes performance starts with the materials we choose. Where and how our cotton is grown matters. We are pleased to join the US Cotton Trust Protocol and enhance our supply chain transparency as we continue to develop quality products for athletes.”

The Trust Protocol functions as a voluntary sustainability programme for US cotton growers and a traceability platform for downstream buyers. It is built around quantifiable goals and verification, with continuous improvement measured across six sustainability areas. Under Armour said the framework will allow it to monitor progress and substantiate improvements using consistent indicators rather than relying on high-level claims.

Dr Gary Adams, president of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, said the programme’s measurement-first structure fits Under Armour’s focus on innovation. “We welcome Under Armour a brand dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement. The Trust Protocol’s data-driven approach is aligned with these values and will help Under Armour reinforce its commitment to sustainable sourcing.”

The Trust Protocol positions itself as the first sustainable cotton fibre programme to provide comprehensive, verifiable data at scale to demonstrate impact, an approach intended to differentiate participating growers and offer brands clearer sourcing transparency. In its 2024/25 annual report, the organisation said its membership now includes more than 1,500 growers and that participants have recorded measurable progress across all six sustainability metrics since 2015.

For Under Armour, the US Cotton Trust Protocol membership adds a new layer of measurement and traceability to cotton procurement, as brands face increasing pressure from regulators and consumers to substantiate sustainability performance with credible data.

The project—called the Levi’s Regenerative and Resilient Landscape Initiative (LRI)—began in January in Jalalpur Pirwala, located in Punjab’s Multan district. Levi Strauss describes the area as strategically significant for national cotton output. Implementation is being led by WWF-Pakistan, with additional support from the Laudes Foundation. The work also sits under a larger umbrella programme, the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPLC), which spans Brazil, India, Pakistan and Tanzania and targets one million hectares in total.

Levi Strauss said Pakistan is a priority geography for watershed and landscape restoration given mounting environmental constraints on agriculture. “These challenges are prominently at play in Pakistan, which is why the country is already a priority focus area for watershed restoration as part of our 2030 water strategy.”

Over an initial three-year period, the LRI plans to work across 10,000 hectares, using an approach that treats farms as part of a connected system—linking cultivation practices to community outcomes, water resources and biodiversity. The company said the programme will combine farmer engagement with technical support, aiming to shift practices in a way that can be sustained beyond the project’s direct involvement.

Early progress indicators shared through March 2026 suggest the programme is already scaling participation. WWF-Pakistan and partners have held outreach sessions engaging nearly 600 farmers, established 20 field schools and trained 165 participants through practical modules focused on soil health and water conservation. The project has also taken 100 soil samples to establish a baseline for measuring improvement over time.

To strengthen delivery capacity on the ground, WWF-Pakistan also ran a four-day training-of-trainers in Multan to equip project staff with core skills in regenerative agriculture, soil management and water stewardship—capabilities intended to improve the consistency and quality of farmer support.

The next phase of the programme is expected to focus on increasing on-farm water productivity, cutting reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and building soil organic matter—key pillars of regenerative cotton farming. It also plans to plant 100,000 trees to support biodiversity and sequester carbon, with these targets intended to be achieved by 2028.

Alongside environmental outcomes, the initiative is designed to improve household resilience by lowering input costs, supporting climate adaptation and helping stabilise farm livelihoods. The programme will also engage government and industry stakeholders in an effort to encourage wider uptake, with Levi Strauss positioning the work as part of its longer-term goal to “protect and restore” biodiversity linked to raw-material sourcing by 2030.

The annual decline is the weakest reading for the category since March 2021, when pandemic-era disruption was still distorting pricing patterns. The drop helped pull down the overall inflation rate, acting as a rare deflationary component within a basket where other costs are rising.

On a month-to-month basis, clothing and footwear prices increased 0.6% between February and March, but that was far more subdued than the 2.3% rise recorded over the same period a year earlier. The ONS said the shift in the 12-month rate was largely driven by lower prices in women’s and children’s clothing.

While fashion became cheaper year on year, the broader inflation picture worsened. Headline CPI rose 3.3% in the 12 months to March 2026, up from 3.0% in the year to February. CPI also increased 0.7% between February and March, compared with a 0.3% rise in the same month last year.

Core CPI excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco rose 3.1% year on year, edging down from 3.2% in February. Beneath the surface, goods inflation strengthened, with the annual CPI goods rate climbing from 1.6% to 2.1%, while services inflation increased from 4.3% to 4.5%.

The British Retail Consortium said emerging pressures linked to the Middle East conflict are beginning to show up, particularly through higher fuel costs, even as intense competition keeps fashion pricing tight. BRC economist Harvir Dhillon said: “The first signs of inflationary pressure stemming from the conflict in the Middle East began to emerge last month, driven largely by rising fuel prices. Across retail, the picture was mixed. Intense competition pushed clothing and footwear back into deflation, but in the grocery sector, mounting cost pressures saw food inflation creep up. Ahead, if food prices follow a similar trend as seen following the Ukraine-Russia conflict, prices will start to ramp up more notably throughout 2026.

“Although the energy price cap and removal of green levies may provide some near-term relief, inflation will rise over the coming quarters as the full impact of the Middle East conflict filters through. As a more energy-intensive sector, supermarkets and their supply chains are likely to be disproportionately affected. With food prices set to rise, it is lower-income households that will be hit hardest. The government must target support towards these retailers, in particular looking at non-commodity charges which push up the cost of businesses’ energy bills. This will help mitigate the peak in food inflation, reducing the squeeze on households.”

For fashion retailers, the latest reading suggests UK clothing and footwear prices remain under downward pressure despite broader inflation firming—highlighting how competitive discounting and product mix shifts can diverge from the wider cost environment that is being influenced by energy and geopolitical factors.

Designed as a scale-up step, the nylon 6,6 biorecycling plant will translate Epoch Biodesign’s patented biological process into a working site able to handle several hundred tonnes of post-consumer nylon 6,6 each year. The company’s system uses AI-engineered enzymes to break down complex nylon-containing waste streams—ranging from silicon-coated airbag fabrics and elastane-blended textiles to end-of-life clothing—into their original chemical building blocks.

Epoch says the recovered monomers are “virgin-quality” and can be fed back into nylon 6,6 manufacturing supply chains, offering a route to true material circularity. Unlike conventional chemical recycling, which often depends on high heat and capital-intensive infrastructure, Epoch positions its biological approach as selective and lower-energy, with the potential to reduce carbon emissions.

Founder and CEO Jacob Nathan said one of the key benefits is what the process avoids, enabling more flexible siting in urban environments. “One of the most important advantages of our biological process is what it does not do. It does not require high temperatures. It does not demand the heavy industrial infrastructure that has historically meant manufacturing must be sited far from where people live and work.

“The Grapht Works facility sits inside a broader urban neighbourhood in London. The fact that we can build and operate a nylon 6,6 recycling plant in Greater London is not incidental; it is a feature of the clean, low-energy process our team has developed. This is what genuinely circular, industrial biochemistry looks like.”

Epoch expects demand for compliant end-of-life options to grow quickly as new EU requirements under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation begin to apply from July 2026, including a ban on destroying unsold garments. The company also pointed to the broader recycling gap—less than 1% of textiles currently become new textiles—as evidence that infrastructure needs to scale rapidly.

Chief commercial officer Luciano Caruso said the plant is designed to process waste sourced from apparel, automotive and industrial uses, and argued that regulatory and societal pressure is closing off traditional disposal routes. “The Grapht Works plant has the capacity to process hundreds of tonnes of post-consumer nylon 6,6 waste a year: this is sourced from apparel and automotive products, as well as various industrial applications. New EU regulations require these industries to confront what they do with end-of-life nylon, and incineration or landfill are no longer acceptable answers.

“The new plant validates our biological process both technically and commercially, demonstrating to industry partners and policymakers that a truly circular, clean, and economically viable route to nylon recycling exists today. This is the start of a sustainable, resilient supply chain of a critical material, without the pricing volatility associated with petrochemical-derived products.”

The announcement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February with INVISTA, one of the world’s major nylon producers, aimed at developing commercial-scale post-consumer recycled nylon 6,6. Epoch Biodesign is also a member of the T2T Alliance and says it has raised more than $50 million from investors including lululemon, Lowercarbon Capital, Extantia, KOMPAS VC, Happiness Capital, Leitmotif and Inditex (Mundi Ventures).

With the Q3 2026 launch target, Epoch’s London project becomes a high-profile test of whether enzyme-driven recycling can move beyond pilots into a repeatable industrial model—one that could make the nylon 6,6 biorecycling plant concept viable for additional regions and larger volumes over time.

The agreement covers both standard and non-fibrillating lyocell variants, with all fibres produced using Circulose pulp. Supply in 2026 will be restricted to a limited number of brands, Circulose said, while companies seeking broader availability in 2027 are being urged to start product development conversations now in order to be ready for future allocations.

Lyocell is produced using a solvent-spinning method in which the solvent is largely recovered and reused, helping lower environmental impact compared with less closed-loop processes. Circulose argues the environmental case strengthens further when recycled pulp replaces virgin wood input—an advantage it aims to push by supplying pulp made from discarded textiles.

As part of the collaboration, CTA has agreed to purchase a defined volume of Circulose pulp over the next several years. CTA will commercialise the resulting lyocell through Circulose’s licensing model, which is designed to scale output through manufacturing partners rather than through Circulose building all production capacity itself.

The companies said they will also work jointly on technical improvements, with efforts planned to raise pulp quality and expand lyocell manufacturing capacity by refining production processes and coordinating closely on performance requirements.

Circulose CEO Jonatan Janmark said the partnership is notable because lyocell production can be less forgiving than other regenerated cellulosic routes, making the use of recycled feedstock harder to execute consistently. “Lyocell is a more sensitive process than viscose, making the use of recycled pulp more challenging. CTA’s ability to produce lyocell from Circulose is a strong testament to their technical capabilities, as well as the performance of our pulp. We are very pleased to work with CTA to bring this opportunity to our brand partners and are excited by what it means for the broader adoption of circular materials.”

CTA Green Fibre is part of China General Technology (Group) and operates both as a lyocell producer and as a research-and-industrial platform for textile innovation in China. The company runs commercial lyocell facilities and has developed proprietary technologies for multiple lyocell fibre variants.

If the collaboration scales as planned, the partnership could provide brands with a more reliable route to lyocell fibres from Circulose pulp—supporting circular sourcing goals while increasing the share of fibres made from post-consumer textile waste.

SwitchDye’s approach is aimed at one of the industry’s most resource-intensive steps: dyeing synthetic fibres. Polyester accounts for more than half of global fibre production, and conventional dyeing is typically associated with heavy chemical use, long machine cycles, multiple rinses and substantial energy demand. The company says its polyester dyeing technology uses “fizzy water” in a way that allows mills to lower chemical intensity, cut water consumption and reduce energy use—without requiring factories to replace their existing equipment.

Under the partnership, John Hogg is expected to bring practical dyehouse know-how, manufacturing and stewardship expertise, and access to customer networks that can accelerate adoption. The goal is to help SwitchDye progress quickly from controlled trials to repeatable mill performance and commercial scale.

Professor Nick Plant at the University of Leeds said the development highlights the potential of university research to deliver tangible industrial change. “SwitchDye’s pioneering approach to polyester dyeing will help to drive a more circular and sustainable textile industry,” said professor Nick Plant, University of Leeds. He added: “SwitchDye’s pioneering approach to polyester dyeing will help to drive a more circular and sustainable textile industry. This is another example of the outstanding talent that exists within our research community and our strength in nurturing and supporting innovation in new technologies,” explained Plant.

The university points to the scale of dyeing impacts to underline the opportunity. It estimates textile dyeing globally consumes around 600 billion litres of water each year, with textile production responsible for about 20% of global clean-water pollution. It also cites figures suggesting polyester dyeing alone releases roughly 280,000 tonnes of waste dye and related chemicals annually.

SwitchDye emerged from collaboration between Leeds’ Schools of Design and Chemistry. The founding and research team includes Dr Nathaniel Crompton, Dr Harrison Oates, professor Richard Blackburn and professor Chris Rayner. The dyes were synthesised in the Wolfson CO2 laboratory before being transferred to testing facilities at the School of Design and the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC).

According to the university, testing demonstrated the system can remove additives that typically represent a large share of dye chemistry—potentially up to 90%—while maintaining performance standards expected by manufacturers and brands. Because the process is engineered as a “drop-in,” the company says mills can integrate it into common dyehouse set-ups without major capital reinvestment.

Beyond reducing chemical load, SwitchDye claims operational advantages: fewer rinse stages, shorter machine time, about 40% less water use, and energy savings tied to streamlined cycles. It also says the dyes can be removed more easily at end of life, which could help improve recyclability and support fibre-to-fibre pathways—an increasingly important requirement as brands pursue circular targets.

Leeds’ commercialisation team supported the spinout by helping with investor introductions and providing funding to reach commercial validation milestones.

SwitchDye CTO Dr Harrison Oates said the John Hogg partnership is intended to accelerate real-world deployment. “Partnering with John Hogg gives us the technical expertise and industry reach to move from lab success into consistent, real-world application. Over the coming months, we’ll be working closely with dyehouses and brands to demonstrate how the technology integrates into existing equipment and delivers measurable savings,” Dr Harrison Oates, chief technology officer at SwitchDye, said.

Sam Walton, chief technical officer at John Hogg, said the investment aligns with the company’s customer-led approach and interest in scalable sustainability. “The partnership with SwitchDye marks the start of an inspiring journey with the potential to improve the future of textile manufacturing for many years to come. At John Hogg, we have always taken pride in understanding our customers’ needs and the evolving demands of the market. Being part of an innovation that delivers a true step forward in sustainable dyeing technology is something we are genuinely excited about. We also see clear alignment between our businesses, with John Hogg’s wider capabilities helping to accelerate SwitchDye’s path to commercialisation,” Sam Walton, chief technical officer at John Hogg, said.

With mill validation now the priority, SwitchDye’s next phase will test whether its polyester dyeing technology can deliver consistent quality and cost-effective savings at scale—two conditions that often determine whether greener chemistry can move from promising science to mainstream production.

Parke has grown quickly online by treating its audience as a co-creator—using direct feedback to shape what it makes, from silhouettes and colours to the wardrobe gaps customers say they want filled. Target is leaning into that positioning, framing the partnership as a way to translate a “viral” brand’s point of view into a broader, more accessible retail moment.

“Parke has built such a strong following by putting its community at the center of everything it creates, designing with intention and showing up in ways that feel personal, authentic and connected,” said Gena Fox, senior vice president, apparel & accessories, Target. “We’re excited to work with them and build on Target’s long legacy of making great style, design and value accessible to all.”

The Parke x Target collection was developed jointly by Target and Parke founder Chelsea Parke Goles and her team. The assortment spans leisurewear, denim, accessories and coordinated ready-to-wear sets, and it also marks Parke’s first move into swim. Target said the lineup includes brand signatures such as mockneck logo sweatshirts, alongside mix-and-match sets and staple denim intended for repeat wear.

For Parke, the collaboration represents a chance to meet customers beyond its usual channels and scale its aesthetic without losing the brand’s community DNA.

“Collaborating with Target is incredibly meaningful to me because it opens the brand up in a whole new way,” said Chelsea Parke Goles, Parke CEO and Founder. “From day one, Parke has been about community and connection, and this partnership allows us to meet people where they are – whether that’s someone discovering us for the first time on a Target run, or a longtime customer seeing us in a new, more accessible context. We’re able to offer the same sense of style and ease at a price point and scale that invites a much broader audience into the Parke world, which is something I’ve always dreamed of.”

The Parke x Target collection will be sold on Target’s website and in select stores, with nearly 60 women’s apparel and accessory pieces available while supplies last. Target said most items will be priced under $40, with entry prices starting at $5—positioning the capsule as an affordable introduction to Parke for new shoppers, while giving existing fans a lower-priced way to buy into the brand’s look.

The measure sits inside the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), a broader policy framework introduced to raise sustainability expectations across the single market. The Commission has framed the change as part of its effort to “prevent the destruction of unsold consumer products” and reduce the environmental footprint of high-volume categories such as textiles and shoes. In practice, the EU ban on destroying unsold clothes targets a long-established industry habit of scrapping excess inventory—sometimes to protect pricing power and brand positioning, sometimes simply because storage and reverse logistics are costly.

Who is covered, and when

Under the timetable set out in the regulation, the prohibition applies first to large companies from July 2026. Medium-sized companies will be required to comply from 2030, while the smallest firms are exempt from the ban. The policy is one of the more direct interventions yet aimed at changing downstream behaviour forcing businesses to treat unsold stock as something to recover, reroute or redesign rather than dispose of.

The ESPR itself entered into force in 2024, bringing a wider set of tools intended to improve product durability, encourage reuse and reduce waste. The destruction ban is expected to become a high-profile test case for how quickly fashion can adapt to tighter product and waste governance.

Mandatory disclosure adds pressure

Alongside the prohibition, companies will also face transparency requirements. During the transition, firms will need to disclose how much unsold product they discard and explain the reasons behind those decisions. The reporting obligation is designed to make inventory outcomes more visible to regulators and stakeholders and could expose weak planning, overproduction or limited takeback capability in some business models.

Operational consequences for retailers

For retailers, the coming shift is as much operational as it is regulatory. The EU ban on destroying unsold clothes is likely to force changes in forecasting, buying and end-of-season tactics, especially for businesses that have historically relied on aggressive production volumes and rapid markdown cycles. Instead of destruction, companies will need to expand alternatives such as resale, outlets, donation partnerships, fibre recycling routes, or even product redesign and remanufacturing.

Legal and compliance commentators have noted that the rules are crafted to steer firms toward “more sustainable handling of unsold goods,” and they sit within a wider rise in ESG-related scrutiny that is reshaping expectations for global retailers.

Part of a broader EU textiles push

The ban is also linked to the EU’s larger circular economy agenda for textiles, an area Brussels has repeatedly identified as a major source of resource use and waste. By combining design-related requirements with restrictions on disposal, the Commission is aiming to extend product lifetimes and reduce landfill and incineration outcomes, while lifting reuse and recycling rates across member states.

Crucially, the impact will extend beyond Europe’s borders. Any brand selling into the EU market will need compliant practices, which could ripple into global supply chain decisions, returns management and stock allocation strategies.

With July 2026 approaching, retailers are expected to audit their reverse logistics, partners and inventory policies preparing for a market where unsold fashion can no longer be quietly eliminated, but must instead be managed through circular routes that keep products and materials in play.