BRISTOL – UK sales of Soil Association certified organic textiles grew by 10 per cent in value to £45.4 million in 2019, according to a new report published today.
The new '2020 UK Organic Textile Market Report' from the Soil Association based its findings on data from businesses who certify to the Global Organic Textile Standard and the Organic Content Standard through Soil Association Certification with clothing making up 44 per cent of total organic textile sales – an increase of 14 per cent, estimated to be worth £16.5 million.
Sales of organic textiles in the UK are still dwarfed by the wider textiles market, with latest available figures from the UK Fashion and Textiles Association (UKFT) showing that UK consumers spent over £74bn on clothing, clothing accessories, household textiles and carpets in 2018. UK garment sales alone stood at £53bn in 2018, but nevertheless, the Soil Association remains optimistic about future sales growth.
“There is huge potential for the organic textile market to grow even more in the coming years, as more people try to reduce their impact on the environment in all areas of their lives,” says Sarah Jupp, Organic Textiles Business Development Manager, Soil Association Certification.
