Burberry finally decides to stop destroying unsaleable products

Burberry, the maker of iconic trench coat has announced that it will stop the practice of destroying unsaleable products, with immediate effect. The development takes place after recent media reports pointed out referring to the company’s latest annual report that Burberry destroyed finished products worth 28.6 million pounds. The company also confirmed that it will no longer use real fur and that there will be no real fur in Riccardo Tisci’s debut collection for Burberry later this month, as it plans to phase out existing real fur products.

Commenting on the company’s decision, announced today, Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement: “Modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible. This belief is core to us at Burberry and key to our long-term success. We are committed to applying the same creativity to all parts of Burberry as we do to our products.”

Burberry decides to stop destroying unsold products

The company added that this commitment builds on the goals that it set last year as part of its five-year responsibility agenda and is supported by the new strategy, which is helping tackle the causes of waste. The company said that it already reuses, repairs, donates or recycles unsaleable products and will continue to expand these efforts.

However, Burberry further added that to respect regulatory constraints, in exceptional circumstances, it may dispose of damaged, defective or expired beauty products where recycling is not an option, while it continues to explore methods of recycling or reusing such products within the regulatory constraints.

“At Burberry, we are passionate about driving positive change. Our responsibility goals cover the entire footprint of our operations and extend to the communities around us,” the company said in a statement.

Real fur no longer to be a part of Burberry’s collections

Elaborating on the decision of not using real fur in its collections any longer, the company said that use of real fur by Burberry has been restricted for many years to rabbit, fox, mink and Asiatic racoon, and going forward, these and Angora will be banned.

As part of its sustainability initiatives, in May 2018, Burberry became a core partner of the Make Fashion Circular Initiative convened by the Ellen McArthur Foundation. In the past year, the company created a unique partnership with sustainable luxury company Elvis & Kresse to transform 120 tonnes of leather offcuts into new products over the next five years and supported the Burberry Foundation in establishing the Burberry Material Futures Research Group with the Royal College of Art to invent new sustainable materials.

“We continue to invest in communities, from supporting young people in disadvantaged areas of London and Yorkshire, to developing a more inclusive and sustainable cashmere industry in Afghanistan. These efforts have been recognised by Burberry’s inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the third consecutive year,” it added.

Picture:Facebook/Burberry