Burberry scraps policy of burning unsold clothes

A file photo of the Burberry store in New Bond Street as the brand announced it will stop burning unwanted products
Jonathan Brady/PA

Luxury fashion giant Burberry today scrapped its policy of burning unsold clothes two months after it was engulfed in a storm of criticism about the practice.

The company, which has its flagship store on Regent Street, also said it will stop using real fur as part of a major push to boost its environmental credentials.

Britain’s biggest fashion label came under attack in July when it emerged that it had destroyed unwanted products worth £28.6 million last year - and £90 million over the past five years - to protect its brand. They included clothes, handbags and perfume.

Burberry insiders defended the destruction of the goods saying it prevented them falling into the hands of counterfeiters and discount traders. They also insisted that energy from incineration was captured making it an environmentally friendly process.

However, today chief executive Marco Gobbetti performed a major U-turn and said Burberry - which uses Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Romeo Beckham to model its clothes - “will stop the practice of destroying unsaleable products, with immediate effect.”

The FTSE-100 company said: “We already reuse, repair, donate or recycle unsaleable products and we will continue to expand these efforts.”

However, it admitted that “in exceptional circumstances” and “to respect regulatory constraints” it may continue to destroy “damaged, defective or expired beauty products where recycling is not an option.”

The incineration row had threatened to undermine Burberry’s major drive to become a more environmentally responsible business. In May it joined the Make Fashion Circular Initiative started by yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur, who has been a leading critic of waste in the fashion industry.

Mr Gobbetti added: “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.”

The practice of destroying unwanted stock has been widespread throughout the industry but is now increasingly seen as unacceptable.

Earlier this year it emerged that the Swiss watchmaker Richemont, which owns the Cartier and Montblanc brands, had destroyed more than £400 million worth of its designer timepieces over the past two years to avoid them being sold at discount prices.

Burberry also said that this month’s first collection from new chief designer Riccardo Tisci will not use real fur. In the past it has used rabbit, fox, mink and Asiatic racoon fur in its ranges.

The decision was welcomed by the animal welfare campaign group PETA, where director of international programmes Mimi Bekhechi said “cartwheels are happening at Peta HQ” following the announcement, adding that the decision is “a sign of the times”.

She added: “The few fashion houses refusing to modernise and listen to the overwhelming public opinion against fur are now sticking out like a sore thumb for all the wrong reasons.

“If they want to stay relevant in a changing industry, they have no choice but to stop using fur stolen from animals for their coats, collars, and cuffs.”

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