We are committed to avoiding deforestation and forest degradation associated with packaging by only using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified materials within our branded bags and boxes. Using an innovative manufacturing technique, at least 40% of the packaging material is made from upcycled coffee cups that would have otherwise gone to landfill, and we are committed to increasing the use of recycled content and innovative materials where possible.
Leather is an important raw material used across our accessories, apparel and shoes. Currently 80% of our leather is sourced from tanneries with environmental, traceability and social compliance certifications, working towards a target of 100% by 2022. This is aligned to our policy of not sourcing leather from cattle raised in the Amazon Biome.
Conventional cotton farming can have significant environmental and social impacts due to the amount of water, fertilisers and pesticides used in cultivation. Currently 78% of our cotton is procured more sustainably using a portfolio approach with an aim of 100% by 2022. We are also exploring new cotton sources, including organic and regenerative cotton. This year, we formalised our ambition around organic cotton, with a target to source 100% certified organic cotton by 2025. Certified organic cotton is traced through the supply chain and has many environmental and social benefits, promoting soil health, supporting biodiversity and safeguarding farmers.
Climate change and increased global demand for cashmere pose challenges for the fragile ecosystems the cashmere industry relies on including the Mongolian Steppe. To address this, we are a founding partner of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), a UK-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) working with key stakeholders in Mongolia to improve the impacts of cashmere production by restoring grasslands, promoting animal welfare and supporting a decent living for cashmere goat herders. As part of our longstanding partnership with the SFA, in FY 2020/21 we participated in a pilot project with our cashmere scarf supplier, Johnstons of Elgin, which will result in fully traceable and SFAcertified cashmere fibre being used in our products
Looking at our global footprint, in February 2020, we announced the creation of our Regeneration Fund to support a portfolio of carbon offsetting and insetting projects tackling the environmental impact of our business and enabling us to store carbon at source through nature based solutions -providing climate resilience, promoting biodiversity, restoring ecosystems and supporting the livelihoods of local producers.
Burberry also aims to maximise long-lasting solutions for forests through the responsible sourcing of man-made cellulosic fibres such as viscose (which accounts for less than 1% of our raw material use). We have partnered with Canopy, an NGO that works to protect the world’s forests, species and climate by collaborating with business leaders, scientists and decision-makers, utilising Canopy’s hot button report and working directly with suppliers and producers to ensure we only source viscose from responsible sources.
We recognise the power of working in collaboration to drive real change in the industry. Through our support of the Fashion Pact, we are working alongside fellow signatories to tackle climate change and the urgent environmental challenges impacting biodiversity and our oceans.
We also became signatories to the Science Based Target for Nature in December 2020.