Burberry made two announcements on Thursday, following up on its May 2018 promise to review its use of real fur in its collections. Equally important, Burberry's chief executive Marco Gobbetti responded to criticism from the general public over its practice of destroying its unsold luxury products. In a first move for the luxury brands market, Burberry will become the first company to reuse, repair, donate or recycle all of its unsaleable products.

Gobbetti said: “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 amount of stock Burberry destroys had risen sharply in recent years, from £5.5 million in fiscal year 2013 to £28.6 million in the last fiscal year. Gobbetti also announced that the creation of a new logo triggered a need for all new packaging, shopping bags, marketing materials, and they would now use recycled materials.

As for the company's use of fur, it's over at Burberry. Riccardo Tisci's debut collection presented at London Fashion Week on September 17 will be fur free.

Wendy Higgins of Humane Society International UK said it first met Burberry almost a decade ago to urge the company to drop fur.

“Most British consumers don’t want anything to do with the cruelty of fur and so this is absolutely the right decision by this quintessentially British brand. And as fashion week kicks off today in New York, Burberry’s compassionate stance couldn't have come at a better time, sending a strong message to designers like Prada still using fur, who are looking more and more isolated and outdated by the day.”

Vogue Arabia reviews other Burberry progress in the sustainable section: "In the past year, Burberry formed an alliance with sustainable luxury company Elvis & Kresse to transform 120 tonnes of leather offcuts into new products over the specified time period. It has also financially backed the Burberry Material Futures Research Group in partnership with the Royal College of Art to invent new sustainable materials. And, in May 2018, it signed up to the Ellen McArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular Initiative. These efforts have been recognized by the brand’s inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the third consecutive year."

Featured