To combat climate change, 15 companies have committed to end sourcing from ancient and endangered forests in their textile and packaging supply chains as part of the CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives from environmental not-for-profit company Canopy. Brands who have joined the initiative include: John Lewis & Partners, Kering, Groupe Beaumanoir, Zadig & Voltaire, C&A, Pangaia, City Threads, 2WO+1NE=2, Zeus + Dione and House of Hackney.
An estimated 3.4 billion trees are cut down every year to make man-made cellulosic fibre (MMCF)-based textiles, like viscose, rayon as well as paper packaging applications. Additionally, to the preservation of critical forests, these companies will also invest in low-carbon, circular fibre alternatives and advocate for forest conservation and restoration globally.
Marija Rompani, director of sustainability and ethics at the John Lewis Partnership, said, ‘I’m excited that John Lewis is building on our existing work with Canopy, by now also supporting the Pack4Good initiative. We’re committed to protecting and restoring nature, and we constantly strive to reduce and improve our packaging. Signing up to the Pack4Good initiative is a truly positive step forward on our journey to ensuring all our paper-based packaging is from a more sustainable source.’
‘Kering is pleased to be expanding our partnership with Canopy by joining the Pack4Good initiative,’ said Rachel Kolbe Semhoun, head of sustainable sourcing and nature initiatives at Kering. ‘Avoiding sourcing from vital ecosystems is an important part of our company-wide biodiversity strategy, so collaborating with Canopy to ensure our paper packaging does not impact forests, and working to find low-impact alternatives, will help us reach our ambitious targets.’
Minette Bellingan, chief operating officer at C&A, commented, ‘Packaging is crucial to our business. We have been proud partner of Canopy’s environmental movement and by joining Pack4Good we are taking a stand against sourcing wood-based materials from Ancient and Endangered Forests.’
Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canopy, concluded, ‘There is no better time to keep forests standing and to transform today’s take-make-waste supply chains that underpin the global climate and biodiversity crises. Next Gen production is the future — we’re excited to expand our community of partners working to build a better future for our planet.’
