Burberry Is Finally Going To Stop Burning Its Unsold Clothes After A Huge Backlash

Luxury British fashion brand Burberry have decided to stop burning their unsold clothes and will also stop using real fur after complaints from the public.

The brand received massive amounts of criticism earlier this year when it was reported that it destroyed unsold clothes, accessories and perfume worth £28.6m – almost €30m – in 2017 to ‘protect its brand’.

Burberry previously defended its practice by saying that the energy generated from burning its goods was captured.

Contrary to this, the company now says it will reuse, repair, donate or recycle unsaleable products.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf-jAtaAT_H/?taken-by=burberry

In a statement released on its website, Burberry said that the decision to stop disposing of surplus clothes without delay is part of a new strategy put into place last year to become a more environmentally conscious brand.

This commitment builds on the goals that we set last year as part of our five-year responsibility agenda and is supported by our new strategy, which is helping tackle the causes of waste,” the statement reads.

We already reuse, repair, donate or recycle unsaleable products and we will continue to expand these efforts.

As well as this, Burberry has decided to stop its use of real fur and says the debut collection from its new chief creative officer, Riccardo Tisci, will not feature any fur and existing fur products will be phased out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfdDr5FgCdt/?taken-by=burberry

Regarding the good news, animal rights group PETA told the BBC it welcomed Burberry’s decision. They said:

The few fashion houses refusing to modernise and listen to the overwhelming public opinion against fur are now sticking out like a sore thumb,

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.

Although it may be ridiculous, it is common practice for fashion companies to destroy unsold produce to prevent them from being stolen or sold on cheaply. At least this is a step in the right direction!

• Burberry
• PETA