Burberry has come under fire from environmentalists, politicians, and its own shareholders for burning unsold products worth more than £28 million ($36.68 million) in the past year.
In a practice the company says is common throughout the retail industry, Burberry destroyed the products, which include cosmetics, to protect their intellectual property, The Times reported.
The luxury fashion brand has destroyed more than £90 million ($117.89 million) worth of products over the last five years, according to the news outlet. “Burberry admits that its unwanted stock is burnt but says it works with specialist incinerators that are able to harness the energy from the process,” correspondent Andrew Ellson wrote.
“Burberry has careful processes in place to minimize the amount of excess stock we produce,” a company spokesperson said. “On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner and we continue to seek ways to reduce and revalue our waste.”
Environmentalists were quick to criticize the destruction. Kirsten Brodde, who leads Greenpeace’s Detox My Fashion campaign, told The Guardian that the fashion brand “shows no respect for its own products and the hard work and natural resources that are used to make them.”
British lawmaker Tim Farron urged the company to recycle the unwanted items instead. “It is outrageous that Burberry think setting fire to their unsold stock is an acceptable solution,” he said, according to AFP.
Ellson reported that shareholders were also unhappy about the destruction, with one asking at the recent annual meeting why the unsold products weren’t offered to Burberry’s private investors.
Lu Yen Roloff of Greenpeace called Burberry the tip of the iceberg. “It’s a dirty secret of the fashion industry,” she said to the BBC. Last year Greenpeace targeted H&M for incinerating clothing that the retailer said it couldn’t sell, gift, or recycle.
“Shouldn’t any company that has committed to recycling find a way to remove contaminated labels from their jeans and recycle the rest?” Greenpeace’s statement read. “If they take the problem of dangerous chemicals seriously, they shouldn’t be releasing potentially harmful substances into the atmosphere.”
In 2014, Burberry committed to eliminating hazardous chemicals from its supply chain. “In line with Burberry Group PLC’s long-term sustainability program, [the company] recognizes the urgent need for eliminating industrial releases of all hazardous chemicals,” the company’s policy statement at the time read.
