Sept. 6 (UPI) — Burberry said Thursday it is phasing out animal fur and will stop destroying unsold products.
The British fashion brand has been among the companies that destroy unsold merchandise to control their public image as producers of high-end material.
In its latest annual report, issued in June, Burberry said it destroyed $37 million worth of finished products in the most recent fiscal year. A year earlier, it destroyed $34.8 million worth of products.
However, a statement from Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti said Thursday that the company would change this practice and find ways to repair, donate or re-purpose products that haven’t been sold.
“Modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible,” the statement said. “This belief is core to us at Burberry and key to our long-term success.”
He also said that the company would stop using “real fur products.”
“We will phase out existing real fur products,” he said. “The use of real fur by Burberry has been restricted for many years to rabbit, fox, mink and Asiatic [raccoon]. These and Angora will be banned from future Burberry collections.”
The decision makes Burberry the latest luxury brand — including Versace SpA and Kering SA brand Gucci — to transition away from fur, Bloomberg reported.
