More and more brands join the sustainable sourcing movement each year. Ralph Lauren Corporation is one of the latest companies to make a commitment to manage its supply chain in a way that benefits the environment. The company has new sustainable sourcing guidelines for its wood-based fabric products and will also look into its human rights initiatives.
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Situation: Ralph Lauren Creates Sustainable Sourcing Guidelines
After facing pressure from the Rainforest Action Network, Ralph Lauren decided to cooperate and make changes to its responsible sourcing practices. Deforestation is a major problem, partly due to the production of wood-based fabrics.
The Rainforest Action Network states that more than 60 luxury clothing brands have already made changes to their sourcing guidelines, including ASOS, H&M, Levi Strauss & Co., Stella McCartney, and Zara. The changes limit deforestation practices for wood pulp. Halide Alagoz, Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Sourcing at Ralph Lauren states the new guidelines are part of a “broader initiative to establish traceability, risk assessment, and verification framework.”
Ralph Lauren aims to do a better job of tracing the source of fabrics used in its products and to make more sustainable choices that don’t harm the environment. The company doesn’t want to be associated with any human rights violations or rainforest destruction. Ralph Lauren will specifically look at its wood-based fabric sources, like rayon and viscose, and make improvements to its supply chain when purchasing raw materials for its products. This means stricter requirements for the vendors the company chooses to use.
Approach: Ralph Lauren Works on Traceability and Risk Assessment
Ralph Lauren has already notified its vendors that stricter sourcing guidelines will go into effect later this year. In the meantime, the company is creating a framework for traceability and risk assessment to implement its new sourcing guidelines. The company will closely look at all of its current suppliers and vendors.
Consumers don’t usually associate wood pulp with clothing products, but this material is often used in synthetic fabrics, such as rayon and viscose. Ralph Lauren includes both of these wool-like fabrics in its product line. More than 70 million trees are destroyed each year to create these synthetic fabrics, and there is no accountability. Ralph Lauren’s new sourcing guidelines aim to change this and other forms of deforestation.
Impact and Advantage
Research from Unilever shows that 33 percent of consumers want to buy sustainable products. In this survey, 20,000 adults from five countries communicated their concerns for the environment and discussed their purchasing decisions. Ralph Lauren made its announcement about new sourcing guidelines only a week after the Unilever study was published.
Implementing new sourcing guidelines gives Ralph Lauren an advantage over competitors who don’t focus much attention on sustainability. Consumers care about where their products come from and which materials are used during manufacturing. Many are even willing to pay a premium to support brands that care about the environment and human rights. Ralph Lauren only stands to gain from its new sustainable sourcing guidelines.[/show_to]
