14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, environmental group Canopy announced that it had entered a partnership with H&M and Zara/Inditex and that, as a result of this collaboration, both major brands were to implement measures intended to cut rainforest destruction out of clothing production.
On its website, Canopy details that, although the pulp and paper, the timber, the agricultural, and the palm oil industry are the ones most often accused of destroying crucial ecosystems, clothing production is not entirely without blame either.
On the contrary, the environmental group argues that, according to its investigations into the matter at hand, about 70 million trees are cut for fabric production on a yearly basis. Besides, evidence indicates that, over the following 20 years, this number might up to 140 million.
Were these trees to be sustainably harvested, this might not be such a problem. However, Canopy says that, too often, the trees used in fabric production originate from old-growth forests. This means that clothing production strains sensitive ecosystems and threatens their long-term survival.
“Canopy research has found that threatened forests are routinely making their way into clothing. Rayon, viscose, modal and other trademarked fabrics are increasingly made from the world’s most endangered forests, from the tropical rainforests of Indonesia to the great northern Boreal Forests,” the environmental group writes.
“Globally rare forests are cut down, pulped and spun into suit jacket linings, dresses, skirts, t-shirts and tank tops. The dissolving pulp/viscose industry is poised for continued ambitious expansion and poses an increasing risk to threatened forest ecosystems around the world,” it adds.
Presently, H&M and Zara/Inditex are two of the world's most popular brands and largest clothing companies. Hence, their commitment to eliminate old-growth forest destruction from all of their rayon and viscose clothing is bound to help make the fashion industry a tad more environmentally friendly than it presently is.
On its website, H&M details that, should things go according to plan, it will manage to piece together a plan to eliminate from its clothing production all fabrics sourced from endangered forests by this year's June. Once this plan is completed, it should take the brand another three years to ensure that the fabrics it uses are not linked to old-growth forest destruction.
Commenting on this latest green-oriented initiative, Environmental Sustainability Manager Henrik Lampa said, “H&M wants to play a strong role in ensuring a future for the planet’s ancient and endangered forests. We are fully committed to exploring our supply chain and doing our utmost to avoid these fabrics within the next three years.”
“Working with Canopy, we are excited to take the additional step of encouraging leaders throughout the supply chain to support conservation in endangered forests and use alternative inputs, for example recycled clothing, so our actions create lasting change,” he added.