Inditex has expanded its CanopyStyle commitment from eliminating the use of ancient and endangered forests in its textiles to ensuring forests are not ending up in its paper packaging.
Canopy explained that its Pack4Good initiative allows partners to focus on sustainable alternatives to logging ancient and endangered forests, including recycled pulp and paper, next-generation solutions, and FSC certification.
It added that Inditex joining the Pack4Good initiative means it now has a total of 449 brands on board worth over $287.4bn in annual revenue
Canopy explained the fashion sector is a major consumer of paper packaging for shipping boxes, ecommerce envelopes, paper bags, hang tags, and paperboard boxes so protecting and restoring natural forests is essential to stabilising the climate and reversing the biodiversity crisis.
The non-profit also pointed out reduction, reuse, recycled content, as well as next-gen alternatives made from waste are key to a healthier and more sustainable planet.
"It’s exciting to have Inditex bring the same leadership to reducing their paper packaging footprint as they have for the last decade to eliminate vital forests from their textiles," said Nicole Rycroft, executive director of Canopy.
She continued: "A company of their significance sends a signal to paper packaging suppliers that it’s time to give forests a break and to invest in and scale lower impact alternatives."
Inditex's chief sustainability officer Javier Losada stated: "Inditex has worked hard to keep endangered forests out of our textile supply chain. Now we will extend that work to our packaging where we have already taken steps towards reduction, reuse and increase of recycled content.
"We look forward to continuing this work with Canopy to bring it to a new level, including the development of Next Gen alternatives that both reduce waste and help keep forests standing."
As a Pack4Good partner, Canopy shared that Inditex will continue building on existing initiatives to reduce the amount of packaging it uses, including employing reusable boxes for intra-business use, increasing recycled paper content, and incorporating innovative next generation fibres into their paper packaging.
In February Canopy onboarded three Chinese fashion companies that represent eight brands to its CanopyStyle and Pack4Good programmes to keep climate and biodiversity-critical forests out of their viscose and paper packaging supply chains.
