Some three billion trees are felled each year to make paper packaging, and the increase in online shopping has necessitated the use of even more cardboard boxes.

But for shoes, food and drink, beauty, luxury and fashion, brands are gradually abandoning single-use paper packaging and signing initiatives like Pack4Good.

The initiative comes from Canopy, a Vancouver-based environmental nonprofit, which manages CanopyStyle (a commitment to reducing the supply of harmful rayon and viscose that includes more than 320 fashion brands, retailers and designers).

Building on the commitments of its “Life 360” program, the LVMH group announced on Friday that it would join both the CanopyStyle commitment and the Pack4Good initiative, adding even more weight to the initiative which represents some $ 600 billion in annual sales.

“The Canopy partnership is a new way of accelerating and illustrating our commitment to the fight against deforestation”, according to Hélène Valade, director of environmental development at LVMH. Through its Life 360 ​​strategy, the Group undertakes not to use raw materials from areas at high risk of deforestation or desertification. Valade said it “makes perfect sense to engage with Canopy for paper and cardboard packaging and man-made cellulosic fabrics.”

Pack4Good was launched in October 2019 and aims to help brands eliminate old-growth and endangered forest paper from packaging while accelerating the adoption, preferably, of 100% post-consumer recycled materials and next-generation fibers. for packaging due to their considerably smaller environmental footprint.

Brands must commit to using a minimum of 50% recycled / post-consumer recycled paper packaging. Percentage requirements are not described for new generation fibers due to market availability. When virgin fibers are to be used, the wood must be Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC certified.

According to CanopyStyle’s definitions, new generation solutions originate from agricultural residues (wheat straw, for example). These technologies typically use residue or waste left after a food harvest – material that is avoided from being burned or landfilled.

In addition to this commitment, LVMH has announced that it will roll out new certification systems for criteria related to biodiversity throughout its supply chain by 2026, while strengthening its commitment to regenerative agriculture. (for grapes, cotton and wool) and sustainable luxury innovations.

Describing the sites belonging to LVMH as “an incredible playground for exploring new avenues of circularity between its activities”, Valade recalled how the champagne brand of the Veuve Clicquot group already recycled 25% of grape production waste for its Naturally packaging Click.

This is a theme to be pursued as the group implements regenerative agriculture programs in its supply chains by 2030 and also strives to regenerate five million hectares of habitat through efforts to conservation.

Today, more than half of the brands owned by LVMH implement FSC certification, whether for packaging or viscose-based products, and the group aims to apply “eco-design principles”. », As Valade says, to all the packaging of the group with the help of recent commitments.

“Some Maisons have already implemented a revolutionary innovation such as Ruinart, which is teaming up with paper maker James Cropper to manufacture a new case for its bottles,” said Valade. “The new case, made from natural wood fibers from sustainably managed forests in Europe, is nine times lighter than the previous generation of gift boxes. It consists of a fully recyclable second skin with technical features such as a snap button for easier opening and represents a major technological advance in the art of papermaking.

Virgin oil-based plastics will be omitted from packaging by 2021 to make way for recycled options and alternative innovations already underway (plant-based alternatives are seen by Guerlain and Stella McCartney). Sephora, for its part, has replaced most of the plastic traditionally used in its tubes and jars with materials made from sugarcane waste.

Along with LVMH, Ugg, Hunter Boots, Grove Collaborative and Another Tomorrow are among the 30 brands from all categories that have committed to Pack4Good this week. All fashion signatories of the Pack4Good initiative are also registered with the CanopyStyle initiative.

Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Canopy, said companies are the “leaders ready to transform paper packaging supply chains and scale up solutions to save forests and our climate,” pushing solutions through margins to the general public.

Over the past six years, CanopyStyle’s progress has been serious with 90 percent of the world’s viscose producers modeling similar commitments to CanopyStyle and more than half of the global viscose supply chain having moved away from critical forests. .

For more information, see:

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10 fashion sustainability initiatives you should know