LONDON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- One of Britain's best known fashion houses, Burberry, was praised by politicians Thursday for ending its practice of incinerating its unsold stock.
The upmarket company, founded in 1856 and known globally, has hit the headlines as it destroyed unsold clothes, accessories and perfume worth more than 118 million U.S. dollars over the past five years to prevent them being stolen or sold cheaply.
Britain's House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said in a report it welcomed Burberry's commitment last year to end the incineration of unsold stock and acknowledged that the company is engaged with a range of other sustainability initiatives to reduce environmental impact.
But a number of household names were criticised in the report for being least engaged in reducing the environmental and social impact of the clothes and shoes they sell.
Politicians wrote to 16 leading British fashion retailers asking what they are doing to reduce the environmental and social impact of the clothes and shoes they sell.
None of those companies were signed up to SCAP (Sustainable Clothing Action Plan) to reduce their carbon, water and waste footprint or the ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation) labor rights and living-wage agreement.
Each retailer was asked about a range of actions and initiatives, including the use of organic or sustainable cotton, limiting the discharge of hazardous chemicals, and the re-use or recycling of unsold stock.
Retailers were then grouped into three categories that reflect their commitment to sustainable fashion and labour market initiatives.
The report was published amid concerns that the fast fashion business model encourages over consumption and generates excessive waste.
