A group of eight clothing brands is joining a partnership to eliminate the use of trees from ancient and endangered forests (AEFs) in their paper packaging and wood-based fabric supply chains.
As part of the initiative, the eight brands— Marc O’Polo, Victoria’s Secret & Co., Akyn, Mint Velvet, Spell, OUTnABOUT, DÔEN, and ICICLE — will commit to shifting their packaging and textile sourcing toward lower-impact alternatives, and phasing out any materials linked to high-risk forests. Organized by environmental nonprofit Canopy, the effort is aimed at reducing pressure on climate-critical forests, which face mounting threats from a rising demand for paper packaging and Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers, which are made from dissolved wood pulp and spun into yarn, before being woven into a variety of fabrics.
“These brands reflect the growing global momentum to make circularity and forest protection a core part of business in the fashion and lifestyle sectors,” said Canopy founder and executive director Nicole Rycroft in a November 25 news release.
Canopy estimates that more than 3 billion trees are destroyed each year for paper packaging, while another 150 million trees are logged each year to produce MMCFs. At least half of trees logged for wood pulp also come from AEFs, which are widely viewed as critical for storing carbon, preserving biodiversity and maintaining the ecological stability of some of the planet’s most climate-sensitive regions.
Fashion brands will also partner with next-gen material companies to develop alternative packaging made from wheat straw and recycled materials. According to Canopy, these changes will help cut waste, strengthen supply-chain stability and accelerate the adoption of forest-free materials across the clothing industry.