Burberry Unveils its New Sustainable Collection: The ‘ReBurberry Edit’

Burberry has taken a huge step to reduce fashion’s carbon footprint with its new ‘ReBurbery Edit’ collection. The range includes a carefully curated edit of 26 eco-conscious designs from Burberry’s SS20 line, all created to have a positive impact on the planet. ‘ReBurberry’ is a welcomed new addition to SS20, and Burberry is paving the way for eco-friendly to be the new fashionable by encouraging much-needed change within upper-tier fashion.

Underpinning this collection is a truly holistic approach to fashion, and Burberry brings this collection to life solely utilising a range of organic and recycled textiles, natural fibres, fabric scraps, industrial plastic and repurposed nylon from fishing nets. Beyond materials, Burberry acknowledges all aspects of sustainable practices and factor in making a positive social contribution, as well as environmental. Throughout their eco-friendly journey, the high-fashion brand emphasises the importance of workers being paid the living wage or supported through well-being programmes, and the use of renewable energy in the production of garments.

Every item in the collection carries a pistachio-coloured label, informing customers how each design meets externally assured sustainable requirements – called ‘positive attributes’. These labels are a vital component of change, as society is becoming more aware of the adverse effects fashion has on the environment. By providing customers with insight into the industry’s environmental criteria, fashion houses are encouraging transparency in the way items are produced.

The edit features a range of accessories such as eyewear, crafted from leading bio-based acetate, bags made using ECONYL, as well as, trench coats, parkas and capes. The parkas and capes were made at facilities known for their energy and water reduction, and textile recycling and chemical management. Through this collection, Burberry demonstrates its dedication to sustainable fashion in every sense.

However, this is not Burberry's first dance with sustainability. The high-fashion brand is considered to have embraced environmentally sound practices relatively early on and made sustainability its primary goal in 2004. They pledged to go plastic-free by 2025 and committed itself to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to eliminate plastic packaging. In more recent days, Burberry held its first-ever carbon neutral show last September at London Fashion Week, and have created a ‘Responsibility Agenda’, setting themselves ambitious sustainability goals to reach by the year 2022. They aim to: positively impact 1 million people, be carbon neutral and revalue waste, and drive positive change for all products. The company’s annual report is published in June each year, and you can keep up-to-date with the progress of Burberry’s Sustainability Agenda to 2022 online.

In all, it’s refreshing to see upper-tier fashion brands like Burberry, take fashion’s contribution to the environment seriously. Big brands within fashion need to acknowledge their esteemed position within the industry and encourage other brands to act like-wise. Not only are Burberry's designs as innovative as ever, but they can now be enjoyed guilt-free.

Take a look at the collection below.