The latest ranking of viscose producers according to the impact they have on the world’s forests is evolving into an important tool to help fashion brands, retailers and designers select their viscose supply chain partners.
The research assesses 11 viscose and rayon producers that together represent 70% of global viscose production, and is an updated and expanded edition of the Hot Button Report, first published last year by not-for-profit environmental organisation Canopy.
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It is estimated that around 30% of the tree fibre that creates viscose comes from ancient and endangered forests. And globally, 150m trees are logged every year and turned into cellulosic fabrics such as viscose.
The Hot Button Report is therefore intended as a resource to help fashion brands implement their CanopyStyle policies, which aim to eliminate ancient and endangered forest fibre from their viscose supply chains.
Highlights from the 2017 Ranking show:
- Two major producers, Birla Cellulose and Lenzing, representing 25% of global supply, now have ‘light green shirt’ ranking;
- Three Chinese producers – Sateri, Sanyou and Fulida – are well underway with CanopyStyle Audits, and audit reports are anticipated to be made public in late autumn 2017;
- Two producers still sit with ‘red shirts’ and continue to be unresponsive;
- One new viscose producer, Enka, has recently joined the CanopyStyle initiative with the adoption and initiation of the audit;
- Three producers are starting to make progress on transparency by listing their pulp suppliers publicly on their websites;
- The ranking features five new criteria to incentivise continuous improvements and progress, aligned with CanopyStyle priorities on alternative fibres, conservation solutions and transparency;
- Completing the CanopyStyle Audit is the priority next step expected from all producers that have not yet started this independent verification process.
“We’ve seen remarkable progress with CanopyStyle over the past four years as a result of the collective action of our brands partners. In the upcoming year, CanopyStyle brands and designers are looking for additional leadership from their rayon and viscose suppliers,” says Canopy’s executive director and founder Nicole Rycroft.
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By GlobalData“Initiating the CanopyStyle Audits, advocating for conservation, and advancing the development and production of next generation solutions are all key performance areas for producers striving to meet their customers’ expectations.”
The 2017 edition of the Hot Button Report will be followed later this autumn by the public release of several more CanopyStyle Audits of viscose producers, as well as additional implementation tools for CanopyStyle brands.
Click here to view the full Hot Button Ranking (in English and in Mandarin).
