Context

Our principal consideration in product design and development is to create high quality articles that people will want to keep for generations. This significantly reduces our product disposal impacts. Watches, jewellery pieces and writing instruments account for some 80 % of the Group’s sales. Such items, together with the original presentation box, are usually passed from one generation to the next. Alternatively, they are sold at auction to collectors. The great majority of the Group’s products therefore have no 'end of life' in the normal sense of product life cycles. Other sales, accounting for some 20 % of Group sales, are primarily leather goods and clothing. The Group does not collect data regarding the percentage of other packaging materials that are recycled.

We limit our environmental impact through the responsible sourcing of raw materials, limiting our contribution to climate change, and the responsible disposal of all waste materials. We encourage our Maisons to take individual responsibility for their own resource use and waste management. A number of our Maisons have factories that are located near rivers and lakes and we are committed to preserving the natural environment around all of our operations. The Group does not yet collect all data regarding the weight or volume of materials used in its production or other operating processes.

Our approach

Our commitments to monitoring the consumption of resources and our commitment to reducing waste are set out in the Environmental Code of Conduct. Hazardous materials are treated in accordance with local and international regulations. We encourage management and employees responsible for packing and transporting goods to adopt an energy efficient strategy by careful planning and organisation of shipments.

Following a review of CSR-related priorities, the Group no longer consolidates waste data. Nevertheless, the Group’s approach to waste reduction and recycling is unchanged. For the year ended March 2009, being the last year for which data was available, the Group reported 3 559 tonnes of waste.

Water data

Our environmental data collection includes water usage. The scope covered increased to 74 % of our full time equivalent employees (FTE). Sites that use water-cooling systems represent a significant part of our water consumption. In the year to March 2011, our water consumption marginally increased.

The scope of water reporting increased following the acquisition of NET-A-PORTER.COM in April 2010.

Looking ahead

We will continue to work to improve the quality of our water data. Initiatives to recycle materials, to reduce printing and packaging where possible and to use sustainable sources of raw materials, such as FSC-certified paper, will remain a priority for us.