Protect The Environment

We work to mitigate our impact on the environment by driving positive change through collaboration and innovation. Our aim is to create the highest-quality products with minimal harm to the environment. This starts with our suppliers and extends to our distribution, packaging, stores, and offices.

OPERATING MINDFULLY

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

We commit to address the issue of global climate change and the contributing impacts of our business by reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain.

The apparel industry is responsible for around 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Our carbon reduction strategy will address GHG emissions across our operations and our supply chain with a focus on increasing efficiencies, committing to industry collaborations, and investing in the transition to renewable energy.

By 2020, we will set science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets for our operations and supply chain
By 2019, we will set a 100% renewable energy goal for our owned and operated facilities

In FY19, we continued to offset 10% of our North American electricity emissions by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partnership. In Europe, we offset 31% of the energy used by Ralph Lauren stores by purchasing RECs certified by Guarantee of Origins.

By 2020, we intend to set a renewable energy goal and join RE100, strengthening our global renewable energy sourcing strategy.

Water Stewardship

We commit to reducing water consumption across our value chain, and to safeguarding and preserving water resources in the communities where we operate.

We recognize that reducing our water use will take innovation and collaboration. We are working to partner with leading experts, NGOs, and multi-stakeholder groups to inform the future of our water strategy. Our focus will be on supply chain engagement, from mills to raw materials, and using water-stress assessment methods to prioritize our stewardship and conservation efforts.

By 2025, we will achieve at least a 20% reduction in total water use across our operations and value chain

Waste Management

We commit to integrating zero waste principles across our business with an aim to divert waste from landfill through increasing recycling and upcycling, reducing waste at its source, and implementing other best practices.

The waste generated by the apparel industry is on the rise with more garments being produced, packaged, and sold than ever before. We are eliminating waste at our owned facilities, including distribution centers and stores, as well as across our product lifecycle.

By 2023, we will achieve zero waste to landfill across our distribution centers
By 2025, 100% of our packaging material will be recyclable or sustainably sourced
Progress in Packaging

In FY19, we launched an eco-friendly packaging option for all orders made through RalphLauren.com. Customers who choose this option will help us reduce the amount of packaging material used.

We also made global progress to improve retail packaging. In Japan, we changed our paper shopping bags from 0% recycled content to 100 %. As of FY19, our global branded retail packaging was made from 79% recycled content.

In FY19, we began eliminating hangers from flat-packed items being shipped from global factories to our distribution centers, and we reduced the number of hangers in our North American deliveries. We also source recycled content poly bags to reduce our use of virgin plastic.