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Materials

By deciding which materials are used in our products and packaging, and prioritising recycled materials where feasible, we aim to manage material-related impacts and reduce our dependence on finite resources.

Why material choice matters

Materials make up most of what we produce. How they are grown, made or recycled shapes their environmental and social footprint across supply chains and communities. This is why material choice is central to our work.

Materials in our products

We use a range of natural, recycled and man-made materials across our products. Cotton is the material we use most. Around one-third of all the materials in our products are recycled materials, with the remainder from virgin sources.

  • 55% Cotton
  • 22% Polyester
  • 8% Wood and man-made cellulosic fibres
  • 4% Polyamide
  • 1% Wool
  • 0.1% Leather
  • 10% Other materials

Does not include materials used as filling, lining or trims.
Other materials include acrylic, linen, jute, glass, metal, ceramics and elastane.

Material targets

Our material targets guide our efforts to reduce impacts and resource use, while also helping to reduce dependence on finite resources, support future supply and guide our material choices across products and packaging.

2030 target - products

Increase the use of recycled or sustainably sourced materials* in commercial products to 100 percent, with the aim of reaching 50 percent recycled materials.

Status 2025 – products: 

Materials that meet the criteria: 91 percent.
Share that is recycled: 32 percent.

Limitations – products:

The availability and quality of recycled materials vary by material type and region, depending on local collection, sorting and recycling capacity, as well as available recycling technologies. The availability of virgin materials that meet our requirements can also vary, for example where suitable alternatives do not exist or where weather conditions or market dynamics affect production. Balancing recycled and virgin inputs may be necessary to ensure durability, performance and functionality.

*‘Recycled or sustainably sourced materials’ refers to materials that meet our environmental, social and traceability requirements, assessed through our material-selection criteria.

2030 target – product and non-product packaging

Increase the use of recycled or sustainably sourced materials in packaging to 100 percent.

Status 2025 – packaging: 

Materials that meet the criteria: 86 percent.
Share that is recycled: 51 percent.

Additional packaging progress 2025:

  • Reduced plastic packaging volumes by 60 percent compared with 2018 (89,165 tonnes).
  • 51 percent of all packaging materials came from recycled sources, and within that, 71 percent of plastic packaging was made from recycled material.

Limitations – packaging:

The availability, quality and cost of recycled packaging materials vary by region and depend on local collection, sorting and recycling systems.

Actions to meet our targets

We focus on long-term partnerships and industrial-scale innovations that aim to increase the availability of textile-to-textile recycled materials.

Recycled materials in our products:

  • Co-founded Syre to support the scale-up of textile-to-textile recycled polyester and entered into a seven-year USD 600 million offtake agreement, supported by additional investment in its first production facilities.
  • Signed a multi-year sourcing partnership with Circulose®.
  • Use certified recycled fibres, such as those verified to RCS or GRS, where applicable and available.
  • Established Looper Textile Co. with REMONDIS to sort and prepare post-consumer textiles at industrial scale for reuse and recycling.
  • Collaborate with innovators such as Recover, RE&UP and Loopamid to increase the availability of pre- and post-consumer recycled fibres across cotton and synthetic materials.

Other materials in our products:

  • Support cotton producers in adopting agricultural practices intended to improve soil health and strengthen resilience to climate-related challenges such as drought, pests and water scarcity. These measures can also support more stable farmer livelihoods. In 2025, we invested in two projects together with Better Cotton Initiative and The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) to scale these practices, for example the Gujarat Regenerative Agriculture Project.
  • Continued to use organic fibres certified to GOTS or OCS, or sourced through the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) initiative.
  • Ensured that all virgin wood-based materials we source, such as man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF), come from FSC- or PEFC-certified forests
  • Invested in natural fibre innovation, including hydroponic cotton systems that recirculate water and reduce land use.
  • Use animal fibres from farms certified to established animal welfare standards, including Responsible Wool Standard, Good Cashmere Standard and Responsible Mohair Standard, and increased the use of recycled animal fibres where these meet product quality requirements.
  • Shifted all down and feather to post-consumer recycled sources.
  • Maintained long‑standing bans on fur, exotic skins, angora and materials from endangered species.

Materials in our packaging:

  • Reduced plastic packaging and increased the use of recycled content across packaging formats.
  • From December 2025, 100 percent of our virgin paper and cardboard comes from FSC-certified sources.

How we choose materials

We follow a structured process to decide which materials can be used in our products and packaging. This includes assessing how materials are grown, produced and processed, how they perform in use, and whether they can be recycled after use.

We then compare alternatives using criteria* informed by recognized industry tools, such as Textile Exchange’s Fiber & Materials Matrix, environmental impact data, credible standards, and insights from our risk-based due diligence process. This helps us identify potential risks, for example those related to farming practices, forestry, animal welfare, working conditions or chemical processing, and understand where stronger safeguards may be needed.

We continually map and prioritise the risks associated with the materials we source for our products.

Only materials that meet our criteria are approved for use across our products and packaging.

*See the technical details of the criteria and assessment methods. 

How material choice links to other topics

Material choices influence every step of a product’s journey, from how long it lasts to how easily it can be reused or recycled, and what happens at end of life. The materials we choose affect design and durability, the way waste is managed, the viability of repair, rental and resale services, and the chemicals and water used in processing. Together, these links show how material decisions influence the wider product journey and the practical limits of keeping products and packaging in use for longer.

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