Making material gains
We have a fantastic network of trusted suppliers and we work with them to find new, innovative and better ways of doing things, whether it’s helping to cut out waste, source more responsible fabrics, respect animal welfare, or care for the people who make our products.
We’re committed to sourcing 100% of our core raw materials more responsibly by 2025 – this includes polyester, cotton and man-made cellulosic fibres. In 2019, we achieved our goal of sourcing 100% responsibly produced cotton for our clothing.
Explore more of our ongoing efforts to bring you products that are safe, legal, high quality and produced with integrity, all on our corporate website
What does responsibly sourced mean?
We work with our supply chain to source responsible fibres that have a lower impact on the environment than more commonly used fibres. We source our preferred cotton fibres through programmes that benefit farmers and promote soil health, and we source MMCFs (man-made cellulosic fibres) from responsibly managed timber or alternative raw materials. By using recycled raw materials in our synthetic fibres, we avoid the extraction of new resources.
RECYCLED POLYESTER? IT ’S A PRIORITY
Versatile, durable and quick drying, polyester is used in a wide range of our products, from sportswear to schoolwear. But, as it’s a synthetic fibre sourced from crude oil, using polyester also comes with environmental challenges. Which is why we’ve made the move to ensure 70% of the polyester used in our products* is recycled, and we’ve pledged to make it 100% by the end of 2025. Using recycled polyester avoids the extraction of new resources and the need for high-energy processes
ROOTING FOR CHANGE
Fibres like viscose, lyocell and modal – known as man-made cellulosic fibres, or MMCFs – are usually made from wood pulp. While trees are a renewable resource, deforestation is a serious global issue that we’re determined to tackle. We only work with partners who meet our strict standards on sourcing and chemical use when it comes to cellulosic fibres. This means any suppliers we work with have been recognised by a third party as having a low risk of being linked to deforestation. By the end of 2025, we’ll be tightening those standards even further, and buying only MMCFs with the highest environmental credentials. We’re always looking for innovative new fibres that reduce our reliance on forests. That’s why we’re increasing our use of next-generation cellulosic fibres in our clothing – these are produced with alternative raw materials such as textile waste or agricultural by-products
WE’VE COTTONED ON
Since 2019, we’ve sourced 100% of cotton for our clothing from responsible sources via Better Cotton, organic or recycled. We always will. We’ve been a proud member of Better Cotton for over a decade and are committed to improving cotton farming practices globally. Found in many of our clothes, from crisp dress shirts to wear-anywhere T-shirts, cotton is one of the most versatile fabrics. The Better Cotton programme empowers farmers to use water efficiently, care for soil health and promote biodiversity. Better Cotton is sourced via a chainof- custody model called mass balance. This means that although Better Cotton is not physically traceable to end products, Better Cotton farmers benefit from the demand. We’re also looking to increase our use of recycled materials across M&S clothing ranges. And our babywear is made from 100% organic cotton, which is grown without chemical pesticides, helps protect the environment and supports the welfare of workers.
WE DON’T FOLLOW THE HERD
To make high-quality and durable clothing, we use the best raw materials available, including animal-derived fibres such as wool and mohair. We strive to use certified fibres to ensure high animal welfare standards and sustainable practices. Since 2022, our warm, super-soft pure cashmere has been responsibly sourced and certified by the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), which supports the livelihoods of herders, promotes high animal welfare standards and reduces environmental impact. More than 90% of our leather comes from tanneries certified to the Leather Working Group, which strives to reduce environmental impacts. That’s an increase of 24% since 2020.
OUR PARTNERS
We’re very proud to have strong, long-term relationships with our suppliers, built on trust and respect. That’s one of the reasons why more than 70% of our clothing and home suppliers have worked with us for more than five years. We source with care. Factories manufacturing M&S products are required to be independently audited every year to ensure they respect our principles and treat employees fairly, as we and our customers would expect. In 2016, we published an interactive map on our corporate website that shows where our M&S clothing, homeware and beauty products are made. It highlights our production countries as well as individual factory and site profiles – from how many workers there are, to what the gender percentage breakdown is.
