Sustainability 09/14

Sourcing Responsibly

Most of the raw materials used to make and protect Louis Vuitton products come from nature, whether they are derived from animal, plant, or mineral sources. Since these raw materials are not all renewable, we are committed to supply chains that have a regenerative impact on biodiversity. Our priorities are therefore to preserve resources and the climate, respect animal welfare, avoid deforestation, eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals, and reduce air and water pollution.

Our commitments

100% responsibly sourced raw materials by 2025

0% single-use plastic by 2030

Sustainable Raw Materials

As of 2020, 70% of our materials are engaged in a certification process 52% are already certified under the strictest of standards in order to meet our sourcing requirements.

Leathers

of our leathers are Leather Working Group-certified (LWG), which is the highest environmental standard in terms of leather tanning. Along with our suppliers, we are constantly researching innovative tanning methods, and have already implemented a water-free process for some of our leather goods collections.

Exotic Leathers

of our crocodilian leathers come from farms audited or certified by the LVMH Crocodilians Standard, the world’s very first crocodilian certification. In partnership with an independent third-party organization, the entire supply chain is evaluated per four criteria: conservation of the species and respect of local communities, animal welfare throughout their entire lifespan, working conditions for those employed at the facilities, and environmental protection.

Furs

of our furs come from Furmark^®-certified farms, the highest traceability and animal welfare standard in the world. We also guarantee the same requirements for species that are not covered by this program, such as rabbit and chinchilla.

Wool

of wool used is traced and vetted by Louis Vuitton since 2020. Additionally, the Men’s Fall-Winter 2020 collection saw the first use of a special 100% Responsible Wool Standard-certified yarn. This yarn has since been used to create pieces for the permanent collection.

Feather and Down

of our supplies of feather and down come from a fully integrated supply chain in France, guaranteeing traceability from the breeding farm to the feather processing. 100% of our feather and down are either DownPass or Responsible Down Standard-certified.

Wood

of the wood used in the manufacture of our trunks comes from sustainably managed forests under the Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification^TM (PEFC^TM) labels. Additionally, since 2014, the majority of our products made of wood – from publications to store flooring – have been certified according to these standards.

Cotton

of our cotton volumes come from organic supply chains that support the development of more sustainable agricultural practices (Global Organic Textile Standard and Better Cotton Initiative).

Polyester

of our polyester volumes are Global Recycled Standard-certified.

Viscose

of our viscose supplies come from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood cellulose. Louis Vuitton has also created a 100% sustainable gown made of Tencel^TM Luxe, a new viscose certified by the European Ecolabel as part of the Red Carpet Green Dress challenge for the 2020 Oscars Ceremony.

Gold

of the gold used in our Watchmaking and Jewellery collections has been certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council since 2012. This certification guarantees that all the steps of the extraction, transformation, and marketing processes respect sustainable development standards. As of 2020, 100% of the gold used in our highest volume product category, leather goods, has also been certified. This accounts for the significant increase in the share of our gold that is now certified.

Diamonds

of our diamonds used in our Watchmaking and Jewellery collections are Responsible Jewellery Council-certified and Kimberley Process-certified, thus guaranteeing a “zero conflict” provenance.

Colored Gemstones

of our suppliers already follow the new Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) standard launched in 2020.

Responsible Packaging

In line with our original activity as a trunk and luggage-maker, Louis Vuitton’s current packaging serves as a reminder of the Maison’s original mission: to protect one’s most valuable and precious goods. Today, we further our commitment of responsible protection by developing sustainable packaging throughout our entire value chain through three main actions: reducing the volume of materials used, prioritising recycled and recyclable materials, eliminating single-use plastic by 2030, already reduced by 16% between 2019 and 2020. In order to achieve this, our Maison is proud to partner with Canopy, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection of forests, animal species, and the climate.

Our best practices

Our shopping bags and boxes are 100% recyclable and made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) fibers, of which 40% are recycled fibers. Our boxes are collapsible in order to lower their volume during transport to our stores, which in turn reduces CO₂ emissions from transportation.

Our dust bags are made from 100% Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)-sourced cotton, an organization that supports the development of ethical, social, and environmental farming practices.

The plastic used to pack our products for e-commerce deliveries is gradually being replaced by sustainable alternatives such as adjustable shipping boxes made from recycled cardboard.

The cellophane used to wrap our perfume boxes have been progressively eliminated since the beginning of 2021 and have been replaced by a cardboard covering made out of hemp and 40% FSC-certified recycled and recyclable materials.

Committed Value Chain

Working with our suppliers and manufacturers:

of our partners have signed the LVMH Suppliers Code of Conduct: this code defines the ethical, environmental, and social principles for both Louis Vuitton and its suppliers. Roughly 250 audits are carried out per year and, since 2018, we extended our audit scope to include animal welfare and raw material traceability.

Regulate the use of chemicals: we are firmly committed to eliminating all hazardous substances from our supply chain through a stringent Inoculation Plan that was first launched in 2014. All suppliers are imposed a Restricted Substances List (RSL) that goes above and beyond regulations such as the REACH and Prop65 targets and we continually verify compliance by testing both raw materials and final products. Since 2021, our Maison has also committed to the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), urging our suppliers with manufacturing processes requiring water to adhere to this new pledge by 2023.