Forests provide a habitat for 80 per cent of the world’s land biodiversity and 1.6 billion people rely on forest resources for their livelihoods. Forests also make a positive contribution to the environment by improving air quality, absorbing carbon dioxide, conserving water and preserving soil. Yet human activity, illegal logging, poor land management and agricultural supply chains have massively depleted the world’s forests, putting the environment and climate at risk.
Wood and wood-derived fibres, such as man-made cellulose, which makes up approximately 7% of our apparel clothing textile fibres, are essential commodities for Kmart and we have a responsibility to source these materials responsibly.
Kmart is committed to eliminating illegal logging and deforestation from our supply chain; working to ensure that forest fibres sourced for our own brand products avoid ancient and endangered forests and come from low-risk sources. We also promote the use of fibres sourced from certified responsibly managed forests and will preference the use of recycled or alternative fibre sources, where viable to further reduce environmental and social impact and transition to a circular economy.
Kmart has partnered with environmental not for profit organisation, Canopy , to eliminate our risk of sourcing cellulose fibres from ancient and endangered forests and support collaborative efforts to scale next generation fibres which reduce reliance on wood pulp by transitioning to recycled and alternative fibre sources such as agricultural residues like leftover wheat straw.
Based on a supplier declaration survey completed in 2021, approximately 67% of our own brand product containing cellulose fibres have received a ‘Green Shirt’ rating. In2022 we launched a new product-level traceability and compliance framework, with the aim of verifying all products can be traced to a Green Shirt cellulose manufacturer in-line with our target. A ‘Green Shirt’ rating indicates that a producer has been audited and assessed as being at low risk or has taken substantive action to eliminate known risk of sourcing cellulose fibres from ancient and endangered forests.
The Hot Button Ranking assesses fibre producers in terms of:
Producers’ level of risk of sourcing from key areas of ancient and endangered forests and other controversial sources;
Producers’ leadership on advancing and advocating for, and helping to secure conservation legacies; and
Producers’ work to realise the commercial-scale production of fibres using innovative and alternative feedstocks, such as leftover straw, microbial cellulose, or post-consumer recycled clothing.
The Hot Button Report includes individual results for all of Kmart’s published ‘Green Shirt’ cellulose producers(see our factory list): Aditya Birla, Jilin Chemical Fibre Co. Ltd, Lenzing, Tangshan Sanyou, Yibin Grace Group Co. Ltd, Century Rayon. Some of these fibre producers have multiple facilities, while Jilin and Century Rayon have one facility. The detailed CanopyStyle audit report for each of these producers and their facilities can be downloaded here (please note: the scope of each report list specific facilities).
We will continue to work with our suppliers to improve traceability ensure 100% of cellulose fibres sourced for Kmart own brand clothing, bedding and towels, are sourced from low-risk ‘Green Shirt’ sources.
Further to this, approximately 8% of our womenswear own brand cellulose products are now sourced from forests certified to an independent forestry standard.