LVMH
2 0 1 9 E n v i r o n m e n t a l R e s p o n s i b i l i t y R e p o r t
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In 2019, CEDRE recovered 62% of the waste delivered by LVMH by selling it on to specialized recycling centers. CEDRE, which was initially used by four perfume and cosmetics
Maisons, now works with 11 Maisons and also handles fashion
and leather goods items, recycling all natural materials like
linen and cotton.
This year, four new recycling streams were developed for
transparent glass, silk scraps, two new metals, and Surlyn
(a thick, transparent plastic). Bvlgari has been working with
an Italian contractor since 2018 to recycle its perfume and cosmetics products locally.
FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR UNSOLD ITEMS
Very tight, skillful inventory planning right from the design
stage is a hallmark of the LVMH Maisons business model,
putting it at the other end of the scale from mass production
and minimizing the volume of unsold goods, the destruction
of which was forbidden by the circular economy bill enacted
in France at the beginning of 2020.
As well as managing waste and obsolete goods, the Maisons look for ways of handling unsold goods. One such solution
is to have unsold clothing items taken apart and recycled by
CEDRE. Other solutions include staff sales and donations to non-profits.
Upcycling, which is encouraged by in-house hackathons, also
offers new prospects. Louis Vuitton, for example, created
a buzz in April 2019 when it launched Be Mindful , its first upcycled collection made from unsold silk scarves. This
collection of fashion jewelry and textile accessories, each one-of-a-kind, is the result of a reverse creative process that
starts with the available products and achieves a virtuous
circle of creativity, sustainability and savoir-faire.
The Group also has a special policy for unsold food items.
The food halls of La Grande Épicerie de Paris operate several
fresh food kitchens. The Maison has developed a meticulous
sales forecasting system that enables it to precisely adjust the quantities produced each day. It has also partnered with
the French Red Cross, which arranges for daily collections of
unsold produce. In 2018, it joined forces with Too Good To Go, the company that enables stores to offer their unsold food to
users of the eponymous app. Both La Grande Épicerie Rive
Droite and La Grande Épicerie Rive Gauche plan to sign more partnerships with food waste specialists and expand the
range of produce they offer as part of these collaborations.
11 Group Maisons use the Environmental Center for Eco-friendly Packaging Breakdown and Recycling (CEDRE)
96% of the props used by Louis Vuitton at events around the world was recovered in 2019
91% of waste was recovered in 2019