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Each stage of the supply chain has an environmental impact, from the chemicals used to grow cotton and dye fabric, through to the way our customers care for their products.


Our Preferred Sourcing Approach sets out our ambition to source 100% of the main raw materials we use through traceable, certified and measurably better routes by 2030.

Below you can find information on our Responsible Sourcing initiatives and policies which aim to reduce the environmental impacts embedded in our supply chains and products. More information can be found in the Corporate Responsibility Report.

Hear from Jo Mourant, Head of Sustainability and Product Legislation to understand more on the Responsible Sourcing Strategy at NEXT.

NEXT is committed to sourcing its products responsibly and to continually work towards improving animal welfare in relation to the animal-derived components used in our products. Our Animal Welfare Policy, updated for 2023, states that NEXT will not use:

  • Animal products from animals bred and slaughtered specifically to produce non-food products
  • Animal products from endangered or threatened species, as defined by CITES3 or IUCN4 red list
  • Animal products from animals caught from the wild, including wild animals culled for population or other control
  • Real fur. NEXT is a Fur Free Alliance listed retailer
  • Feather or down obtained from live plucking or force feeding
  • Hair from angora rabbits or alpaca

Our target is to source 100% of our cotton from responsible sources by 2025. We define responsible sources as Better Cotton (BCI), recycled, certified organic, certified organic in conversion, and US cotton.

NEXT's Cotton Policy bans the sourcing of cotton from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan or the Xinjiang region of China for use in our textile products. We expect our suppliers to source cotton in alignment with our Cotton Policy and to make efforts to communicate our stance on this issue down the supply chain. We will continue this ban until we have seen evidence that progress has been made to end the use of forced or child labour.

Cotton is an internationally traded commodity and raw cotton sources are not always easily identifiable. The Better Cotton we source through the BCI is not physically traceable to end products, however we know that BCI farmers minimise the impact of crop protection practices by following certain principles, such as promoting water stewardship, enhancing biodiversity and promoting decent work. By adhering to these principles, cotton sourced through BCI is produced in a better way for the environment and farming communities.

All NEXT-branded filled products contain 100% feather and down that has been certified under the Responsible Down Standard. The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) aims to ensure that feathers and down come from animals that have not been subjected to any unnecessary harm. Our Animal Welfare Policy states that NEXT will not use feather or down obtained from live plucking or force feeding.

We do not use real fur in our NEXT-branded products. NEXT is a fur-free Alliance listed retailer.

We are a member of the Leather Working Group (LWG), an international multi-stakeholder organisation that promotes environmental best practice within leather manufacturing. We use LWG’s environmental audit protocol to assess our leather supply chain and ensure tanneries operate in a way that is safer for people and the environment. We also use LWG traceability scores to help inform our sourcing decisions.

Man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) include viscose, modal and lyocell. The production of these fibres uses wood pulp and the manufacturing process involves the use of chemicals and can be energy-intensive and polluting. Environmental and social issues related to irresponsible MMCF manufacturing include deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, disposal of waste, energy consumption and workers’ health and safety.

It is NEXT Policy to only source from MMCF producers who are Canopy Green Shirt ranked. We are a signatory to the Changing Market Roadmap which defines key principles and guidelines for the responsible manufacture of MMCFs, in particular by minimising the effects of harmful chemicals through closed-loop production systems. Through our work with Canopy we support their Canopy Style initiative to improve the sustainable sourcing of our regenerated cellulosic fabrics and are working with our suppliers to adopt ZDHC Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres guidelines which set out expectations for discharge wastewater quality, emissions to air, and chemical recovery for manufacturing facilities. We are also a supporter of Canopy’s Next Generation Vision for Viscose which supports the investment in, creation and purchase of products made from low-impact alternative fibres such as waste textiles with the ambition to support the end of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests.

As part of our Responsible Sourcing Approach, and in line with our Timber Sourcing Policy, we are committed to working with our suppliers to deliver 100% of our products from Responsible or Certified Responsible sources by 2025.

We aim to reduce our impact and to increase social and environmental benefits by only using responsibly sourced timber and paper. As a minimum, we risk assess all timber products to verify that the material used was harvested, traded and transported in compliance with the applicable legislation in the country of origin, and are in line with the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR) and EU Timber Regulations (EUTR).

Our Policy is to only source Merino wool as non-mulesed. We have started to source certified Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) products.