Founded in 1971, Mulberry is an iconic British luxury brand recognised for their exceptional leather goods, which represent 90% of their product portfolio. As a leader in the global fashion market, Mulberry produces over 1,600 leather bags a week and operates stores in major cities such as London, New York and Tokyo.
With growing pressure on the fashion industry to address sustainability and reduce carbon emissions, Mulberry has recognised these challenges and is dedicated to voluntarily measuring the environmental impact of their products.
Mulberry partnered with McGrady Clarke for the second time to conduct an in-depth product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluating the environmental impact of a product’s entire life cycle from raw materials to disposal. This case study focuses on the iconic Bayswater bag, developed in 2003 to showcase Mulberry’s exceptional leather quality and artisanal craft, and made famous on the arms of celebrities, such as Kate Moss.
Delivering quantitative LCA insights
To conduct the Life Cycle Assessment, our strategy followed the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14040/44 framework and utilised SimaPro LCA software. The process began with goal and scope definition, where we identified the product’s life cycle stages, from raw material extraction and production to usage and end-of-life considerations where variables such as Mulberry’s Lifetime Service Centre were factored in. McGrady Clarke’s experts then analysed primary data from Mulberry’s sites and suppliers, covering raw materials, energy and water usage. This data formed the basis for the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) analysis, where we evaluated inputs and outputs at each life cycle stage.
We evaluated 19 impact categories, including human toxicity, resource use, eutrophication and climate change impacts. For climate change, the IPCC 2013 Global Warming Potential (GWP) 100-year method was applied, and greenhouse gas emissions were calculated using the Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.0 Method V1.02, which includes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. Key environmental hotspots, such as resource-intensive leather and packaging, were identified and mitigation strategies were developed.
Additionally, we conducted an analysis of varying scenarios of leather production, including different allocation methods, production locations and the use of offset leather, which allowed Mulberry to consider potential ways to minimise environmental impacts throughout the Bayswater bag’s life cycle.
Mulberry’s voluntary initiative demonstrated by this LCA positions them as a leader in the fashion industry’s shift towards sustainability by enhancing transparency across their supply chain and reducing environmental impacts.
Contact us today to discover how McGrady Clarke’s expertise in Life Cycle Assessments can help you achieve your sustainability goals.
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