RAW MATERIALS

The raw materials we choose for our products impact our product quality, design, and ultimately, our environmental footprint. We are committed to understanding the impact of our products from raw material extraction to end of life. As we look ahead to future design, we plan to evaluate the impact of the fibers we choose and increase our use of fibers with a lower environmental impact. 

MAN-MADE CELLULOSIC FIBER

We are increasing the percentage of man-made cellulosic fibers in our portfolio, including rayon, viscose, modal and lyocell. We work with our suppliers in an effort to ensure that we do not knowingly source fabrics from old-growth or endangered forests or sources that contribute to deforestation or the loss of high conservation value forests. 

In 2022, our manufacturers used viscose from two suppliers – Lenzing Group and Birla Cellulose – as they have proven track records of responsible sourcing practices. 

Cotton Policy

Cotton is a core fiber in our raw material portfolio, and we are committed to ensuring transparency and traceability of our cotton supply chain. 

We require all cotton fiber, cotton yarn, cotton fabric and cotton products be spun in or originate from one or more of the approved countries listed on the Policy. Our suppliers are required to retain all documentation for the origin of raw materials, processing and manufacturing to ensure the transparency and traceability of our cotton supply chain and ensure compliance with this Policy. Our internal Independent Production Services may conduct chain-of-custody audits to verify that cotton fiber, cotton yarn, cotton fabric and cotton product originated from an approved country.  

Further, we are committed to increasing the percentage of cotton we purchase directly from farmers. This direct partnership allows us to better understand and support farmers' needs, and have direct visibility into the environmental impact of our cotton sourcing. We are actively partnering with farmers in the U.S. to purchase their cotton directly, which will be included in product beginning in late 2023. 

To view the full policy, click here.

CONFLICT MINERALS POLICY

Victoria’s Secret & Co. prohibits its suppliers from using conflict minerals which may directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its nine adjoining countries in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Act’s Conflict Minerals Provisions. We periodically survey suppliers to conduct reasonable country of origin inquiries regarding conflict minerals.

According to U.S. federal law (Dodd-Frank Act, Section 1502), all U.S. public companies, including VS&Co, are required to perform a country of origin (COO) investigation for any 3TG (tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold) in their products, including whether sourcing of those metals may have benefited non-state armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or its nine adjoining countries (collectively known as the “DRC+9”). We require our suppliers to retain records related to conflict minerals supply chain inquiries for a minimum of 5 years and make them available to VS&Co or its designee during audits or upon request. This includes but is not limited to declarations from sub-suppliers, purchasing records, and other supporting documents to substantiate where the 3TG material originated. Form SD and Conflict Minerals Reports previously filed by Victoria’s Secret & Co. can be viewed as part of our SEC filings.

Fur-free lingerie and apparel

We do not sell products made from or containing any Alpaca, Merino sheep, Mohair goat, Angora goat or Angora rabbit fiber or fleece. In addition our products do not contain down, exotic animal skins (snake, alligator, crocodile, lizard etc.) or real fur.

BUILDING A CIRCULAR ECOSYSTEM

We are committed to developing products and a system in support of the circular economy. Contrary to the standard, linear system of making, using and disposing of a product, a circular system involves reusing for as long as possible and recycling existing products in an effort to reduce waste, reduce emissions and protect nature. 

We are in the process of piloting three initiatives, all of which play an essential role in developing our circular product model. 

1.    Take Back Program: We continue to pilot programs to learn the most effective way for us to capture products at the end of their life, including products that are damaged, returned and post customer use. We are piloting a Take Back Program in select stores in the U.S. This program provides customers a way to return Victoria’s Secret and PINK products for us to recapture the materials. The pilot is testing donation, textile recycling and waste-to-energy exit channels with our partner, Debrand, who sorts garments for end of life channels.
2.    Circular Products: We are designing products for circularity, including a recyclable pad in our Forever Bra that launched in Spring 2023, and the 360 Circular Collection including a bralette, panty and legging in Fall 2023. These products are instrumental in continuing our understanding of developing products with end-of-life in mind.  Further, we are developing product creation guidelines for sustainability to build principles of circularity into  our ongoing product design.
3.    Digital IDs: We are creating more connected products through digital IDs. Digital IDs catalog product information throughout the garment’s lifecycle and enable more efficient sortation of products from the Take Back Program. Digital IDs are critical to our commitment to transparently share traceability and environmental information with our customer. So far, we have added digital IDs via a unique QR code to our circular collections. We are committed to expanding this to all products in coming years.
4.    Repurposing Leftover Material: We divert excess fabric and materials from landfills through three channels: our VS&Co Essentials Program to use fabric that would otherwise be destroyed to make panties for donation, scraps from our Testing Lab are repurposed or recycled through FabScrap and, this year, we began a new partnership with Queen of Raw to sell leftover material from production processes in our China, Vietnam and Sri Lanka markets.

As we continue learning, our aim is to move toward a more circular business model by diverting textile waste from landfills and allocating materials to their highest value channel.