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Non Food Policy

Morrisons is committed to using responsibly sourced materials in our non-food products, which includes  Morrisons Nutmeg clothing range, homeware and Morrisons own brand pet food. 

Detailed below are a number of requirements suppliers must adhere to as part of our non-food sourcing policy.

Animal fibres 

  • Angora rabbit fibres are prohibited for use in non-food products. 
  • Other animal fibres (e.g. wool, cashmere, mohair) may be used, but must not be obtained from animals which have been subject to live plucking or mulesing.

Cotton

  • Morrisons is committed to improving cotton farming practices globally with the Better Cotton Initiative. The Better Cotton Initiative makes global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in, and better for the sector’s future.
  • Better Cotton is sourced via a system of Mass Balance. We are committed to sourcing 100% of cotton used in our Nutmeg clothing range as Better Cotton by 2025.

Feathers and down

  • The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certification must be used for any feather or down used in our non-food products.
  • Materials derived from geese must not be a byproduct of the foie gras industry.
  • Feathers and down may be used, but must not be obtained from animals which have been subject to live plucking.
  • These must be certified for the fumigation and sterilisation process and traceability documentation must be made available upon request.

Fur

  • All animal fur is prohibited for use in non-food products. This includes fur which is farmed, from wild species or fur which may be considered a byproduct of any other industry. 
  • Any synthetic material used as an alternative material to look like fur must be clearly labelled to indicate it is not the product of an animal (e.g. faux fur).
  • All materials derived from the Karakul breed of sheep are prohibited for use in non-food products

Glue

  • Glue from animal derived products must not be used.

Leather and skin based materials 

  • Leather and skin based materials may be used providing they are from certified sources. 
  • Materials should be from conventionally farmed animals and traceable back to the abattoir in which the animal is slaughtered. 
  • Leather must not be obtained from exotic species or from animals which have been subject to live skinning or boiling. 
  • Animals must not be subjected to transport in a way likely to cause them injury or undue suffering with journey times kept to a minimum. 

Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres

Morrisons is committed to using responsibly sourced materials in our Nutmeg clothing range.

Man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) are fabrics made from wood pulp that mixes different tree species. The wood pulp is dissolved in a chemical solution before being spun out into fibres. The fibres are made into threads, and then used to make fabrics such as viscose, modal, lyocell and brands such as Refibra™ and Tencel™. Viscose is the third most used fabric in our Nutmeg clothing range.

The production of man-made cellulosic fibres is chemically intensive, and requires effective controls to prevent pollution of the local environment.

The production of MMCF has been associated with deforestation, degradation and loss of high conservation value land including ancient and endangered forests. 

Our commitment

As part of our commitment to zero deforestation by 2025, we commit to not sourcing MMCF from ancient and endangered forest sources by 2022, which includes the Canadian and Russian Boreal Forests; Coastal Temperate Rainforests; tropical forests and peatlands of Indonesia, the Amazon and West Africa. We will also ensure the safe use and recovery of the chemicals used in the MMCF manufacturing process.

What we are doing

We are engaging with our suppliers to assure that MMCF for Nutmeg clothing is not sourced from illegally logged forests, from tree plantations established after 1994 through the conversion or simplification of natural forests, from areas being logged in contravention of indigenous and local peoples’ rights or without Free, Prior and Informed Consent, or from other controversial suppliers. We will reevaluate our relationship with suppliers who do not meet this policy.

We are also participating in the CanopyStyle Initiative, collaborating with Canopy to support forest conservation and encourage the development of closed loop alternatives to wood pulp based MMCF, such as recycled fibres and agricultural residues. We will put in place a preference for purchasing MMCF products that contain a high percentage of these innovative fibre sources and will set timelines and targets for procurement as these next generation products become available.

We have mapped our man-made cellulosic fibre sources, which come from Lenzing, Aditya Birla and Tangshan Sanyou, which have Green Shirts in Canopy’s 2021 Hot Button report. We also preferentially source FSC certified fibres.

To help address challenges associated with chemical use in MMCF manufacture we are committed to supporting the Changing Markets Foundation’s Roadmap towards responsible viscose & modal fibre manufacturing to transition to closed-loop manufacturing processes. We are working with our supply chain partners to ensure that we only source man-made cellulosic fibres from producers who are working to meet the requirements and timeline set out in the Roadmap.

Microfibres

We are members of The Microfibre Consortium, working together with industry partners to address the issue of microfibre pollution from textiles.

Pet food

  • Rabbit meat is prohibited for use in non-food products.
  • All meat used within non-food products must be derived from animals which have been stunned prior to slaughter.

Textile Reuse

We collect over 6,000 tonnes of clothing and textiles a year through our clothing banks in partnership with The Salvation Army, which generates important income for the Morrisons Foundation. Any items that The Salvation Army are not able to sell in their shops are sold for reuse to trusted partners overseas. 

Timpsons at Morrisons offers a wide variety of repair services to help our customers extend the life of their clothes.

Nutmeg Clothing donates all customer returns and damaged stock to Newlife, who re-use, sell or recycle the garments. Newlife is a UK charity providing essential and specialist equipment to disabled and terminally ill children. Profits generated by the sale of Nutmeg products directly fund Newlife’s care services and support, in order to ease the pain and suffering of disabled or terminally ill children and their families across the UK.