The firm plans to publish and implement new sourcing guidelines this year as part of a "broader initiative to establish a traceability, risk assessment and verification framework", said Halide Alagoz, senior vice president of global manufacturing and sourcing.

“We’ve already communicated this commitment to our vendors,” she added.

Wood pulp, while commonly associated with deforestation, is not always associated with clothing. However, it is often used to make semi-synthetic fabrics including viscose and rayon that can be made to have a wool-like texture.

The Rainforest Action Network (RAN), which worked with Ralph Lauren on its new sourcing policy, estimates more than 70m trees annually are pulped to create synthetic fabrics. It also says the process is “criminally inefficient”, with 70 percent of the tree being wasted.

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