As a result of the transfer of its beauty business to Coty in April, Burberry is said to have disposed of some £10 million worth of cosmetics and perfumes, according to a report published by the BBC.

In total, the British luxury fashion label burnt goods valued at up to £28.6 million last year to prevent excess stock getting into the wrong hands and ‘devaluing’ the brand by allowing it to be sold at a discount.

“Burberry has careful processes in place to minimise the amount of excess stock we produce. On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner and we continue to seek ways to reduce and revalue our waste,” a spokesperson for the company told the BBC.

Several commentators were keen to protest against the waste, despite Burberry’s claim that the energy generated from the incineration of its products was captured, making the process sustainable.

“Despite their high prices, Burberry shows no respect for their own products and the hard work and natural resources that are used to make them,” Lu Yen Roloff of Greenpeace told the BBC. “The growing amount of overstock points to overproduction, and instead of slowing down their production, they incinerate perfectly good clothes and products.

“It’s a dirty secret of the fashion industry. Burberry is just the tip of the iceberg.”