Fashion follows the seasonal cycle of nature, at the same time, its environmental impact is well known. As climate change and other environmental issues worsen globally, the industry is looking to replace its conventional materials with sustainable alternatives. Forests are part of the solution.

Natural and renewable forest fibres have a huge potential to make the fashion industry more sustainable. But the origin of these fibres is critical and must be proven. This is where PEFC and sustainable forest management comes in, protecting our forests and the people that depend on them, while providing us with the materials needed to create our clothes.

Video credits:
Paper Artist - www.sampierpoint.com
Photographer and Animator - www.mikefoyle.com/photo

Forests' contribution to our planet

Our forests are amazing. They help mitigate climate change, maintain water quality and stabilize soil, provide food and livelihoods to millions of people and are home to an extraordinary amount of biodiversity. Forest products meanwhile, provide us with a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels – from construction to clothing. But we need to manage our forests sustainably. 

Download our white paper to read how sustainable forest management can help the fashion industry reduce its carbon footprint.

The PEFC solution

PEFC sustainable forest management certification provides assurances that forests are managed in line with challenging international requirements, safeguarding them and protecting their diverse functions. It requires certified forest owners to manage their forests in a way that maintains or enhances the ecological, social, cultural, and economic values of the forest. 

PEFC chain of custody certification then provides the link, tracking forest-based products from these forests to the final product, monitoring each step of the supply chain through independent third- party auditing. It also covers minimum requirements on health, safety and labour issues. 

By sourcing PEFC-certified materials, you not only have assurance of their sustainable origin, but you also contribute to the sustainable management of the world’s forests. Building trust in forest products supports sustainable livelihoods, helps to build responsible value chains, and increases the value of forests. In turn, increasing their value helps to keep forests standing, preventing them from being cleared for alternative, unsustainable land uses.

Why you should procure certified material

There are numerous benefits of ensuring that you procure PEFC-certified material, for both your business and the planet. 

It gives you the assurance that your procurement of forest fibres doesn’t contribute to deforestation or forest degradation, as well as helping you to meet climate targets. In addition, maintaining forests and creating sustainable forest value chains is critical for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Ethical consumption is on the rise, as market research has repeatedly shown over the past years. Being able to demonstrate your commitment to sustainability is therefore a clear market advantage. Sourcing PEFC-certified material proves your social and environmental responsibility to the public and your customers.

PEFC-certified material is widely available. 75% of the world's certified forests are under PEFC certification – around 320 million hectares. Using PEFC-certified material therefore enables you to secure your supply of responsibly sourced material and increase your business resilience. 

Over 20,000 companies worldwide, including major fibre suppliers, hold PEFC chain of custody certification, ensuring there is a wide variety of PEFC-certified products and materials available on the market.

Procuring PEFC-certified material also means increased efficiency and flexibility through a consistent and stable supply chain, as well as enhanced measuring and reporting of volume of certified forest materials in the supply chain.

The PEFC Collaboration Roadmap – five steps by 2025

Fashion brands and retailers have a huge opportunity to help champion and support the sustainable management of the world’s forests, bringing benefits to you, our forests and the world. We invite you to join us and work together to make the most of this opportunity.

To help, we have created a five-step road map to a sustainable forest management policy. This roadmap can also be easily connected and complimented by your other viscose-related polices on chemicals or water use. 

1. Engage with PEFC to learn more about how sustainably managed forests store carbon, protect biodiversity, support rural communities and support the fashion industry.
2. Develop a responsible sourcing policy for wood-based fibres and other wood-based materials – from clothing to packaging and point of sale.
3. Map your supply chain and collaborate to implement procedures that trace wood-based products back to origin to ensure they are sustainable.
4. Increase your sourcing of wood-based products from sustainably managed forests and recycled sources and set ambitious targets to achieve 100% sourcing from certified sustainably managed forests.
5. Collaborate with PEFC and our global network of 750,000 forest owners, from the large to the small, to meet your environmental goals through projects that protect and restore forests.

Join PEFC!

The time to increase your positive impact is now. Together we can make a difference for the future of the fashion industry, our forests and our world.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.?subject=Five-steps%20by%202025">

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and work together to promote sustainable management of the world’s forests.

Documentation

Source: https://pefc.org/what-we-do/our-collective-impact/our-campaigns/fashions-change-forests-stay

If you are sourcing PEFC-certified products, you need to tell your customers about it! You can do this through the PEFC label. As a brand owner or retailer, there are several options for how you can use the PEFC label.

With the publication of our 2020 standards, we made it easier for brands and retailers to use our PEFC label to promote their procurement and sale of PEFC-certified products. 

With our previous standard, if you wanted to highlight your products were PEFC certified, you needed to include the PEFC licence number of each individual supplier. With the 2020 standards, this is no longer necessary. See the next section to see how you can do this!

Highlighting your certified products

If you procure PEFC-certified finished products and sell these finished products directly to consumers, without manipulating them in any way, you can use the PEFC label indirectly on‑product for promotional purposes. To do so, you simply need to hold a PEFC trademarks usage licence for Group D users (see how to get this at the bottom of the page).

This is designed to help you make it easy for your customers to identify your PEFC-certified products within catalogues, brochures and prices lists (digital or paper based). You need to clearly place an off-product label with the message “The products marked with the PEFC trademarks can be provided as PEFC certified” and then can put the PEFC label next to all your PEFC-certified products.

The aim of this process is to make it easier for you as a retailer to demonstrate to your customers which of your products are PEFC certified, without needing to use the specific licence number of every supplier. To find out exactly how you can use the PEFC trademarks in this way, see clause 6.3.4.4 of the PEFC Trademarks standard.

https://cdn.pefc.org/pefc.org/media/2020-02/d1ad5a21-0267-4db4-a41b-07fd577ffdea/3abf07e8-b7f9-5f42-ba2a-9ca608ee415f.pdf

Promoting your responsible sourcing

You can use the PEFC off-product label to enhance your communication about your responsible sourcing, including on your website, annual and CSR reports, marketing materials, catalogues and brochures and in-store materials. It's important to note, that this label cannot be used to claim that products are certified.

To help promote your sale of PEFC-certified products to your customers, you have a range of off-product label messages to choose from:

• Promoting Sustainable Forest Management
• [Company name] offers PEFC certified products
• By sourcing PEFC, [we/company name] are/is supporting sustainably managed forests globally
• By sourcing PEFC [wood/paper/packaging/products], [we/company name] are/is supporting sustainably managed forests globally
• The PEFC logo on our products ensures that our [wood/paper/packaging/products] comes/come from sustainably managed forests, recycled and controlled sources. Every purchase of a PEFC-labelled product makes a difference for forests and forest communities across the world.

You can also use these messages without the label, under the same requirements. When using them, you must either have the PEFC label close to the message, or put your trademarks licence number next to the message.

Putting the PEFC label on your products

If want to use the PEFC trademarks on products you are producing under your brand, you need to be PEFC certified in order to ensure they comply with the PEFC requirements. 

If your products are produced by third parties, then your suppliers need to be PEFC certified and label the finished products with their PEFC trademarks licence number.

Only PEFC certified companies can use the PEFC trademarks directly on-product. For more information, please check the PEFC label and how to get certified sections of our website or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Accessing the labels

You can create off-product labels using the PEFC Label Generator. Your account will automatically give you the label messages suitable for your business. You can also give your designers access to your Label Generator account, so they can directly download the labels to use within your promotional materials, catalogues, etc. 

To get access to the Label Generator you need to get a PEFC trademarks usage licence by signing a PEFC trademarks usage contract. If you already have a trademarks usage licence, you may need to sign a new contract, or accept an amendment to your current contract. But don’t worry, your PEFC trademarks licence number won’t change.