The forest solution: PEFC, fashion and sustainable supply chains
One of the most resource intensive industries in the world, the fashion industry is increasingly looking to implement sustainability within its supply chains. The solution? Forests, of course!
The forest solution: PEFC, fashion and sustainable supply chains
14 May 2018 Forests for Fashion
From the high use of water and pesticides to produce cotton, to the climate impact of manufacturing synthetic fibres, the fashion industry is one of the most resource intensive industries in the world.
In response, the fashion industry is increasingly looking to implement sustainability within its supply chains. This week, we are at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit to promote our solution directly to fashion brands and retailers. The solution? Forests, of course!
Forests provide materials and fibres for many of the common consumer products we use today. Yarn from cypress, beech and eucalyptus trees can make fibres for clothing. Cork and wood can be used for not only clothing, but accessories too. Check out the shoes we are taking to the Summit, made from eucalyptus and natural rubber.
These materials are environmentally friendly, requiring considerably less energy and water to produce compared to cotton and other synthetic fibres. The production of forest fibres uses one third of the energy and 1/60 of the water compared to the production of cotton.
Not to mention all the other benefits that forests provide. Mitigating climate change, maintaining water quality and stabilizing soil; providing food and income to millions of people and home to for an extraordinary amount of biodiversity; to name a few.
Make sure it’s certified!
But we need to ensure that the forest fibres used to make our clothes originate from sustainably managed forests, and that we produce them in a sustainable and ethical manner.
“This is the message we are taking to the Summit,” said Fabienne Sinclair, Head of Marketing at PEFC International.
“Forest fibres have the potential to transform the fashion sector. But it is vital that these forest fibres originate in sustainably managed forests, which will be around for generations to come. This is where PEFC certification comes in.”
See you there!
Coming to the Copenhagen Fashion Summit? Find us at the Speed Dating event as part of the Innovation Forum. You can also request a meeting with us beforehand, just let us know at julia.kozlik@pefc.org.
What’s next?
This event is part of our Forests for Fashion initiative, run in partnership with the UNECE and other UN agencies. Together, we are linking forest-based materials from sustainably managed forests with the world of fashion. Bringing these fantastic, innovative and sustainable materials to a wider audience.
Join us in New York in July as we bring stunning forest fashion to the halls of the UN headquarters, as part of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development! For more information on how you can get involved, contact us at development@pefc.org.