Friend of the Earth launches sustainable fashion certification

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Friend of the Earth, the global certification standard for products and businesses that adhere to sustainable practices, is launching a new certification for Sustainable Fashion. 

Businesses that earn the certification must pass an audit demonstrating their commitment to using materials produced through sustainable practices, reducing waste and minimizing harm to the environment. Certified fashion businesses can use the Friend of the Earth Certified Fashion insignia on their products.

“The production of textiles and garments is so pervasive and ancient that we sometimes neglect to notice its impact on the environment,” said Paolo Bray, Director of Friend of the Earth. “When we put on our clothes, we may forget we’re wearing the products of cotton plants, flax, sheep skins and so forth. We wear agriculture, in essence. Yet, whether it’s through agriculture required to grow textile inputs, the transportation involved or the packing materials, the fashion business has the potential to be a big polluter. It doesn’t have to be this way. We are now working with many forward-thinking companies in the fashion industry that take sustainability seriously.”

Fashion products and textiles earning the Friend of the Earth certification must originate from Friend of the Earth certified agricultural or farming products. They can also come from recycled products, produced in ways that respect the environment and workers. The certification process also involves the auditing of a company’s social and environmental management systems, legal compliance, protection of wild flora and fauna, appropriate use of hazardous substances, appropriate water resources management, outputs control and waste management. The certification audit also reviews a company’s energy management.