While fashion changes, forests are forever.
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But fashion is incorporating more wood-based feedstocks—made from man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCFs) like viscose , modal and lyocell —than ever before as the industry attempts to move away from fossil-based synthetics. The MMCF market is predicted to grow from 6 billion to 10 billion tons over the next 15 years, per Textile Exchange , making it increasingly crucial for “forest-positive” sourcing.
While the European Union’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) is due to be enforced starting next year, only 12 percent of brands publish time-bound measurable commitments to deforestation, according to Fashion Revolution’s 2023 Fashion Transparency Index .
With that in mind, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification ( PEFC ) launched a survey to explore consumer attitudes and expectations surrounding forest-based fiber use within the fashion industry.
“Quite a lot we heard that this isn’t a priority for consumers, so we wanted to measure that and identify the gaps between what are the consumer expectations and what are the perceived actions of brands regarding sustainable sourcing of MMCFs,” Julia Kozlik, textile program lead at the PEFC, told Sourcing Journal. “The survey highlighted significant consumer demand for transparency , certified sustainable practices, and it’s definitely something brands should leverage to enhance their sustainability strategies and build trust for their consumers.”
The forest certification organization’s “Fashion from Sustainable Forests ” survey—conducted by the YouGov analysis institute across four key European markets, including France, Italy, Spain and the UK—revealed “significant gaps” between consumer expectations and perceived brand progress. In particular, the survey discovered three areas of consideration for brands to adopt while sourcing MMCFs.
Firstly, consumers deem it essential that forest-derived fibers are sourced from sustainably managed forests , and they expect brands to use responsibly sourced MMCF in their collections.
The PEFC found that 76 percent of those surveyed would be concerned if forest-derived fibers in their clothing had a negative environmental impact—such as deforestation , biodiversity loss or climate change . Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) said it’s vital that their garments are made from wood-based feedstocks originating from sustainably managed forests. Just over three-quarters (76 percent) believe brands must know the origin of the forest-derived fibers within their collections.
Italians ranked as the most concerned group, with 90 percent stating that brands should know where their MMCFs are coming from.
“What’s clear is that the consumers want insurance that, when they shop for forest-based fibers, whenever the brands use them, they want to understand it’s part of sustainable practices,” Kozlik said. “I think there’s an opportunity for the brands to not just say, ‘OK we sourced it and the risks have been mitigated;’ no, this garment is made from forest material that comes from the forests that actually enhance biodiversity , that’s actually actively mitigating climate change , is actively contributing to the livelihoods of our communities.”
The second problem area discovered was that consumers don’t think brands do enough to address their concerns about the environmental impact of clothing made from forest-derived fiber.
Over three-quarters (78 percent) of respondents believe that fashion brands must increase their sustainability efforts and be responsible for sourcing forest-derived fibers . However, a quarter (25 percent) think brands are effectively addressing their concerns over the environmental impact of clothing made with wood-based feedstock. Only 13 percent felt brands provide enough sustainability information regarding forest-derived fibers on clothing labels , while 18 percent believe there’s enough information about it online. Interestingly, those in the UK demonstrated the lowest satisfaction in the area; only 16 percent are satisfied with brand efforts on the topic. In France , that number jumps to 38 percent.
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“In terms of legislation in Europe, they’re quite ahead in fashion,” Kozlik said. “I think French consumers , maybe, perceive that brands better communicate, simply because it’s more regulated .”
Lastly, the survey revealed that transparency and verified information regarding sustainable sourcing practices, as well as certifications , increase a brand’s perceived value—which the majority of consumers are willing to pay more for.
The certification nonprofit found that 68 percent of adults surveyed would purchase from brands providing information about sustainable sourcing practices. In comparison, 64 percent said sourcing from sustainably managed forests increases a brand’s value. Regarding what factors would increase the level of trust in a brand’s fiber sourcing claims, 50 percent said independent sustainability certifications , 35 percent said a brand’s own sustainability-focused line, 29 percent said consumer reviews and 28 percent said brand reputation.
This revealed that shoppers have more trust in independent certification labels than they do in the brand’s own labeling, acknowledging that, until now , according to the Boston Consulting Group , brands and retailers have had to rely on creating their own standards and methods to demonstrate their environmental impact.
“There is a strong consumer demand for sustainable practices in the fashion industry. Brands have this opportunity, really, and it’s very important that they commit to responsible sourcing, and they communicate that transparently,” Kozlik said. “Also very important is the supplier’s perspective , that they have a role to play—like any chain of custody certification—sourcing certified material and really stepping up and making verified claims , enabling brands to demonstrate their practices.”
While exploring attitudes and behaviors surrounding sustainability labels , 59 percent said they “always or sometimes” seek out sustainability labels while shopping for clothes. In comparison, 71 percent would like to see certifications confirming that the forest fibers were, in fact, sustainably sourced. Sixty-four percent would be likely to purchase clothing with such certification labels and over 60 percent said the presence of a sustainability label positively influenced their purchasing decisions. Furthermore, 59 percent would be willing to pay more for a garment made from certified materials, with 43 percent willing to pay 10 percent or more.
So, what can brands do to increase their transparency and credibility in communication? The PEFC has a few ideas.
For starters, brands can review their current sourcing policies for MMCF materials and commit to sourcing exclusively from sustainably managed forests. From there, brands can communicate these sourcing requirements to the supply chain and signal the importance of implementing third-party verification—such as the PEFC’s chain of custody .
Lastly, brands should inform consumers about their collections using MMCF fibers, their current progress and aspirational goals, and work done toward substantiating claims on the garment level to demonstrate that their fibers originate from certified, sustainably managed forests.
“There’s several brands setting some benchmarks in transparency and how they communicate—global brands like Fendi and Ssense , for example, as well as some e-commerce retailers like Farfetch and Zalando and actually it’s very exciting to see smaller niche brands like Rita Row really mapping out their supply chains,” Kozlik said. “We encourage brands across the board to prioritize this, establishing responsible sourcing policies, implementing chain of custody certifications in their supply chain—these are essential steps toward best practices .”
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