These days, it’s hard to open your favorite news app without being bombarded with headlines about forests. Once a niche topic reserved for tree huggers and nature enthusiasts, forests have become everybody’s business. Now more than ever, we depend on forests for our survival—from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change.
And that’s not all. We might also depend on forests for our clothes. Yes, that’s right. Your next favorite dress might be made of forest-based fabrics such as rayon, viscose, cellulose acetate, modal or lyocell. These fabrics are increasing being used by the fashion industry as they can be more environmentally-friendly than synthetic textiles or cotton, if sourced sustainably.
While this sounds great, there is still a major problem. These fibers are often sourced from endangered and ancient forests which are critical to sustaining biodiversity, ensuring species survival and maintaining community livelihoods.
Still following? Ok, let’s take a closer look at the issue.
As the demand for tree-based fibers is forecasted to grow by more than 9 percent by 2024, we could be facing two very different situations. On one hand, the best-case scenario would be for increased demand for sustainable tree-based fibers to lead to more responsibly managed and productive forests. Indeed, tree-based textiles sourced from sustainably managed forests present various benefits that should appeal to responsible companies and their consumers. They are renewable resources, unlike petroleum-based synthetic fibers such as polyester and polypropylene, which probably constitute most of the textiles present in your closet today. While cotton is also a renewable resource, it usually requires large amounts of pesticides and water to produce. And whereas production of cotton and synthetic textiles results in significant greenhouse gas emissions, a sustainably managed productive forest sequesters atmospheric carbon, and thus helps to mitigate climate change.
On the other hand, using tree-based fibers can also result in negative consequences such as the destruction or damage of old-growth forests, if fibers are not sourced sustainably. Indeed, according to Canopy, the award-winning environmental nonprofit, cellulose fiber production consumes approximately 120 million trees per year, and ancient and endangered forests in Brazil, Indonesia and North America have been damaged by logging for the cellulose fiber industry.
Despite the potential risks, there are strong reasons for consumers and companies to support and use forest-based textiles that are produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The business case for establishing greater transparency and sustainability in textile supply chains is also clear: Less risk for companies, improved corporate social responsibility and better managed customer relations.
The apparel and NGO communities seem to be aligned with that.
Canopy recently launched its Fashion Loved by Forest campaign, where key retailers commit to using fabrics made from tree fibers that come from sustainable sources, not endangered or ancient forests. The organization launched this campaign to raise awareness and pressure companies along the textile supply chain to stop sourcing wood from ancient and endangered forests. The campaign has been quite successful, with major clothing brands such as Zara-Inditex, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Arcadia Group, Lindex, Levis Strauss & Co., H&M, and Stella McCartney committing not to use cellulose fiber from ancient and endangered forests.
At the same time, Canopy has engaged the world’s top rayon and viscose fiber producers, most of which have committed to stop sourcing raw materials from ancient and endangered forests.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of forests, is collaborating with Canopy to ensure that the growing demand for forest-based textiles is met through the sustainable management of forests and the welfare of workers worldwide. By building traceable supply chains for textiles sourced from FSC-certified forests, FSC hopes to help companies and consumers make informed decisions, contribute to a greener economy, and ensure that forest ecosystems meet the needs and rights of current generations without compromising those of future generations. According to Jeremy Harrison, FSC’s Chief Marketing Officer, “FSC certification directly contributes to the UN’s SDG 12 promoting responsible production and consumption. It is the most credible way to connect responsible forest management to consumers and brands.”
For example, Stella McCartney carefully sources pulp from trees that come from an FSC-certified forest in Sweden, which is neither ancient nor endangered. The pulp is then turned into a viscose filament in Germany and then made into fabric in Italy. This gives the company a level of traceability that is unprecedented and ensures it is not directly or indirectly contributing to the destruction of forests.
There is no doubt that we have made incredible progress. While FSC has been able to raise awareness about the certification and educate consumers on the importance of choosing FSC-certified products, the NGO community as well as the private sector must work together to further incentivize consumers to purchase clothes made from tree-based textile that come from sustainably managed forests. For example, the private sector could invest more in supporting initiatives that increase understanding of sustainable forestry and encourage consumers to make responsible choices.
While these efforts are ongoing, consumers still have a responsibility to shop responsibly. So next time you navigate the clothing rack, conduct some research beforehand to prioritize brands associated with the Fashion Loved by Forest campaign and look for the FSC logo on the labels. Make purchasing choices that support and use forest-based textiles that are produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. That’s the most fashionable thing you can do.
Luna Atamian Hahn-Petersen assists multinational corporations in driving sustainable business practices. She has worked with businesses and brands such as Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Chanel, Nordstrom, Nestle Waters, and Ingredion. Atamian Hahn-Petersen holds a Master’s Degree in Human Rights from Columbia University.
