Revealing Significant Gaps Between Consumer Expectations and Perceived Brand Progress
- Nearly three quarters (74%) of European consumers surveyed believe it’s important that clothes made from forest-derived fibres, known as MMCF, are sourced from sustainably managed forests.
- Only a quarter (25%) of those surveyed believe that fashion brands are effectively addressing their concerns over the environmental impact of clothing made using forest-derived fibres.
- 71% of consumers would like to see a label certifying that the forest fibres in fashion collections come from sustainably managed forests, and 59% of European adults surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for a garment made from a certified material.
19th June 2024 – Geneva. The PEFC, the world’s leading forest certification organisation, today reveals a new consumer survey ‘Fashion from Sustainable Forests.’ The survey, conducted in four key markets across Europe including France, Italy, Spain and the UK, offers an in-depth exploration of consumer awareness, attitudes and expectations towards forest fibre use in fashion collections, revealing significant gaps between consumer expectations and perceived brand progress.
The urgent need for the fashion industry to move away from virgin fossil-based synthetics such as polyester is well-publicised, yet production of polyester continues to grow and is currently reported to make up around 54% of produced fibre worldwide.* In the search for potentially sustainable and scalable alternatives, MMCF (man-made cellulosic fibres) otherwise known as forest-derived fibres such as viscose and lyocell are growing in popularity, with the MMCF market predicted to grow from 6 billion to 10 billion tonnes over the next 15 years.** However, with approximately 25-40% of MMCF still entering the market from unknown sources,*** It is increasingly important for the industry to ensure that future growth of MMCF is sourced from sustainably managed forests. With the EU’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) due to be enforced from the start of 2025, yet recent research reveals that only 12% of brands currently publish time-bound measurable commitments to deforestation.**** The PEFC launched a survey to explore consumer attitudes and expectations towards forest-based fibre use within the fashion sector.
“Consumers are increasingly prioritizing sustainability in their fashion choices, demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting more sustainable lifestyle. This creates a significant opportunity for brands to lead with responsible practices and build trust through transparent communication. At PEFC, we are dedicated to supporting companies on this journey, helping them source forest materials responsibly and make credible claims.” – Julia Kozlik, Textile Program Lead at PEFC International.
Consumers Believe It Is Important That Forest Derived Fibres Are Sourced from Sustainably Managed Forests and Expect Brands to Ensure That They Are Using Responsibly Sourced MMCF In Their Collections.
The PEFC survey reveals that three-quarters of adults surveyed (76%) would be concerned if forest-derived fibres in their clothes had a negative environmental impact such as deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate change. Almost three-quarters of adults surveyed (74%) also stated that it is important to them that garments made from forest-derived fibres come from sustainably managed forests, and three-quarters (76%) of adults believe it is important that brands know the origin of forest-derived fibres used in their collections. Interestingly, Italian consumers ranked as the most highly concerned of the group with 90% stating that it is important that brands know the origin of forest fibres in their collections.
Majority Of Consumers Believe Brands Are Not Doing Enough to Address Their Concerns on The Environmental Impact of Clothing Made from Forest-Derived Fibre.
Over three quarters (78%) believe that fashion brands need to increase their sustainability efforts and responsible sourcing of forest-derived fibres for their collections, yet only a quarter (25%) believe that fashion brands are effectively addressing their concerns over the environmental impact of clothing made from forest-derived fibres. Furthermore, only 13% felt that brands give enough sustainability information regarding forest-derived fibres such as viscose or lyocell on clothing labels in store, and only 18% believe there is sufficient information online. It is worth noting that those in the UK demonstrated the lowest satisfaction in this area, with only 16% feeling satisfied with brand efforts on the topic versus French consumers, with 38% being satisfied with brands’ efforts, potentially reflecting the French government’s commitment to ensuring stronger regulation in the textiles sector.
Transparency And Verified Information Regarding Sustainable Sourcing Practices, Along with Certifications Help Increase the Perceived Value of a Brand, And the Majority of Consumers Are Willing to Pay More for It.
68% of adults surveyed stated they would purchase from brands that provide information about their sustainable sourcing practices, whilst 64% stated that sourcing from sustainably managed forests would increase the value of a brand. When asked which factors increased the level of trust in a brand’s fibre sourcing claims, 50% stated independent sustainability certifications, 35% stated a brand’s own sustainability focused line and 29% stated consumer reviews followed by brand reputation at 28%. Independent sustainability certifications are important for consumers, results show that shoppers have more trust in independent certification labels compared to the brand’s own sustainability labels. According to the BCG (Boston Consulting Group): “Until now, for the most part, brands and retailers have had to create their own standards and methods to demonstrate their environmental impact.
Whilst exploring attitudes and behaviour relating to sustainability labels, 59% of adults surveyed stated that they seek out sustainability labels (always or sometimes) whilst shopping for clothes and 71% of adults surveyed stated that they would like to see certifications confirming forest fibres had been sourced from sustainably managed forests. Furthermore, 64% stated that they would be likely to purchase clothing with certification labels verifying sustainably sourced forest fibres and over 60% said that the presence of a sustainability label on clothing positively influences their purchasing decisions. Finally, 59% said they would be willing to pay more for a garment made from a certified material with 43% being willing to pay 10% or more.
How Can Brands Address Consumer Expectations?
Brands can take the following steps to increase their transparency and credible communication with consumers, as well as strengthen their sustainability targets and progress:
- Review their current sourcing policies for MMCF materials and make sure they commit to sourcing only from sustainably managed forests and set a roadmap to get there.
- Communicate these sourcing and sustainability requirements to the supply chain and signal the priority on implementing third-party verification, such as through the PEFC chain of custody, on the fibres’ origins. Which will enable credible and verified progress tracking and communication to the consumers.
- Start providing information to consumers on your website about collections containing MMCF fibres, depending on the progress, either be transparent about your aspirational targets on MMCF sourcing, your current progress at the company level, and work towards having substantiated claims on garment level (on labels or online) to demonstrate that your fibres originate from certified sustainably managed forests.
The PEFC is committed to supporting the fashion industry in this transformation journey and collaborating towards thriving forests and forest communities today and in the future. Fashion brands can access a wide range of resources available through the PEFC including webinars and workshops to support the sustainable sourcing of forest materials within their supply chains.
