PEFC Certified
At least 70% of the forest and tree-based material is PEFC certified, and the rest has to come from PEFC controlled sources.
What Is PEFC Certification?
PEFC is a forest certification system. It endorses national forest standards that meet its own benchmarks, then tracks certified wood through the supply chain. In clothing, it shows up on wood-based fibers like viscose, lyocell and modal, where it speaks to the forest the pulp came from.
What PEFC checks
- National forest management standards, each assessed against PEFC's sustainability benchmarks before endorsement
- Chain of custody, which tracks the certified share of material through each company
- At least 70% PEFC-certified forest and tree-based material before a product can carry the PEFC Certified label
What PEFC doesn’t cover
- How the pulp becomes fiber, including the solvents used to make viscose
- The finished fabric, its dyes and its finishes
- Fibers in the garment that aren't wood-based
The two PEFC labels
PEFC Recycled
The product's forest and tree-based material is all recycled. A separate off-product PEFC logo, used in marketing, can't be used to claim a product is certified.
How to check a PEFC certificate
PEFC keeps a public search of certified companies.
- Search the company. Enter the company name or certificate details in PEFC's Find Certified search and check the certificate is current.
PEFC questions
Why is PEFC on a viscose label?
Viscose, lyocell and modal start as wood pulp. PEFC certifies the forest that wood came from and tracks it through the supply chain.
Is PEFC as good as FSC?
They're separate systems with different structures. PEFC endorses national standards that meet its benchmarks. Both cover forests and chain of custody, and neither covers fiber processing.
Does PEFC mean the fabric is non-toxic?
No. PEFC is about forest management and where the wood went. It doesn't test the fabric or cover the chemicals used to make it.