New Zealand-born outerwear brand Icebreaker has been named the fifth-best fashion brand when it comes to animal welfare.
This is according to the Animal Welfare in Fashion 2023 report, produced by global animal welfare organisation Four Paws in collaboration with Good on You, with 100 international companies assessed and rated regarding their policies and commitments to improving animal welfare and reducing the use of animal-derived-materials (ADMs).
Icebreaker is the only New Zealand-born brand in the top ten, with Australian label Nagnata taking the 10th spot.
Australian fashion label Spell made the top spot among mid-level/premium brands, while Kmart Australia came third among supermarket and chain retailers.
Icebreaker is second among outdoor apparel brands, just behind Patagonia, and ahead of New Zealand retailer Kathmandu.
Swiss fashion label Nikin took the top spot overall, with Patagonia coming second, German discount clothing store KiK coming third and UK fashion retailer Missguided coming fourth.
The top three worst brands regarding animal welfare, according to the report, are Prada, Max Mara and Shein.
While 72% of the selected brands have animal welfare policies, the report found a policy aimed only at the use of certified materials is not enough to ensure proper animal welfare.
“While ensuring adequate care of animals used is crucial to any company’s sustainability strategy, brands are still generally washing their hands of animals’ needs, while others attempt to ‘welfare-wash’ over consumer concerns,” Four Paws animal welfare in textiles research lead Ranny Rustam said.
“Thankfully some companies are increasingly demonstrating leadership in animal welfare, and our research in 2023 does bring some hope – but a monumental step forward by the industry is needed before consumers can start to feel confident about the welfare of animals used to make their cosy knits and down jackets.”
While certification rates for the world’s supply of mohair (27%) and cashmere (7%) are on the rise, certified wool and down make up less than 5% of the global supply.
According to Four Paws, animal welfare certifications can help to mitigate the risks of one or more cruel practices in certified supply chains - such as mulesing in wool production and live plucking in down and feather production - most certifications are currently lacking in requirements which are crucial to animals’ overall positive welfare state.
“Using animal welfare certifications are a key way to ensure that the animal material supply chain is adequately traced, and in most cases the best way to ensure minimum animal welfare standards are met,” Rustam said. “This is the absolute minimum a brand should be doing.
“While 61% of rated brands are using at least one type of certified ADM, very few brands (9%) have a majority of their supply chains certified.”
The report noted that 18% of the 100 brands were found to still have used materials derived from wild animals. However, a noticable decline in fur production and consumption is visible throughout the last few years, resulting in three out of seven brands that used fur in 2021 going fur-free by now.
Moreover, the report also noted material production and processing of animal-derived materials are responsible for up to 70% of the fashion industry’s carbon emissions, helping to fuel the climate crisis.
“Having a clear vision, backed by measurable and time-bound goals, should guide brands in their commitment to refine, reduce, and replace the use of their materials,” Rustam said.
“This involves certifying ADMs to recycled or welfare standards, lowering reliance on such materials, and investing in innovative alternatives.
“To achieve this, brands can collaborate with innovators to overcome adoption barriers and promote scalability, for a kinder and environmentally conscious future.”