Environmental declaration - EPD

A new standard

Our ambition to make a difference has led us into new, unknown paths. Our most comprehensive project so far is without doubt the development of a new standard for measuring the overall environmental impact of a garment, something we were the first in the world to apply to a clothing collection. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a tool that guides customers, buyers and those responsible for public procurement to take more insightful decisions and make conscious choices to minimise their environmental impact.

It all started when we asked ourselves how we could make a genuine difference. The question was later addressed to Sweden’s RISE governmental research institute, and in collaboration with RISE we developed a standard to measure the total environmental impact of a garment throughout its life cycle, resulting in an Environmental Product Declaration or EPD. An EPD is based on the ISO 14025 standard, here known as "EPD type III". A Type III environmental declaration is created and registered within the framework of the international EPD® system.

The world's first environmentally declared clothing collection

As part of our efforts to develop the new standard, we launched Fristads Green – the world's first environmentally declared clothing collection. The collection is based on a completely new concept where the entire production chain is characterised by environmental thinking and innovative solutions to minimise the impact on the environment. We started with a collection for craftsmen in autumn 2019 and followed up with garments for service and industry in early 2020. In the coming years we will launch garments with EPDs within all product categories.

The launch of EPD and Fristads Green

The EPD project took almost two years to complete and began with an assignment from the management team to develop a more environmentally friendly workwear collection. We contacted the RISE governmental research institute for their advice on the best way to take the lead and they suggested the development of an environmental value declaration or EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for clothing. EPDs have long been used in other product areas such as building materials, but Fristads is the first player to have adapted the standard for garments.

The process of adapting the standard meant that the entire production chain and life cycle of the garment were inspected – from the choice of materials, the quantity of materials, the dyeing process, the water and electricity consumption in factories, to the packaging and transport of the finished garment. All aspects of the garment and its development were examined.

As part of the project, a new collection was also launched – Fristads Green. This meant that we were challenged to find a more environmentally conscious design process and production method. We have also gained insights into and confirmation of the importance of working with the right kind of raw materials and processes as they impact not only the production and quality of the finished products, but also the garments’ effect on the environment.

Download EPD reports

EPD is short for Environmental Product Declaration and is an independent, verified and registered document that shows transparent and comparable information on how a product impacts the environment during its life cycle. All EPDs registered in the international EPD® system are available and are free to download at www.environdec.com