PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear – Just Released
After five years in development, the European Union has officially published the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for apparel and footwear.
This landmark release provides a standardised methodology for measuring the environmental impact of fashion products across their entire lifecycle, from raw materials to end-of-life.
Why Now?
The timing couldn’t be more critical. As regulatory pressure ramps up across Europe, the PEFCR guidelines bring much-needed clarity and consistency to how fashion brands assess and report their environmental impacts. It’s a significant step toward a unified framework that could reshape how the industry talks about sustainability.
What is PEFCR?
PEFCR stands for Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules, a detailed set of guidelines that outline how to measure the environmental impact of products using life-cycle assessment (LCA). The new rules are tailored specifically for apparel and footwear, accounting for everything from material sourcing and manufacturing to use-phase impacts like washing and drying, and end-of-life considerations.
Why It Matters for Brands
- Standardised Metrics: PEFCR defines uniform data points and metrics, ensuring that all brands assess environmental impacts using the same criteria. This levels the playing field and reduces greenwashing by making claims verifiable.
- Multi-Impact Assessment: The framework doesn’t just focus on carbon emissions. It evaluates 16 impact categories, including climate change, water use, resource depletion, and toxic emissions The PEFCR for Apparel and Footwear also integrates a partial life cycle assessment of the impacts of fibre fragments, including microplastics.
- Compliance Alignment: PEFCR isn’t just a guideline, it’s a reference point for key EU regulations. Expect it to feature prominently in the upcoming Green Claims Directive, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements.
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape
The new PEFCR methodology is closely linked to three major EU regulations:
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR): Under ESPR, products will need a Digital Product Passport that includes lifecycle impact data. PEFCR provides the baseline methodology for these calculations.
- Green Claims Directive: This directive mandates that any environmental claims must be substantiated using a recognised framework. PEFCR is now that framework for apparel and footwear.
- Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): For larger companies, CSRD will require comprehensive environmental disclosures. The PEFCR methodology provides a standardised way to measure and report those impacts.
How Kinset Supports PEFCR Implementation
Kinset’s LCA tool is fully aligned with the PEFCR methodology, enabling brands to assess product impacts accurately and comply with EU standards. By integrating PEF principles, Kinset helps brands calculate footprints, pinpoint hotspots, and generate reports that can be directly incorporated into Digital Product Passports and sustainability disclosures.
Practical Next Steps for Businesses
- Get familiar with PEFCR rules: Download and review the official PEFCR documents for apparel & footwear (available on the EU’s PEF site pefapparelandfootwear.eu). Understand the functional unit, required data inputs (e.g. durability tests, material cut sheets), and the 16 impact categories.
- Identify sample products: Select a few representative garments or shoes from your line (e.g. a basic T-shirt, a pair of jeans, a sneaker) and gather data on materials, production, and use-phase (wash cycles, etc.).
- Perform a baseline PEF footprint: Use a PEF-compliant LCA tool (like Kinset) to calculate the environmental footprint of these products. This first PEFCR-based assessment reveals your hotspots (for example, raw cotton production might dominate climate and water impacts).
- Address hotspots and optimise: With the PEF breakdown in hand, work on improvements. For example, if climate or water use is high for a cotton shirt, consider switching to organic cotton or recycled fibers. If use-phase impacts are large, explore durable materials or low-impact finishing. Remember that increasing durability (wear-life) actually reduces the per-use footprint under PEFCR rules.
- Integrate into processes: Build PEF footprinting into your product development and reporting. Plan to report the PEF footprint in your sustainability reports and (when allowed) in B2B communications. Prepare to submit PEF data in the Digital Product Passport under Ecodesign rules.
- Train your team and inform stakeholders: Make sure your sustainability and design teams understand PEFCR requirements. Train suppliers to collect the right data (e.g. electricity use in dye houses, material weights, wash instructions). Help executives understand that PEFCR isn’t optional anymore, it’s a strategic compliance priority.
Ready to understand your product’s environmental footprint and align with the EU’s new PEFCR framework? Contact us to see how Kinset can simplify your LCA process and help you get ahead of the regulatory curve.
