Consultation opens on European PEF proposals

BRUSSELS - Proposals to create a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) system to measure the environmental impact of apparel and footwear products sold within the European Union have gone out to public consultation.

The PEF Technical Secretariat of key industry players, including H&M, Decathlon, Zara owner Inditex, Nike, GoreTex, Sympatex, Lacoste, C&A and VF Corp, is developing the method for the European Commission.

Manufacturers, trade bodies, natural fibre associations and sustainability organisations have also helped to draw up the proposals which draw on existing models including the Higg Product Module (Higg PM).