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This screening has been done by Fairify on July 25th 2020
Jack Wolfskin is a German outerwear brand. With 733 stores worldwide, it has a global presence.
Though Jack Wolfskin has a very complex supply chain, the company excels in transparency. Its website provides a complete overview of suppliers and manufacturers, including names, addresses and audit results. Jack Wolfskin has also been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since 2010, which awarded the company with the Leader status. The organization independently monitors and publishes on what goes on in its facilities and its reporting shows that Jack Wolfskin upholds high standards and fair and safe working conditions.
The other area that the company excels in, is the management of hazardous chemicals in its supply chain. Jack Wolfskin has already completely eliminated PFCs from all of its products, and is a member of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group. It also mentions that the lion’s share of its products are bluesign certified. But while bluesign manages and optimizes environmental performance, there is improvement to be made. The company hasn’t tracked its supply chain emissions and currently doesn’t report on environmental performance in its factories in terms of water and energy consumption and waste management. A more science-based approach of measuring every element in its supply chain, like the one of the Higg Environmental Module, would open the door to more control over these factors and the adoption of a carbon reduction target.
That the company has no absolute target for improving its supply chain, doesn’t mean that it’s not taking climate action. Jack Wolfskin is already doing great on chemicals and materials, but is also reducing its shipping emissions by favoring transport overseas over air cargo, and it has replaced all plastic packaging in its stores with more sustainable alternatives. Jack Wolfskin also creates durable products, and offers a repair service.
Another area in which more transparency is needed, lies in its material sourcing. The company doesn’t publish an overview of the quantity of the materials it uses, but mostly reports on components or materials specifically. The company uses 100% organic cotton, and down is certified with the Responsible Down Standard. However, it does use merino wool and leather without certifications. The outerwear brand mentions that it mostly uses recycled materials for the synthetics, but the amount of polyester it uses is unknown. Conclusively, the company excels in supply chain transparency, chemicals and labor standards, but can improve its environmental footprint and transparency concerning the materials it uses.
