EILEEN FISHER

SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

BEING A B CORP MEANS EILEEN FISHER VOLUNTARILY MEET HIGH CRITERIA FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY
AND TRANSPARENCY. IT IS SCORED ON PERFORMANCE—THE AVERAGE B IMPACT SCORE IS 80. EF RAISED FROM 82 IN 2015 TO 96 IN 2017.
 Recycled Nylon and Recycled Polyester • implement the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare.

Both nylon and polyester are petroleum products. • participate in audits to verify that responsible

Recycled versions of these materials repurpose animal welfare and land managements practices

waste from a variety of sources including fiber left are implemented.

over from spinning, nylon fishing nets and plastic • provide chain of custody documentation that

bottles. However, even recycled nylon and enable to trace product back to the farm and

polyester have an environmental downside: Both verify that wool comes from RWS-Certified

yarns shed plastic microfibers in home washing suppliers.

machines, sending microfibers out into rivers and

oceans. To minimize this source of pollution, EF try Alpaca - All suppliers source alpaca that ensures

to be strategic by choosing it primarily for the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, protects

garments such as puffers and outerwear that land and soil health and eliminates overgrazing.

don’t need a lot of washing. Most of alpaca comes from Peru where herds

As part of our broad efforts to map supply chain, graze high in the Andes. Based on visits and

EF is committed to understanding the effects of research, the animals are primarily raised in small

regenerated cellulose fibers —rayon, modal and herds tended by families. Third-party verification

lyocell. would be the next step.

Strictly prohibited the use of: Down and Feathers - All suppliers will source

• Furs or hair of any kind, excluding hair-on-hide down and feathers that meet the Responsible

from goats, sheep and cows. Down Standard (RDS). 100% of down is RDS

• Angora and other rabbit hair. certified. EF use down as a fill in a select number

• Any animals raised in cages for fiber or skins. of coats.

• Exotic skins, including (but not limited to)

alligator, crocodile, lizard, snake, cheetah, Leather - All suppliers source leather that ensures

elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, lion, ostrich, shark, the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare and protects

Tencel™ Lyocell - more sustainable alternative to viscose. They haven’t given up viscose entirely, but rays, fish and marine mammals. land, particularly from deforestation.
has made great progress in developing replacements for viscose fabrics with similar or better
• Leather or skin taken while the animal is alive or • Leather and skins must be sourced from by-
qualities—including new favorites like Flex Ponte, Fine Jersey and Textured Stretch Rib. By repurposing
from aborted animals. products of the meat industry.
waste, they’re reinventing fabrics that are hard to source sustainably. It requires less water, less
• Leather from illegally forested areas in the • Animals may not be raised exclusively for their
energy and fewer chemicals than conventionally manufactured materials. It’s safer for workers—and

better for the environment. Amazon Biome. skins.

• Any material that comes from domesticated or • In addition, all suppliers will source leather from
Recycled Cashmere - The most sustainable cashmere comes from an innovative Italian mill that
feral dogs or cats. tanneries that are Gold or Silver rated by the
recycles cutting room trimmings into exceptionally fine yarns. Over the last decade, the high demand
Leather Working Group (LWG) or have other third-
for cashmere has led to erosion, soil depletion and desertification in China and Mongolia, where most

cashmere goats are raised. By choosing recycled cashmere, they're able to reduce waste and
Wool - All suppliers source wool that meets the party verification meeting equivalent ecological

mitigate negative impacts on the land. Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), an criteria.

independent, voluntary global standard that

Cashmere and Mohair - All suppliers source goat fiber that ensures the Five Freedoms of Animal requires farms to:
Welfare, protects land and soil health and eliminates overgrazing. Reduced reliance on virgin
• ban mulesing, the practice of removing skin from
cashmere by using recycled yarns- accounts for approximately 25% of the cashmere EF sold in 2017.
the sheep’s buttocks to prevent blowfly parasites.
 CARBON: In 2012 they introduced the
They're committed to rigorous Science Based world’s first bluesign® certified
Targets for reducing our CO2 emissions and to silks. Since then they’ve dyed
offsetting an increasing amount of our shipping
over 4.5 million garments without
hazardous chemicals using less
and store emissions by partnering with
water and less energy.
NativeEnergy.

Why the Bluesign® system matters:1. It starts with good

Transportation - hit the goal of decreasing
dyes. And it reduces water and energy use.
inbound transportation emissions 20% by 2020

because they shifted some of shipments from air

Chemistry - Making clothing involves chemistry at the
to sea, and because they are benefitted from
field level (pesticides and herbicides), at the dyehouse
improved fuel efficiencies for aircraft and cargo
and in customers' communities (dry cleaning, laundry
ships. Emissions savings totaled 24,634 tons of
detergent). EF is committed to using manufacturing
CO2e, which is equivalent to
partners that offer certified dye processes, most
taking 5,230 passenger cars off the road for one
notably the bluesign® standard and also support green
year. Also, between 2015 and 2018, they were able
cleaning by working to eliminate conventional dry
to offset 100% of the emissions for transportation
cleaning in favor of hand and machine washing in cold
from garment factories to distribution center in
water. Dropped from 32% in 2016 to 29% in 2019. Now
Secaucus.
we dye a broad range of fabrics—organic cottons,
Energy - Did not reach the goal of reducing
Renew is a take-back program, People Women Together Part workshop, part organic linens, recycled nylon—at as many as 10
energy use in our buildings 20% by 2020— actually
bring back their old pieces, and they find retreat Women Together is a day of dyehouses in 4 countries.
saw a 40% increase in 2019 from 2015 baseline.
them another home—or turn them into
inspiration, self-reflection and They’re taking action in these ways:
However, for the past 8 years they’ve supported
entirely new designs. EF collected 1.4
connection that empowers women to Every mill that dyes their clothes is asked to adhere
million garments since 2009. Based on wind power by purchasing renewable energy
find their inner strength and mobilize it to the Bluesign Restricted Substance List.
general Life Cycle Assessment data, they credits for 100% of the electricity consumption in
for positive change. 9 non-certified mills have agreed to go further.
estimate the purchase of a Renew all of stores and corporate spaces.
They’re using the web-based bluefinder® tool to
garment saves an estimated 95% of Water - Support organic farming, which has a
Eileen Fisher Leadership Institute source the safest possible chemicals.
carbon and water use compared to a new lower gray water footprint than conventional
Eileen created EFLI in 2010 to help Several of best-selling fabrics—Organic
one.
farming. Increasing water efficiencies in
young women find their voices, explore Handkerchief Linen, Fine Tencel Jersey, Viscose
manufacturing process, beginning with helping silk
Waste No More is part of a circular their passions and cultivate a personal Jersey—are dyed using the bluefinder® tool (verify
dyehouse in China become bluesign® certified,
system designed to upend the philosophy of success. The program is the chemistry behind these fabrics through
reducing water usage by 20%. Also partnered with
conventional cycle of consumerism. a journey of discovery that helps them independent tests and third-party factory audits).
Planet Water to build and place water filtration
They’re taking clothes back—over 1.4 find the confidence to become Wood pulp is spun into fiber using a low-toxicity
systems in 10 communities throughout Phulia, India,
million so far—and transforming the changemakers in their families, their solvent that is recycled in an innovative closed-
where much of our artisanal product is made.
pieces that are damaged beyond repair
schools and their communities. loop process, reusing 99.5% of chemicals.
into entirely new designs.
Human Rights - The vision for human rights program is to provide people with dignified work that Cultural Connection:
will enhance their livelihood, empowering them socially and economically. "We want to ensure Open spaces promote collaborative work

that workers have a voice, earn a fair wage, and are treated fairly in the workplace," says Luna Kitchen stocked with china and silverware eliminates take-out waste

Lee, Human Rights Leader. They started by choosing manufacturing partners who agree to follow Informal gathering spaces with living room-like furnishing

our labor standards and follow up by conducting audits and monitoring ongoing conditions. Loft-like space for eating; outdoor picnic tables at the water's edge

Some of our initiatives are: Quiet Room, Yoga Room, Lactation Room

Partnering with other brands and nonprofits to share information and tackle problems jointly.

Assessing our internal processes to understand how our purchasing practices impact the well-
Since its launch in 2009, GREEN EILEEN has taken
being of the workers who make our clothes.

Participating in the Better Buying Program to receive anonymous feedback from our suppliers in 500,000 garments, resold 200,000 and donated
about our purchasing practices.
$2 million.
Paying attention to vulnerable populations outside of factory walls, especially the

homeworkers in rural India who handloom many of our scarves.

They are currently partnering with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) for our
INNOVATIVE PRACTICES:
Sweaters with holes could be fed into a felting machine, which tangles fibers into a new dense
Handloom Project, which aims to create more sustainable working conditions for homeworkers
material that can be cut and sewn.
in West Bengali villages.
The project ‘stains on stains' - Minor stains could be camouflaged on silk tops by overdying

them using natural ingredients such as eucalyptus leaves, saffron and madder root. Dipping
DESIGN WITH NATURE IN MIND
garments in dye pots or scattering leaves and pigments on them, rolling them into bundles and
Energy:
steaming them to affix the colors created abstract patterns.
Natural light and open floor plan saves energy

CFLs, halogen bulbs and automatic light sensors

In New Jersey, 500-kilowatt solar power system installed across the roof, producing 75% of the

warehouse's electricity needs.

29 internal climate zones, efficient HVA

Materials:
Reclaimed wood floors, natural fibers, some recycled wool rugs

Sustainable maple veneer on desks with core of recycled wood

Locally sourced materials and labor

Low-flow bathroom fixtures

Air Quality:
Paints, stains and sealants

low/no VOCs

Green Guard certified filing cabinets

Contained spaces for copy machines

Location: Bibliography: https://www.eileenfisher.com/

Close to train and restaurants, limiting need for car travel
Report By: LAKSHITA SAINI (BFT/19/40)