OUR RESPONSIBILITY
BY MALENE BIRGER takes a holistic approach to responsibility in fashion. Every piece is designed with intention: to be loved, lived in, and kept for years. We believe that beauty, a perfect fit, and enduring quality are what inspire people to care for their clothes. That is why we aim to create timeless, versatile collections, crafted wherever possible from certified or lower-impact materials, and we continually refine our quality so that each design can last longer and have the chance of a life beyond its first owner. We know that lasting change cannot happen overnight. It is built step by step, through dedication and shared commitment. By measuring our progress and improving our processes, we strive to play our part – not only for our own business, but in support of the collective movement towards a more responsible fashion industry.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
BY MALENE BIRGER operates in alignment with internationally recognized standards and works with organizations that promote responsible business practices within the fashion industry. We are committed to the United Nations Global Compact and actively integrate its Ten Principles into our strategies, policies, and procedures. We also support industry-wide frameworks through our engagement with the Federation of Danish Fashion & Textile and the Danish Fashion Ethical Charter, both of which set clear expectations for ethical conduct and responsible practices.
OUR APPROACH
At BY MALENE BIRGER we recognise that bringing new products into the world can never be truly sustainable. However, since 2020, we have been working to create a lower-impact, circular approach through a set of internal design principles to guide us — from the fibres we choose to the way we build our collections. To strengthen our responsibility agenda, we have established several initiatives that bring our philosophy to life. Preferred Fibres List: We have developed an internal tool that helps us make more responsible material choices and outlines the fibres we prioritise in our collections. Natural over synthetic: We are transitioning away from fossil-fuel-based materials towards natural fibres from renewable sources — chosen for their comfort, effortless drape, and the timeless character they bring to our collections. Responsible use of synthetics: Where functionality requires stretch, waterproofing, or similar properties, we use recycled fibres whenever possible. Timeless design over trends: We avoid transient trends in order to develop products that are intentionally/designed to feel seasonless, versatile, and durable — crafted in high-quality materials and a predominantly timeless, neutral colour palette. Designing for longevity and circularity: We have developed design principles that consider a product’s purpose and durability. By favouring refined monofibres over complex fabric compositions, we work to make recycling more accessible and to ensure that each piece remains relevant and wearable for years to come. Measuring and improving our progress: We continuously audit our processes and report our progress annually — through our Communication on Progress (CoP) report aligned with the United Nations Global Compact, and through detailed greenhouse gas emissions reporting. Traceability and collaboration: We work with third-party organisations and certification systems to verify our efforts and ensure accountability throughout our supply chain.
OUR SUPPLY CHAIN
We are committed to supply chain accountability, which we aim to achieve by creating long-term partnerships with our suppliers. Our main suppliers are audited on an annual basis, and all agree to adhere to our production agreement, our code of conduct, and our policies pertaining to animal welfare, anti-corruption, anti-slavery, anti-child labour and ethical sourcing, in addition to complying with national law and regulatory standards. To continue to improve the social performance of our supply chain, BY MALENE BIRGER is a member of the Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI). More information about the BSCI platform can be found here. We are committed to minimising harmful chemicals in our production process. To do so, we conduct risk assessments on all collections and sample-test key products to gain greater insights into the environmental impacts of our manufacturing process. We also work with third-party companies including Bureau Veritas and local laboratories managed by the TÜV Rheinland network.
SOURCING
To ensure that our materials meet more responsible standards, we collaborate with leading international organisations within more responsible sourcing. We are members of Textile Exchange, which works to advance preferred fibres and lower impact materials, as well as the Leather Working Group, which establishes global benchmarks for more responsible and traceable leather production. These partnerships enable us to continuously improve our processes and ensure high-quality materials sourced with consideration for both people and the environment.
MATERIALS
To maintain a holistic approach to circularity, we select materials based on each product’s intended use. Our commitment is to prioritise natural fibres derived from renewable sources over fuel-based, inorganic, or synthetic alternatives whenever possible. By 2030, we aim to use 100% lower-impact materials. While we recognise that achieving this goal presents challenges such as material availability, market demand, and minimum order requirements, we remain determined to turn these challenges into opportunities for innovation and progress.
PREFERRED FIBERS
Our “Preferred Fibres” list is an internal classification tool we use to sort fibres from best to better, and includes those that we deem acceptable and those that we will eventually phase out. Fibres that are third-party certified, recycled (generally possessing a lower carbon footprint), fast-renewing (promoting regenerative agricultural practices) and biodegradable (reducing pollution and providing a more sustainable end of life) score highest. This a work in progress, and will be continuously refined as we move towards becoming a more responsible brand.
Below are fibres that we are currently using, others that we may use or plan to use in time, and others that we plan to phase out by 2025. Fibres are categorised into four sections:
A Best Fibres – Fibres that are certified, recycled, fast-renewing and/or biodegradable, as well as responsible man-made innovations.
B Better Fibres – Fibres that are certified or traceable, and that have a lower impact in terms of ethical and environmental concerns.
C Acceptable Fibres – Fibres that are conventional, and conform to basic environmental and ethical standards
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D Substandard Fibres – Fibres that we aim to urgently phase out as quickly as possible, due to respective concerns over chemical usage, water usage, and animal welfare.
STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS
We are committed to working with third-party organisations to certify our materials and to promote best practice in issues ranging from animal welfare protection to chain of custody to land health preservation. In 2021 By Malene Birger became a certified brand sourcing wool and mohair from farms certified to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS). In 2024 By Malene Birger became certified with further 2 standards, the Organic Content Standard (OCS) and the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
THE RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD AND RESPONSIBLE MOHAIR STANDARD
The Responsible Wool Standard and Responsible Mohair Standard are two standards which verify animal welfare and land management requirements, and track wool and mohair from farm to final product.
ORGANIC CONTENT STANDARD
Products certified to the Organic Content Standard (OCS) contain organically grown material that has been independently verified at each stage of the supply chain, from source to final product.
GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD
Products certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) contain recycled material that has been independently verified at each stage of the supply chain, from the source to the final product. In addition, social, environmental, and chemical criteria related to processing are required.
Malene Birger A/S is Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS), Organic Content standards (OCS) and Global Recycled standard (GRS) certified, Control Union, License no. CU 877742. Only the products which carry the RWS, RMS, OCS and GRS label and claim are certified
CONTACT
For specific queries about any of our responsibility initiatives, please contact CSR@bymalenebirger.com