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.

INDKØB



For at sikre at vi observerer de bedste eksempler, når det kommer til indkøb af materialer, har vi igangsat medlemskaber og samarbejder med følgende organisationer: Textile Exchange, Leather Working Group, Federation of Danish Fashion and Textile, The Danish Fashion Ethical Charter. Vi overholder FNs Global Compact og er dedikerede til at inkorporere De 10 Principper i vores strategi, politikker og procedurer.

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.

LISTE OVER FORETRUKNE FIBRE

Vores ”Foretrukne Fibre”-liste er en intern klassifikation, som vi bruger til at sortere fibre fra gode til bedst. Den inkluderer de fibre, som vi mener er acceptable og de fibre, som vi på sigt vil udfase. 

Fibre, der er certificerede af en tredjepart, som er genanvendte (som generelt har et lavere carbon-fodtryk), hurtigfornyende (som fremmer regenerativ landbrugspraksis) og bionedbrydelig (som reducerer forurening og har en bæredygtig ende på livet) scorer højest. 

Listen er et arbejdsværktøj, under udvikling, og vil løbende opdateres i takt med, at vi arbejder på at blive et mere bæredygtigt brand.

A – Bedste Fibre – fibre, som er certificerede, genanvendte, hurtigfornyende og/eller bionedbrydelige, og skabt ved brug bæredygtige menneskeskabte innovationer

B – Bedre Fibre – fibre, som er certificerede eller sporbare, og som har en lavere indvirkning både etisk og miljømæssig

C – Accepterede Fibre – fibre, der er konventionelle og overholder basale miljømæssige og etiske standarder

D – Substandard Fibre – fibre, som vi sigter efter at udfase hurtigst muligt grundet bekymring om kemisk brug, vandforbrug og/eller dyrev

STANDARDER OG CERTIFICERINGER

Vi har forpligtet os til at samarbejde med tredjepartsorganisationer for at certificere vores materialer og fremme bedste praksis inden for emner som dyrevelfærd, sporbarhed og bevaring af jordens sundhed. I 2021 blev By Malene Birger et certificeret brand, der indkøber uld og mohair fra gårde, der er certificeret efter Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) og Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS). I 2024 blev By Malene Birger yderligere certificeret med to nye standarder: Organic Content Standard (OCS) og Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD OG RESPONSIBLE MOHAIR 

Responsible Wool Standard og Responsible Mohair Standard er to standarder, der verificerer krav til dyrevelfærd og forvaltning af jord, og som sporer uld og mohair fra gård til færdigt produkt.

ORGANIC CONTENT STANDARD

Produkter, der er certificeret efter Organic Content Standard (OCS), indeholder økologisk dyrket materiale, der er blevet uafhængigt verificeret i hver fase af forsyningskæden, fra kilde til færdigt produkt.

GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD

Produkter, der er certificeret efter Global Recycled Standard (GRS), indeholder genbrugsmateriale, der er blevet uafhængigt verificeret i hver fase af forsyningskæden, fra kilde til færdigt produkt. Derudover kræves der sociale, miljømæssige og kemiske kriterier i forbindelse med forarbejdningen.

Malene Birger A/S er certificeret efter Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS), Organic Content Standards (OCS) og Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Control Union, licens nr. CU 877742. Kun de produkter, der bærer RWS-, RMS-, OCS- og GRS-mærket og påstanden, er certificerede

KONTAKT

For specifikke spørgsmål til vores bæredygtighedsinitiativer, kontakt venligst CSR@bymalenebirger.com