Vegan Mark Verification Scheme for Apparel and Footwear

Veganism has increased in popularity as a lifestyle in recent years. More than just what people choose to eat, veganism proliferates in the fashion world as well, with clothes, shoes and accessories increasingly being made without fur, leather, wool, or silk.

Overview

Veganism is a growing trend: it is a lifestyle / ethical choice that is not just focused on plant-based food, but extends to products as well, for example, cosmetics, clothing, and footwear.

Animal materials have been used for clothing and footwear for centuries. Leather, silk, furs, wool, and feathers historically have been viewed as a necessity, and more recently a luxury, but this shift in consumer attitudes has led retailers and manufacturers to seek alternatives.

It can be difficult to verify a vegan product claim, even when the primary materials are not from an animal. Glues and dyes can be derived from an animal and even animal by-products such as beeswax are not considered vegan.

Intertek Solution

Due to the market shift and an increase in clients’ enquiries / requests, Intertek has developed a protocol for testing to obtain the Vegan Mark for your apparel, footwear, and accessories products.

The Vegan Mark Verification Scheme protocols include: 

 

• Declaration by applicant
• Screening of animal fiber
• Screening of synthetic material by FTIR 
• Chemical test on animal tracer

 

Benefits 

Some of the current Vegan Mark certifications in the market are backed up by supplier declarations only, and are paid for by an annual fee. Testing ensures that the product also meets the claims and gives the consumer an additional level of trust. 

The Vegan Mark Verification Scheme allows companies to promote their products as not containing materials of animal origin, and can be used to help consumers make educated decisions about the fashion products they purchase. 

As some animal materials, such as angora, exotic animal skins, and fur have decreased in popularity among all consumers, not just vegans, even luxury brands have discontinued selling products containing these materials. The Vegan Mark Verification Scheme enables these brands to verify and demonstrate that their products are free of animal by-products.

The added step of testing enables brands and manufacturers to assure products and materials meant to imitate real animal products, like faux fur, are synthetic. 

The Vegan Mark can be placed on packaging, labels, or products that are made with vegan materials to help consumers easily identify the products’ attributes when purchasing.