REEF
Our Rating: 3 Stars - It's a start
Price: $ $ $ $
Country of origin: United States
Official brand website: Visit
REEF, a brand owned by VF Corporation, is making strides towards sustainability, although there is still room for improvement. To assess its sustainability practices, REEF’s environment, labor, and animal ratings were analyzed.
Environment
REEF’s environment rating is ‘not good enough’. While the brand does incorporate some eco-friendly materials, it falls short in minimizing textile waste and packaging. However, REEF has set an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain. Unfortunately, there is currently no evidence to suggest that the brand is on track to meet this target.
Labor
In the labor category, REEF’s rating is ‘not good enough’. None of its supply chain is certified by labor standards that ensure worker health and safety, living wages, or other labor rights. This raises concerns about the working conditions for those involved in producing REEF’s products. On a positive note, REEF received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index, indicating that it likely publishes detailed information about its supplier policies, audits, and remediation processes. The brand also discloses policies to protect suppliers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.
Animal Welfare
REEF’s animal rating is ‘it’s a start’. The brand has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with the Five Freedoms, which encompass the basic needs and rights of animals. REEF currently uses leather but does not use angora, wool, exotic animal hair, fur, down, or exotic animal skin in its products. However, there is no evidence to suggest that REEF traces any animal product used in its items back to the first stage of production.
Overall, REEF is rated as ‘it’s a start’ in terms of sustainability. While the brand has taken some positive steps towards eco-conscious practices, there are areas in which improvement is necessary. By focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing textile waste and packaging, and ensuring fair labor practices throughout its supply chain, REEF can further improve its sustainability efforts.
