The underwear company JBS Textile Group A/S is the first in the world to present a series of bamboo underwear where not only the raw materials, but the entire supply chain, is FSC-certified.

The FSC label is usually associated with sustainable forestry and wood for paper and furniture production, for example. That perception needs to be revised now, as JBS has managed to get bamboo viscose FSC-certified for an underwear series.

It is not a new phenomenon that the forest from which the raw material originates is FSC-certified. However, now JBS has managed to get the whole process – from bamboo plantation and viscose extraction, to spinning, knitting, and finished production of the underwear – approved under one overall FSC certification.

Significant Meaning for the Product

Rasmus Stærk Just, CSR Coordinator at JBS, explains what the FSC certification will mean for the product:

The FSC certification guarantees that the bamboo comes from a bamboo plantation where the only bamboo that is felled is the bamboo that the plantation can reproduce. In addition, the certification ensures that animals and plant life are protected, and that there are proper conditions for the people working on the plantation. The FSC certification therefore enables us to claim that our bamboo is grown responsibly and sustainably. We are extremely proud of that.”

JBS has, in close collaboration with FSC Denmark, worked intensively with all supply chain partners to ensure that the entire chain is FSC-certified, including JBS itself. Loa Dalgaard Worm, Director of Strategy and Development at FSC Denmark, explains:

It has been very exciting to work with JBS to achieve its FSC ambitions. The textile industry of the future will work seriously to achieve sustainability, and when companies like JBS set the bar so high, they help to show the way and, in a broader sense, inspire the industry.

A Natural Next Step

Rasmus Stærk Just explains that JBS has been working in a focused and structured way with CSR and sustainability for several years, to ensure that the company’s products are manufactured with respect for people and the environment.

“Transparency, openness, and orderliness in the way we do things are the key factors in our approach to sustainability and CSR. We believe that certifications can help to ensure that things are done properly, throughout the entire supply chain. Our own factories are already GOTS-certified, and we have worked intensively with cotton and wool that are certified organic for a long time. As we have been experiencing an increasing demand for bamboo clothing, naturally the FSC certification has been the next step for us.”

JBS has been producing underwear made from bamboo for a long time, but it has always been a challenge for the company to communicate how the bamboo underwear is produced sustainably.

Nicolai Hartung, Sales Manager at JBS, expects that the FSC certification will help to convey the sustainable principles by which JBS’s bamboo is produced.

“We have always been aware that our bamboo clothing is produced sustainably. We have just not had the opportunity to acquire the certification that proves it. Now that we have it, it provides us with some new opportunities to communicate with the consumer. Most people can relate to the sustainability of organic cotton, but now that we have a product that is even better for the environment it will be easier to demonstrate it by virtue of FSC certification.

Responsible Production

In addition to the FSC certification of the raw bamboo material, the extraction of the bamboo viscose is also done responsibly.

“Not only does our raw bamboo material originate from sustainable FSC forestry, the entire process of extracting the viscose also takes place in a closed-loop system. Almost all water and chemicals are repeatedly recycled and reused. “The result is lower resource consumption and reduction of the environmental impact,” says Rasmus Stærk Just.

The bamboo underwear from JBS contains a carefully measured blend of bamboo viscose, organic cotton, and elastane. This combination results in incredibly soft underwear which is also strong enough to last for a long time.

We believe that we have created the perfect underwear. The smooth fibers of bamboo viscose provide the underwear with a softness and comfort that goes beyond anything we have seen elsewhere. When you combine durability and sustainable production, you have come a long way,” concludes Rasmus Stærk Just.

Bamboo Underpants for Children

The initial FSC-certified products will arrive in stores for Christmas. For the first time, JBS is launching a bamboo underwear series for boys, and this particular series will be the first manufactured with FSC-certified products. During the spring of 2021, all of the bamboo products from JBS will be FSC-certified.