HempFlax, Europe’s largest independent hemp processor, has announced that its natural hemp fibers have, for the fourth year running, been awarded the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certificate from DEKRA, one of the world’s leading expert organizations. The certification applies to hemp fibers processed at the Company’s Dutch facilities, which remain the only natural hemp fibers globally to be recognized under the scheme.
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ISCC is a leading independent certification system for sustainable, deforestation-free and traceable global supply chains. ISCC PLUS certification can be applied to raw materials in markets including food, feed, bioenergy and biochemicals (e.g. fibers, bioplastics and biocomposites). The certificate proves that the constituent biomass is not produced on land with high biodiversity and carbon stock. Good agricultural practices protecting soil, water and air must also be applied, while adherence to human, labor and land rights is also required.
The main criteria of the ISCC sustainability scheme is based on the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) sustainability requirements, with additional sustainability requirements on social issues, which go beyond legal requirements. The European Commission has recognized ISCC as one of the first certification schemes to demonstrate compliance with the EU RED requirements. The scheme ensures:
- Compliance with high ecological and social sustainability requirements
- Greenhouse gas emissions savings
- Traceability throughout the supply chain
Mark Reinders, HempFlax’s CEO, commented:
“We are immensely proud to offer the world’s only sustainably-certified natural hemp fibres, which we see being used in cars, buildings, clothes and paper. ISCC’s independent certification guarantees that HempFlax’s customers are provided with a genuinely sustainable alternative to synthetic or mineral fibres, which can require up to 10 times more energy to produce.
“Hemp can also serve as an alternative to wood fibres, thus reducing deforestation and further cementing the hemp plant’s place as the planet’s foremost green industrial material. We look forward to working with our customers to build and develop entirely 'ISCC compliant' supply chains and end-products. Such transparency is the only way to end greenwashing and achieve real behavioural change.
“Consumer habits won’t be changed by sustainability credentials alone, though. What matters is that these sustainable products are as, if not more, effective than their unsustainable alternatives. Houses insulated with hemp fibres better regulate indoor temperature, whilst car body parts containing compressed hemp fibre are lighter and stiffer than synthetic alternatives.
“This combination of efficacy and sustainability is key to the formation of a circular bioeconomy and means that manufacturers and builders have no excuse to continue their hitherto carbon-intensive practices.”
