Environmental improvements
that make a difference
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of the Made Aware scheme?
The aim of the scheme is to bring about practical, worthwhile and progressive improvement in the impacts of our members’ products on the environment and the people who make them.
Why is there a need for the Made Aware scheme, when there are plenty of other environmental schemes and labels already?
When we first looked at the environmental impacts of outdoor furniture and barbecues we anticipated that there would be existing schemes that we could use, adopt or partner with. But we found that the only area in which appropriate schemes existed was the sourcing of timber. As timber is only used in about 10% of the products that LOFA members market, and as raw material sourcing is only one of six types of impact that are involved, it quickly became apparent that appropriate existing schemes simply did not exist. So we had to grasp the challenge of developing a new scheme from scratch.
We also found that the approaches used by many existing schemes require a certain minimum level of financial or managerial resource to participate. As many LOFA members are very small businesses, we needed to develop an approach that all of our members could cope with, while still achieving something that was worthwhile.
How can I be confident that claims made by companies using the Made Aware label are credible and worthwhile?
We consider this to be one of the most important aspects of the design of the scheme. We have achieved it in two main ways. The first is the process that we use to award the right to use the Made Aware label. These decisions are taken by a panel of independent supply chain sustainability and worker conditions experts. In order to take their decisions they require each applicant to provide information on the entire product story of the products involved (although initially not all details will be known), a specific improvement that has been made, a description or quantification of the benefit that this improvement has generated or will generate, and evidence to show that the improvement has been made. The expert panel uses this information to decide whether or not the claimed improvement is credible, and that the resulting benefit is both relevant to the main issues in the product story and significant to be worthwhile.
The second way in which we ensure the veracity of the awarded labels is that we have a selection of them independently physically checked and verified. So, for instance, if a particular claim relates to an improvement in working condition within a Chinese factory, our verifiers will visit that factory to check that the claims are true.
What is different about the Made Aware scheme?
There are two main ways in which Made Aware stands out. The first is that it focuses explicitly on bringing about progressive, worthwhile improvement. Many other schemes define a certain level of performance, after which there may be no incentive to make further improvements. Made Aware enables and encourages participating members to move forward from what ever level they and their suppliers are currently at.
The second way in which Made Aware stands out is that even the smallest business can participate and gain the right to use the label. Many other schemes require either a level of financial commitment and / or substantial amounts of bureaucracy and management time. These can act as a barrier to enabling the smallest companies to engage with making environmental improvements.
Will the Made Aware scheme matter? Will it make a difference?
The individual improvements that enable businesses to gain the Made Aware label may on their own be modest. They may be a move to use more recycled materials in the product or packaging, a change to use accredited timber, or better health and safety equipment and training for factory workers. However an unusual aspect of the Made Aware scheme is that, to retain the label, businesses have to implement an additional improvement each and every year. And most members will have to implement several improvements to cover their entire product range.
So the cumulative impact of the Made Aware scheme across the LOFA membership and over several years, will be substantial.
How will the rules of the Made Aware scheme be enforced?
Any scheme such as Made Aware needs to have certain rules developed to ensure that only legitimate businesses display the label, and that ones who have gained the label use and publicise in a truthful, clear and appropriate way. Rules have been developed that state what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. In a relatively small market such as outdoor furniture and barbecues LOFA member companies tend to be very aware of each others’ activities. So our membership will constitute an effective monitoring force, to spot any misdemeanours. Once spotted, unless any transgressions cease the businesses involved risk being ejected from both the Made Aware scheme and, ultimately, membership of LOFA.
