Sustainability at Ffern
We feel that connecting with nature is the first step towards caring for it and protecting it for generations to come.
Our approach
Every product we create aims to go beyond simply ‘sustaining’. Instead, we hope to actively improve the world around us. By taking a seasonal approach and championing the provenance of our ingredients, we believe we can deepen members’ relationships with the natural world.
Using nature as our guide, we aren’t afraid to question norms and make perfume differently.
Our efforts are focused in three areas: perfume, packaging and people.
Perfume
Ffern was born out of a vision to restore perfumery to its artisan roots. Each bottle is derived from plants using techniques that are sometimes centuries old.
Ingredients
We create fragrances that are vegan and made from the highest quality, sustainable and natural ingredients. Over 95% of our ingredients are of entirely natural origin and over 75% are certified organic. We are transparent about every ingredient we use and list the details of their origins meticulously.
In cases where a plant is endangered in the wild, we take every precaution to ensure it is sourced sustainably. An example is our sandalwood, which comes from newly cultivated groves in Australia rather than from the endangered wild forests of India.
Production
Our commitment to small-batch production has set us apart from the beginning. Each season, we make and bottle just enough Ffern Eau de Parfum for each name on our ledger. By keeping ledger spaces limited, we ensure we’re never making more bottles than we need.
Seasonality
Working with the rhythms of the seasons, we blend, barrel-age and bottle four unique fragrances a year and release them at each of the equinoxes and solstices. This is a central part of our philosophy, and is one of the ways we believe we can best strengthen our ties to nature. Even before we started making perfumes, we were inspired by the slow turn of the seasons, and the changing scents that emanated from the landscapes around us.
Packaging
We have always been committed to finding the best packaging solutions possible, knowing we could never be content following the status quo. We continually challenge ourselves on every component our ledger members receive. From the fragrance itself to the bottle, which can be left in the regular recycling collection, to the postage box and paper inner packaging, every Ffern package should generate zero landfill. We are the first perfume maker to eliminate plastic from our outer packaging. Our bottles and candle vessels are themselves recyclable.
We are proud to introduce our recyclable paper inners - lightweight bottle trays made from natural materials. Crafted from recycled paper pulp and vine shoots left over from Champagne harvests, these trays are a testament to circular design. The vine shoots are gathered at the end of winter pruning, then combined with FSC®-certified paper fibres and moulded into shape using heat alone. Production is powered by 100% renewable energy, with the majority of electricity generated on site via solar and hydro power.
For Spring 21, we launched the Ffern kraft tube. A 100% recyclable paper casing that protects the fragrance inside from light, it removes the need for bottle caps constructed from plastic. Most perfumers use caps like these - they cannot be recycled, and serve no purpose once the perfume inside has been consumed.
All our printed materials (including the large art poster that ships with each fragrance release) are made with FSC certified 100% recycled paper.
Three years in the making, the Ffern Perfumer’s Candle was informed by a desire for sustainability from start to finish. From the beginning we knew we had to create something beautiful, with a feather-light environmental footprint, that could be treasured as an object after the candle inside has burned away. The candle’s double-walled vessel is made from electric-forged recycled stainless steel, and is recyclable and reusable as an object in its own right.
People
At Ffern, we remain committed to honouring our relationships with the environment and the societies we interact with. By blending new technologies with perfume’s artisan roots, we hope to continue making fragrances that celebrate nature while minimising our impact.
We are always looking for new ways to improve. If you have any ideas or feedback, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Standards and supply chain
At Ffern, we believe that there is no sustainability without people. Since our inception, we have been dedicated to operating ethically. We treat all our people fairly, whether they manage family-run farms, or are full-time members of staff. We maintain as much oversight as possible over our supply chain - and only work with suppliers who source plant materials in sustainable ways. Our UK-based staff are paid Living Wage, and we prioritise employees’ rights, safety, diversity, well-being and work-life balance in all aspects.
Building community
Ffern follows the IFRA-IODI Sustainability Charter, which commits to supporting suppliers and local communities by creating fair and long-term partnerships. Where possible, we choose suppliers whose communities we can impact. One example is our vetiver, which is sourced from Les Cayes, in the south of Haiti. As well as selecting Haitian vetiver for its fresh and sparkling notes, choosing this supplier over others enables us to provide employment in an area that’s still rebuilding after a devastating earthquake in 2010.
The future
At Ffern, we remain committed to honouring our relationships with the environment and the societies we interact with. By blending new technologies with perfume’s artisan roots, we hope to continue making fragrances that celebrate nature while minimising our impact.
We are always looking for new ways to improve. If you have any ideas or feedback, don’t hesitate to get in touch.