Rock Fall’s Commitment to Materials with Reduced Environmental Impact
At Rock Fall, we select materials that meet defined criteria for better environmental performance, and we say which criteria they meet and which components they apply to. This framework sets out those criteria. Every environmental claim we make about a Rock Fall product traces back to one of them, to a named component and to a figure or a certificate.
Better Materials in Rock Fall Footwear
Within our BETTER MATERIALS Framework, we highlight materials in our footwear that meet one or more of the following criteria:
Leather Working Group (LWG) Rated Leather
We source leather from tanneries that have been audited and rated by the Leather Working Group, which assesses environmental practice across water and energy use, waste management, chemical handling and material traceability. Using LWG rated leather supports better environmental practice in the tanning industry. Where a product page names an LWG rating, that rating belongs to the tannery that made the leather.
Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Certified Recycled Materials
We incorporate materials certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) into most of our shoes. GRS verifies the presence and amount of recycled material in the textiles we use and sets social and environmental requirements for processing and chemical use. This lets us use waste materials in place of virgin resources.
– All recycled textiles in our shoes come from GRS certified mills, and one of our shoe factories is GRS certified, which combined with Rock Fall’s own brand certification gives a full chain of custody from source to finished product for shoes made in that factory.
Where a product page states a GRS certified recycled content, the figure is for the component named.
Materials with Bio-Based Content
We incorporate materials that contain bio-based content, derived from renewable biological sources.
– We highlight materials with a minimum bio-based content of 10%, and we state the actual percentage on the product page.
– Where that content is independently certified, for example under the USDA BioPreferred® Program, we name the scheme alongside the figure.
Better Materials in Rock Fall Packaging
Our BETTER MATERIALS Framework also extends to the board used in our shoe boxes:
FSC Certified Recycled Raw Materials
The raw materials used in our shoe boxes come from a fully recycled source, as confirmed by the third-party verified Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. of our shoe box suppliers
– The presence of the appropriate FSC logo (showing RECYCLED content) clearly printed on our shoe boxes verifies that the paper or board used is made from 100% recycled fibres, reducing the demand on virgin forests.
– This criterion covers the board used in our shoe boxes. Other packaging in the range is not covered by it. The Activ-Step® accessory cartons carry FSC MIX.
Understanding Our BETTER MATERIALS Framework
Under our BETTER MATERIALS Framework, when we state that our footwear contains “better materials”, it means that specific components used in the footwear meet at least one of these criteria. It is a statement about those components in the shoes, not in the shoe boxes. The criteria cover material sourcing.
• Percentages are for the component named.
• An LWG rating belongs to the tannery that made the leather, and it is an environmental audit of that tannery.
• The Vegan Society Trademark confirms the absence of animal-derived materials.
• “Better material” means a component meets a criterion set out in this document.
All our shoe boxes are sourced via FSC certified suppliers.
The evidence behind each claim is held by our compliance team: a supplier declaration, a certificate or a test report. Certificates are checked for validity at each catalogue refresh.
As part of our commitment to the BETTER MATERIALS Framework, look for more information on individual product pages on our website, to learn more about the specific better materials used in each Rock Fall shoe and its packaging, and look for the FSC logo on our shoe boxes to confirm the use of recycled content.
Rock Fall UK Ltd
Version 2.1 – 30 September 2026
