From November 1, 2024, any industrial facilities that scour and/or dehair ‘SFA-Certified’ cashmere and aim to achieve or maintain certification under the SFA Chain of Custody Standard must also be certified against the SFA Clean Fibre Processing Standard.

The Clean Fibre Processing Standard sets out guidelines for ‘first stage’ processing plants involved in washing (scouring) and dehairing raw cashmere. These guidelines focus on minimizing and eliminating harmful chemicals like APEOs, optimizing energy and water use, and ensuring safe and fair working conditions.

This standard applies to processing plants that sort, prepare, scour, and/or dehair cashmere fibre, including the associated environmental, social, and supply chain aspects of these operations. It is divided into various units for each of these processes, and processing plants are required to comply with all units relevant to their operations.