1. Purpose
This policy sets out Murzo Group's approach to responsible materials, restricted materials, animal-derived materials, plant-derived materials, recycled materials, fashion materials, packaging materials, design materials, food-contact materials, and materials used in products, prototypes, samples, displays, or assets.
The purpose is to reduce legal, environmental, ethical, safety, cultural, customs, CITES, supply chain, and reputational risk connected with material selection and claims.
2. Scope
This policy applies to Murzo Group design, fashion, farming, food, packaging, cultural objects, property, procurement, product development, sampling, manufacturing, importing, exporting, labelling, marketing, and disposal activities.
Materials may include leather, fur, wool, silk, feathers, shell, horn, bone, ivory, coral, exotic skins, timber, plant fibres, cotton, synthetics, metals, dyes, chemicals, recycled content, compostable materials, bio-based materials, food-contact materials, and novel materials.
3. Material Principles
Murzo Group will select and manage materials using a risk-based and evidence-led approach.
- Do not use, buy, import, export, sell, or describe materials where legality, species, origin, safety, or supplier evidence is unclear
- Avoid restricted, endangered, unlawfully harvested, trafficked, counterfeit, contaminated, unsafe, or mislabelled materials
- Apply enhanced checks to animal-derived, plant-derived, cultural, high-value, recycled, chemically treated, food-contact, child-facing, or skin-contact materials
- Use accurate material descriptions and do not make unsupported sustainability, ethical, vegan, recycled, organic, cruelty-free, biodegradable, compostable, or origin claims
- Consider durability, repairability, recyclability, waste, human rights, animal welfare, environmental impact, and customer safety
4. Restricted & High-Risk Materials
Certain materials require enhanced review before sourcing, design, sale, import, export, marketing, or disposal.
- CITES-listed animal or plant species and derivatives, including ivory, crocodilian skins, certain shells, coral, timber, horn, bone, feathers, and exotic leathers
- Materials linked to protected wildlife, endangered species, illegal logging, illegal fishing, illegal mining, conflict minerals, forced labour, or cultural heritage restrictions
- Hazardous chemicals, restricted substances, dyes, finishes, flame retardants, heavy metals, allergens, toxins, or food-contact migration risks
- Animal-derived fashion materials requiring welfare, species, source, labelling, and import/export checks
- Recycled, reclaimed, antique, or vintage materials where contamination, provenance, or labelling may be uncertain
5. Supplier Evidence & Traceability
Suppliers may be required to provide evidence supporting material identity, species, origin, composition, processing, safety, compliance, chain of custody, sustainability, welfare, and restricted substance status.
Murzo Group may request test reports, certificates, declarations, invoices, permits, CITES documents, country-of-origin evidence, safety data sheets, technical files, audits, or traceability documents.
6. Design, Fashion & Product Development
Material choices in fashion, product design, packaging, prototypes, and displays should be reviewed before final approval.
Design teams should consider legal restrictions, end-use, customer contact, durability, repairability, laundering, dye transfer, flammability, allergen potential, chemical content, cultural sensitivity, sustainability claims, and end-of-life impact.
7. Labelling, Claims & Customer Information
Material labels, product descriptions, care information, safety warnings, origin statements, and sustainability claims must be accurate and supported by evidence.
Terms such as recycled, organic, vegan, cruelty-free, sustainable, biodegradable, compostable, responsibly sourced, natural, plastic-free, non-toxic, antique, rare, or heritage must not be used without suitable evidence and approval.
8. Import, Export & Customs Controls
Materials may be subject to commodity classification, CITES permits, cultural property rules, product safety rules, food-contact rules, chemical restrictions, plant health controls, animal product controls, sanctions, or destination-country restrictions.
Murzo Group must complete customs, permit, species, origin, and product checks before moving high-risk materials across borders.
9. Non-Conforming Materials
Materials that are unsafe, mislabelled, contaminated, restricted, unsupported, counterfeit, damaged, or legally unclear must be quarantined, rejected, corrected, returned, destroyed, or escalated as appropriate.
Murzo Group may suspend suppliers, stop production, amend labels, recall products, notify customers, or seek authority guidance where material issues create safety or legal risk.
10. Records, Review & Responsibilities
Murzo Group will keep records of material approvals, supplier evidence, specifications, test results, permits, claims approvals, risk assessments, decisions, and corrective actions.
Design leads, procurement leads, product owners, sustainability leads, food safety leads, compliance leads, and authorised representatives are responsible for applying this policy. It will be reviewed periodically and when materials, suppliers, laws, or markets change.
