Sustainable Apparel Coalition Launched

Aware of its tremendous negative impact, the fashion industry is making efforts towards implementing sustainable businesses practices.  A group of 30 organizations, including retail companies, apparel and shoe manufacturers, fashion houses, non-profits and the EPA got together and created the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) in order to help lessen the environmental footprint left by the clothing industry.  

All the way through the product life cycle and supply chain of fashion, harmful practices are used and dangerous toxins released into our environment.  Industry leaders in sustainability Nike, Gap Inc, H&M, Levi Strauss, Marks & Spencer, and Patagonia, to name a few, are designing improved strategies and tools for measuring bettered operation in hopes of inspiring others to do their part as well.

"The Coalition's purpose at a higher level has two goals. First, the member organizations will develop plans to soften the apparel industry's impact on water and industry consumption, while making commitments to improved waste diversion and the reduction in the use of chemicals. To that end, the Coalition's members will work with industry peers and supply chain partners to achieve the fullest possible life cycle transparency for clothing. Meanwhile, the SAC seeks to ensure that workplaces throughout the apparel industry adopt fair employment practices and a safe working environment, while eliminating any exposure to toxic chemicals.

Second, the Coalition will develop a metrics-based tool that will assist companies in the measurement of their environmental and social impacts. For now described as the Version 1.0 Apparel Index, the tool works similarly to Nike's Apparel Environmental Design Tool and the Outdoor Industry Association's Eco Index. Besides offering an assessment on companies' usages of energy, water, and chemicals, the index will also evaluate products' entire life cycles. Companies will be able to measure their performance, compare them to their peers, and receive guidelines and resources for how they can improve their performance all such metrics. The Apparel Index is slated to launch next month."

Leon Kaye for www.guardian.co.uk