Sustainability Index Set To Launch
Vol. 889 
January 31, 2012

Nearly a year after its announced launch, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition is on the cusp of releasing its Apparel Index, a sustainability rating tool designed to help companies understand what's being used to make their products and the impact of apparel supply chains. Set for a mid-year release, the Apparel Index will cover sustainability and environmental factors like materials, packaging, manufacturing processes and transportation. The Index will likely be modified later this year to account for social and labor considerations. And, an index rating the sustainability of footwear is also in the works, the coalition says.

News of the Apparel Index's near-release comes as the coalition recently appointed its first executive director, Jason Kibbey, the CEO and co-founder of PACT, a company that makes organic underwear, socks and shirts. Speaking to www.greenbiz.com, Kibbey said, "I got involved with PACT partially because I saw the potential to create a different kind of brand that could ideally change how people thought about buying apparel. I felt like the coalition was an opportunity to do the same thing."

Since beginning last March, the coalition's member list has expanded to include a wide range of apparel industry leading brands, such as Gap, H&M, Nike, Patagonia, and Columbia Sportswear, as well as retailers like JC Penney, Kohl's, Target and Walmart. Greenbiz.com reported that the coalition's member list accounts for 30% of worldwide apparel sales.