Today is Earth Day, making it a great day to talk about eco-fashion. There’s many ways a company can become more environmentally friendly, and sometimes the abundance of ways can be overwhelming. Because the Higg Index is still fairly new, I wanted to share the concept with fashion entrepreneurs who are looking into third-party certifications or metric tools to quantify their commitment to the environment.

Who Started the Higg Index? 

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) created and monitors the use of the Higg Index. SAC is a trade organization, operating globally, with the goals of lowering environmental impact of apparel and footwear companies.

What is the Higg Index?

The Higg Index is a quantification tool, measuring the impact a product will have on the environment throughout the product’s life cycle. The SAC describes this life cycle as “materials, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, use, and end-of-life.” 

How Can a New Entrepreneur Use the Higg Index? 

Aside from doing a traditional analysis of what a company is already doing to produce garments, SAC offers a Rapid Design Module, which helps those who are still in the planning process of product creation determine what the environmental impact of those products would be. This can be particularly useful when you are unsure if your production plan is truly “green,” or if there are other alternatives with lower impacts.

Where is There More Info?

Check out the SAC’s website to get a feel for what they offer. The Higg Index content is both free and open-source. However, SAC does offer additional services to members of their organization, which may require fees.

Are There Other Resources that can Assist in  Eco-Fashion Planning? 

Here’s a few organizations that may be helpful for you:

Textile Exchange

Ethical Fashion Forum

Fashion Takes Action

Global Organic Textile Standard

If you are looking for a particular type of certification, or have clear environmental protection goals in mind, feel free to send an email to rachel@lawontherunway.com. Law On The Runway can help you find the resources that you need to achieve your eco-fashion goals, and can help with certification compliance.