How it works

Overview

There are currently two scores: the Material Score and the Supply Chain Score, which are averaged to generate the FiberScore for each clothing product.

Material Score

The Material Score accounts for the fibers in the fabric of the clothing item. Plastic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and spandex, also known as synthetic fibers, earn no credit because of the various health and safety issues they cause—from the toxic chemicals generated in their production to the release of microplastics during usage and after disposal^1,2. Natural fibers such as cotton and linen earn full credit because the fibers on their own generally do not pose any health and safety risks.

The Material Score also addresses man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCFs). The fibers come from plants like natural fibers, but they are produced in a way that significantly alters the raw material using various chemicals and processing techniques. The production methods of MMCFs vary significantly, so each type of fiber is scored based on our assessment of the impact of the production of the fiber on the health and safety of workers involved in the textile industry and clothing consumers. A summary list of how different MMCFs are scored relative to natural fibers is shown below:

• Rayon — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Viscose — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Bamboo Rayon — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Bamboo Viscose — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Modal — 50% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Lyocell — same credit as a natural fiber
• Lenzing TENCEL Lyocell — same credit as a natural fiber
• Lenzing TENCEL Modal — 75% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Lenzing ECOVERO Viscose — 75% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Acetate — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Triacetate — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Cupro — 25% of the credit of a natural fiber
• Bemberg — 50% of the credit of a natural fiber

The Material Score is calculated by taking the weighted percentage of the fibers relative to a natural fiber, that is each fiber's percentage times its credit relative to a natural fiber, dividing that total by 10, and rounding to the nearest whole number.

Supply Chain Score

The Supply Chain Score considers the production information provided or not provided about a clothing item, specifically the information about the health and safety of the materials for consumers and the health and safety of workers involved in the textile industry. Transparency is important even for products made using healthy and safe fibers because toxic chemicals can still be added to the products throughout the clothing manufacturing process and workers can still be treated poorly. Products with at least one certification related to the health and safety of workers earn 5 points and products with at least one certification related to the health and safety of consumers earn an additional 5 points. Occasionally, a single certification can cover both materials and worker considerations earning 10 points. A summary list of how different certifications are scored is shown below:

• bluesign — 10 points (worker and consumer)
• Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Certified B Corporation — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Fair Trade Certified — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) — 10 points (worker and consumer)
• ISO 14001 — 5 points (worker-focused)
• ISO 45001 — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Masters of FLAX FIBRE (formerly European Flax) — 5 points (worker-focused)
• OEKO-TEX Standard 100 — 5 points (consumer-focused)
• Organic Content Standard (OCS) — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Regenagri — 5 points (worker-focused)
• Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) — 5 points (worker-focused)
• SA8000 — 5 points (worker-focused)
• ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) — 10 points (worker and consumer)
• ZQ — 5 points (worker-focused)

Currently, the Supply Chain Score is capped at 10 points, and a product earns at most 5 points for worker-focused certifications and 5 points for consumer-focused certifications even if it carries multiple certifications in the same category.

Ranking System

All scores follow the same ranking system with categories of "Bad", "Okay", "Good", and "Great". A score below 4 is considered "Bad", a score from 4 to less than 6 is considered "Okay", a score from 6 to less than 9 is considered "Good", and a score from 9 to 10 is considered "Great". The ranking categories are also color-coded with "Bad" shown in red, "Okay" shown in orange, "Good" shown in yellow, and "Great" shown in green.