Companies can manage their climate impact through the materials they use.

sheep-grazing

The fashion and textile industry gets most of its materials from farming, forests, or fossil fuels. Exploring options that respect our planetary boundaries is a critical lever that companies can pull to reduce their climate impact. Instead of relying on conventional fibers, brands should explore organic, regenerative, recycled, or other more responsible alternatives instead.

Materials portfolio in numbers

50%

Preferred materials’ share of total material use.

17%

Materials produced on land under improved practices.

15%

Year-on-year increase in the volume of preferred materials sourced.

GOALS

Taking a portfolio approach means exploring multiple options.

There are no silver bullet solutions to systems change. That’s why we encourage companies not to focus their sustainability efforts on a single fiber, but to start integrating preferred options across all the materials that they use. Taking a portfolio approach means recognizing that there might not be one single fiber, material, or program that meets all your needs and that your selection might change over time.

Rolled material.
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Dive deeper into materials and standards

Benchmark modules exist for cotton, polyester, polyamide, manmade cellulosics, wool, leather, and down. You’ll also have the chance to report additional materials that are important to your company, such as rubber, through a generic materials module.

Cotton

Strong, natural, and renewable, cotton is one of the most widely used materials in the fashion…

Polyester

Polyester is the most commonly used synthetic fiber. It's strong, durable, crease-resistant, and…

Nylon

Nylon, the commercial name for a group of polyamides, is widely used in activewear, swimwear,…

Manmade Cellulosics

These fibers are commonly made from wood pulp.

Wool

In volume terms, sheep wool is the most common animal fiber used in the fashion and textile…

Leather

Leather is made from the hide or skin of animals. Almost all of the world's leather is produced…

Down

Down is an insulating material with a high warmth-to-weight ratio. Down is the layer of fine…

Spotlight On

The Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix

The Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix is our interactive tool to guide sourcing decisions. It shares impact data and guidance on over 65 of the most common materials, programs, and initiatives.

Explore other focus areas

Strategy Integration

A materials strategy is critical to reaching climate targets on time.

Sustainable Development Goals

These goals are universal, holistic, and measurable.

Circularity

Circular business models retain the value of existing materials.

Biodiversity

Climate and nature are interconnected. Our planet’s health depends on nature.

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See how your company compares to others

We’ve created a common framework for brands to report on their progress in sustainable materials sourcing.