Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Higg Materials Sustainability Index Through Stakeholder Perception Assessment

Abstract

The textile industry greatly impacts the environment, contributing to climate change by releasing 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) annually with the potential to increase by 60% by 2030. In addition, water use, water pollution and loss of biodiversity from dyeing and finishing of textiles accounts for 17-20% of all industrial pollution (Global Fashion Agenda, 2019), and depletes non-renewable resources. For instance, popular materials such as polyester and cotton have negative environmental and social impact, because polyester required large amounts of fossil fuels and non-renewable resources, and conventional cotton requires fertilizers and pesticides and large amounts of water (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). These are just two examples indicating that selection of materials, specificity of item design and innovation, can contribute to more efficient use of resources, and eventually lead to waste reduction. The Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) is a tool that is designed to help apparel and footwear companies to explore new fibers and finishes. It provides guidance in selecting materials with lower environmental impact, thus making the industry more sustainable and more transparent. The purpose of my research was to establish an understanding of how Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) stakeholders perceive the Higg MSI textile material scoring. My main research questions were to determine if the textile materials’ Higg MSI scores aligned with stakeholders’ perceptions, and if the Higg MSI was an effective tool helping SAC internal stakeholders to make informed decisions. I hypothesized that by analyzing survey responses I would find insignificant inconsistencies between respondents’ perceptions and the existing scoring. Furthermore, I hypothesized that the Higg MSI scoring methodology was a trusted decision-making tool effectively used in the textile industry. To test my hypotheses, I developed three complementary surveys to collect data for the analysis. I wanted to learn how well SAC members understood and what beliefs they have about the environmental impact of selected textile materials. After collecting all responses, I aggregated the data and conducted analysis to establish variability and central tendency. I found a lot of variability in responses per material and detected misalignment between the Higg MSI scoring and the modal values of the responses. Next, I grouped analyzed materials based on their origins and looked for trends in responses. The analysis demonstrated that respondents expected natural materials to perform better than synthetic materials. In addition, I determined that the environmental performance of synthetic materials was not well understood by respondents. As a result, I determined that SAC stakeholders disagreed with some of the Higg MSI scoring due to lack of information, unclear methodology and plausibility of data used in establishing aggregated scores. I compiled these findings and outlined possible solutions needed to address this emergent misalignment between members’ perceptions and the Higg MSI methodology.