The outdoor recreation industry environmental assessment tool, the Eco Index, has officially been launched. Its meant to provide brands and retailers of apparel, footwear and gear a way to benchmark and measure the footprint of their products.
In development since 2007 by the Outdoor Industry Association Eco Working Group, a volunteer industry committee of more than 100 outdoor companies, the Eco Index encompasses guidelines, performance indicators, footprint metrics and a comparative scoring system against a six-stage lifecycle approach.
The stakeholder review period for the Eco Index is now underway, providing companies with the opportunity to pilot test the current 'Beta Phase 1' version of the tool and provide feedback toward the formal version scheduled for release in early 2011. Over 80 companies from around the world are currently signed up to participate in the Eco Index pilot program, and more are welcomed.
“The Eco Index was designed to be applicable to all apparel, footwear and gear products and to be used within companies of all sizes,” said Beth Jensen, Corporate Responsibility Manager for OIA. “We are looking to the pilot program for critical feedback on the success of this approach.”
In addition to the pilot program, the stakeholder engagement period will also include a third-party review of the Index conducted by a group of environmental advocacy organizations, investors, and the academic community.
The Eco Index initiative is a collaboration between Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and the European Outdoor Group (EOG). The project has been facilitated by Zero Waste Alliance (ZWA) and has received significant financial support from Portland Development Commission. The Eco Index beta website has been developed by California-based SourceN and Oya Group.
