Initiative will help scale promising sustainability solutions
02/11/2017
The Apparel Impact Institute (AII) officially launched in October. It received seed funding from the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and Target, and additional financial support from PVH Corp., Gap and HSBC Holdings.
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) will provide the initiative with industry support as well as access to its Higg Index.
The Apparel Impact Institute intends to work with brands and manufacturers to select, fund and scale projects that it feels can dramatically improve the sustainability impact of the apparel and footwear industry. Its founders believe too many pilot projects with potential for broader application are lost due to a lack of funding.
The first project it will focus on is mill improvement, which it says is one of the most environmentally impactful segments of clothing production. It has selected the Natural Resources Defense Council's Clean by Design programme, which reduces energy, water and chemical usage to scale mill improvement across the industry. The Apparel Impact Institute will explore how to support and expand mill improvement initiatives globally.
Among the other areas it will examine in the future are closed-loop recycling and worker well-being.
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