Pilot Program

PILOT PROGRAM UPDATE

February 8, 2011

Feedback from the Eco Index Beta Phase One Pilot Program is currently being reviewed and incorporated into the next version of Eco Index content. Updated documents will be posted to the website as they are completed, beginning approximately March 1.

Many questions raised during the Pilot Program simply required clarification rather than changes to content.  These items are addressed in the Pilot Program FAQ below.  The document will be updated as additional questions arise.

Eco Index Pilot Program Frequently Asked Questions

While the Beta Phase One Pilot Program has officially closed, your ongoing feedback around the Eco Index content and tools is welcomed.

 

PILOT PROGRAM INFORMATION ARCHIVE

Welcome to the Eco Index Beta Phase One Pilot Program!  We invite all brands, suppliers, and retailers of apparel, footwear, and gear to participate in the pilot test.  [view invite letter here]

The Eco Working Group recognizes the wide diversity of products within the outdoor industry and that all products have different needs, and as such is looking to the industry to provide feedback to ensure the Eco Index is relevant to all industry stakeholders.

Pilot program timeframe:

August – December 2010

Who can participate:

Any brands, suppliers, or retailers involved in producing or selling apparel, footwear, or gear.

Pilot program opportunities:

  • “Practicing” application of the Eco Index using a generic bill of materials (BOM) [link to dummy BOM here}
  •  Applying the Eco Index to your company’s products
  •  Conducting a “desktop review” of the overall Eco Index content and structure: reviewing the supporting documentation and tools and providing feedback.

Focus product types:

In order to minimize redundancy of requests to suppliers, maximize the ability to give and receive feedback throughout the piloting process, and create a test scenario with opportunities for comparison and limited variables, we have identified a list of specific product types for focus within the pilot program (however, feedback on products not on this list will also be welcomed)

  • 2-person tent or internal frame backpack
  • Technical outerwear piece – hard shell
  • Synthetic baselayer product
  • Trail running shoe
  • Metal-based product
  • Blow-molded polymer product
  • Natural fiber-based pant
  • Wool product
  • Hoisery
  • Leather boot or shoe

To participate or with questions, please contact:

Beth Jensen, Corporate Responsibility Manager

Outdoor Industry Association

bjensen@outdoorindustry.org

Get Started:

  1.  Email bjensen@outdoorindustry.org with your name, email address, company name, and the product(s) you intend to pilot.
  2.  Go to www.ecoindexbeta.org, the beta website for the Eco Index
  3.  Read/review the guidelines, indicators, and metrics and related tools (in .pdf and .xls documents, viewable and downloadable on the website.)
  4. Optional: download the generic bill of materials (link above under "Pilot Program Opportunities" and below under "Reference Materials") and the indicator scoring spreadsheet [link here] and practice scoring the indicators using this BOM.  “Answers” are provided in the various tabs of the generic bill of materials spreadsheet.
  5. Gather BOM(s) for your own products that you will be piloting and go through the indicator scoring spreadsheet using your own BOM(s).
  6. Optional/if able: download the metrics spreadsheets and record the data for your pilot product(s) as directed.
  7. Provide feedback throughout the process via the collaboration forums on the website [link to collaboration forum homepage]  You will be required to do a simple login in order to access the forums.  A survey will also be posted as another means of gathering pilot program comments.  Finally, you may email bjensen@outdoorindustry.org with feedback.

A webinar series will be held beginning September 14, 2010 to provide additional Eco Index training.  View webinar topics and sign up at www.outdoorindustry.org/ecotraining.

Providing Feedback

          There are several ways to provide feedback (you can choose one or all of these options):
          1. Post new comments and/or respond to existing comments on the Feedback Forums on the Eco Index beta website.
          2. NEW: Complete one or both of the Eco Index Feedback Surveys.
              Eco Index Survey #1 - Introductory Feedback - designed to be completed anytime during the pilot process.
              Eco Index Survey #2 - Detailed Feedback - designed to be completed upon finishing your pilot program.
          3. Email Beth Jensen with your comments.

 


REFERENCE MATERIALS


Eco Index Training Webinars:




Data Sources / References:
Publicly-available resources for use in piloting the Metrics level of the Eco Index, for companies not already purchasing LCA data.


Please note that this is not a comprehensive list, nor are any of these sources or the accuracy of their data endorsed by OIA or the Eco Working Group. These links are provided simply as a placeholder to allow companies to begin using the Metrics tools. The EWG recognizes the need to have verified data sets available to Eco Index users moving forward and is currently exploring the options. 



Please email Beth Jensen with any additions to this list.



Other Reference Documents:


    

  • 

    Presentation for Suppliers – Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010, Salt Lake City, UT [link  to Powerpoint here] 
    • 





    

  • 

    Spreadsheet for cataloging specific index feedback as experienced in beta test (created by European Outdoor Group) [link to XLS here]

    •