For Suppliers

Over the past three years, nearly 200 outdoor products companies from around the world have been working together on sustainability best practices and standards. These companies are members of the Outdoor Industry Association Eco Working Group (EWG) and the European Outdoor Group Sustainability Working Group (SWG). They have two main goals for their work:

  1. Reduce the environmental impact of the outdoor products industry.
  2. Create one Eco Index to be used throughout the industry to benchmark and measure the environmental impact of apparel, footwear, and gear products.

To achieve these goals, the OIA EWG and the EOG SWG have together developed the Eco Index.  You can find out more information at http://www.ecoindexbeta.org.

The Eco Index is to be used internally by suppliers, brands, and retailers to assess the environmental performance of products throughout the supply chain - from raw materials all the way to the end of a product’s useful life.  In order to have a successful Eco Index and ensure it is implemented throughout the world, it is very important for suppliers to know about it and participate in the Eco Index Pilot Program.


ECO INDEX PILOT PROGRAM

We invite you to review the Facilities Indicators, use them to score your facility, and then let us know if you have any questions or suggestions for improvement. You can email your comments to Beth Jensen (bjensen@outdoorindustry.org)  or post your comments on the online message boards at http://www.ecoindexbeta.org/forum/summary. We would like to receive your comments by December 31, 2010 if possible.


UPCOMING ECO INDEX EVENTS FOR SUPPLIERS

You are invited to attend several upcoming events which will feature Eco Index seminars:

December 8, 2010
 Sumerra Global Compliance Summit
Kevin Myette, REI will lead a session on the Eco Index, focusing specifically on the Facilities Indicators.  Location: Dongguan, China - The Regal Palace Hotel

January 22, 2010
 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market
Session specifically for suppliers will provide an update on the Eco Index and Pilot Program as well as a panel discussion with experts from bluesign, Polartec, and others on existing certifications and their role in the Eco Index.
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA - Downtown Marriott, Salon F 

February 23-25, 2010
 ISPO China
Eco Index session and details about the next version of the Eco Index
Location: Beijing, China - China International Exhibition Centre


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 We also wanted to address a few questions commonly asked by suppliers about the Eco Index.

  1. Will my Eco Index scores be confidential?
    YES.  At this time, the Eco Index is strictly an internal tool, to help companies make more informed sourcing decisions.  Eco Index scores and data from suppliers are NOT shared among brands and retailers, and the scores and data are NOT communicated to consumers.  This may change in the future when an independent certification system is put in place, but for now there is no certification, so any scores that suppliers may provide to their customers will remain confidential. 

    There is no benefit to suppliers reporting inaccurate or falsely high Eco Index scores to their customers.  Any misrepresentation of scores will only be exposed in the future when the Eco Index is formally implemented.

    At this time, brands and retailers are NOT making purchasing decisions based on Eco Index results, as it is still just a pilot test program. However, when the Eco Index is formally launched (likely sometime in2011), this WILL be the case. So, it benefits you to learn about the Eco Index now and begin working to improve your scores.

  2. My facility has already spent significant time and money on acheiving another certification. Why should I put additional resources towards the Eco Index?
    We commend those of you who have already demonstrated your environmental commitment by achieving certifications such as bluesign or ISO 14001 and recognize the significant resources required to accomplish these certifications.  We would like to stress that these certifications are complementary to the Eco Index, not competing.  The Eco Index incorporates existing standards and certifications - achievement will automatically provide a facility with better Eco Index scores.

    While you and other suppliers are involved in arguably the most impactful part of the product lifecycle, it is just one part - impacts also occur in the packaging of a product as well as in its manufacturing, use and service, and end of life stages.  This is why the entire product life cycle is covered within the Eco Index.

  3. Why should I participate in the Eco Index Pilot Program?
    The Eco Index is meant to help suppliers through increased efficiency, allowing them to provide a consistent set of data to numerous customers rather than filling out many different company-specific scorecards.

    Knowing about the Eco Index and participating in the pilot test will give you a competitive advantage with your customers, who will be asking you for Eco Index information if they haven't already.

 

FUTURE ECO INDEX TASKS

Areas we recognize need to be addressed in the future:

  • Translation of Eco Index materials into languages other than English
  • Development of an easy-to-use web-based tool to make it easier to use the Eco Index (currently all information and tools are in word documents and Excel spreadsheets)

The Eco Index is intended to engage the entire supply chain around environmental best practices.  We thank you for your participation and support in this important initiative.