Cellulose acetate and triacetate are artificial fibers produced through a chemical reaction between cellulose (obtained from wood or cotton) and acetic acid. The artificial fiber can be spun for use in the textile industry or utilized in its solid form.

Human-powered transportation that directly replaces motor vehicles like biking or walking. These modes effectively reduce vehicle emissions, conserve fuel, and improve health.

Natural materials such as vegetable cellulose or proteins undergo a chemical transformation to form yarn. Viscose, acetate, and rayon were the first types created, followed by Modal & Lyocell.

A certification from B Lab based on a corporation's social and environmental impact. To qualify, companies must integrate sustainability commitments in their governing documents, achieve a minimum score of 80 on the assessment, and pay an annual fee. Companies need to recertify every three years to maintain their B Corp certification.

A macro-scale structure is grown directly by living microorganisms such as mycelium or bacteria.

Material intentionally made entirely or partially from substances derived from living organisms, such as plants, animals, enzymes, and microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and yeast.

The bio content for biobased materials can vary radically from less than 10% up to 100%.

The amount of biomass in a material or product, taking account of the four key components: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The bio content is a percentage of the overall weight of the material or product.

The decomposition of a substance or object in specific conditions is a process driven by living organisms such as bacteria, microorganisms, or fungi. Ideally, no harmful toxins or chemicals should be left behind.

The use of renewable biological resources to produce food, energy, services, and products.

A renewable energy generated by living organisms such as plants and animal waste.

Materials produced by living cells and microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mycelium.

Biofabricated ingredients are building blocks produced by living cells and microorganisms, such as complex proteins like silk or collagen. They need further mechanical or chemical processing to make a macro-scale material structure.

A fuel produced from plants, agricultural, domestic, or industrial biowaste (biomass) over a short period.

energy: Renewable organic matter from plants and animals used for bioenergy, such as wood, wood residues, energy crops, and agricultural residues, including straw and organic waste.

textile: Plant or animal materials such as wood and waste from forests, yards, or farms turn raw materials and fibers into sustainable textiles.

Materials containing biomass or biologically derived ingredients, fully or partially derived from plants, trees, or animals.

All biomaterials are biobased. However, the bio content ranges from less than 10% to 100%.

Literal translation: ‘imitation of the living.’

A form of sustainable design that mimics nature by replicating the solutions tried, tested & true by nature over millions of years.

Synthetic polymers are made from bio-derived compounds using biomass or through a process involving a living microorganism.

Used to replace traditional synthetic materials made from fossil fuels such as plastic and polyester.

Combining two or more different types of fibers or yarns to achieve each component fiber's desired characteristics and aesthetics. These blends are used to create mixed textiles such as cotton silk, poly-cotton, etc.

The carbon that has been stored by the ocean and coastal ecosystems worldwide.

An economic system or industry that aims to protect oceans and freshwater areas while using them responsibly to grow the economy, generate energy, and produce food. It involves using marine resources to benefit the environment and society.

A system to support suppliers and manufacturers for clothing and textile production by transparently verifying and tracing each textile throughout the manufacturing process, improving at every stage of production to reduce the environmental impact of textiles.

A permit allows companies to release a specific amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses. Each permit allows the release of one ton of carbon dioxide or an equivalent amount of other greenhouse gasses. These permits are also known as carbon offsets.

A gas found in nature and produced when fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal burn. A potent greenhouse gas that can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years, it retains heat in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.

The release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, often through human activity such as burning oil, coal, or gas, warms the planet, causing climate change. A term frequently used in place of greenhouse gas emissions.

A measurement of how much greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere as a result of an activity, product, company, or country over a period of time.

The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere equalized by offsetting the same amount by planting trees or other verified carbon offsets. Also known as achieving net zero emissions.

To reduce or balance the amount of carbon dioxide released from an activity, product, or company by using external projects that are not directly related to a company's operations, such as planting trees or using other verified carbon offset methods.

A concept aimed to reduce and/or offset more emissions than an activity, product, company, or country produces.

the process of capturing carbon dioxide and storing it in solid or liquid form to remove it from the atmosphere.

When an activity, product, or service produces no greenhouse gas emissions during production and/or operation.

A global, nonprofit alliance comprising of leading consumer goods brands, retailers, manufacturers, sourcing agents, service providers, trade associations, NGOs, and academic institutions representing every part of the supply chain for apparel, footwear, and textiles, including home furnishings, sporting and outdoor goods, bags, and luggage.

Developed & launched the Higg Index, aimed at creating standardized sustainability metrics within the industry through collective action across three main pillars: Combat Climate Change, Decent Work for All, and a Nature-Positive Future.

Cascale is formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

A design approach using core principles of minimization, efficiency, optimization, longevity, and repetition while considering the impact on the entire ecosystem throughout its life cycle.

A system where materials and products never become waste but are kept in circulation using processes of maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, upcycling, and composting. Composted materials are broken down safely without harmful toxins and returned back to nature to generate new growth.

Efforts to combat and reverse climate change by regulating and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy.

To make changes in processes, practices, and structures to manage the impact of climate change.

Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Scientists have shown that human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas generate greenhouse gas emissions that trap the sun’s heat, leading to rising temperatures.

The consequences of climate change include intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms, declining biodiversity, and more.

Limiting the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere that contribute to climate change. These actions include using clean and renewable energy and saving energy.

A group from different sectors committed to solving a specific problem to drive change on a large scale.

Colonialism is when a country takes control of foreign lands or people to exploit and possibly settle there, usually done by setting up colonies and using colonial practices to maintain control.

A process with the right conditions for materials or products to disintegrate into non-toxic, natural elements to regenerate new growth.

Businesses that operate ethically serve people and the planet while pursuing profits.

Consumers thoughtfully purchase products and services to prioritize responsible, ethical practices and consume less.

Caretaking and preservation of natural resources to prevent their disappearance and to protect species, habitats, ecosystems, and biological diversity.

A business model that helps a company be socially and environmentally accountable.

Ingredients, products, or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world, including testing on animals.

The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc., of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity.

Deliberate acts and the systematic destruction committed with the intention of destroying language, religion, or culture unique to a specific ethnicity or a political, religious, or social group.

Also referred to as culturecide, cultural genocide, cultural destruction, or deculturation.

Limiting or stopping cultural and religious practices, traditions, and beliefs.

Reduction or elimination of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere caused by processes, manufacturing, and energy production.

Policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of groups of individuals from different ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures, and sexual orientations.

A visual framework for sustainable development combines ecological and social boundaries. It consists of two concentric rings with a hole in the middle. The hole represents the social proportion of people lacking access to essentials like healthcare and education. The outer ring represents ecological ceilings to ensure that humanity doesn't exceed the limits that protect Earth's life-supporting systems.

Also known as cascading, is the recycling of waste materials that don't possess enough structural integrity or functionality for the materials to be put back into the circular cycle to be repurposed or upcycled into new products.

Assisting the recovery of a degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystem.

When plants or animals recover in a place without being reintroduced by humans, it's because they have developed natural resilience mechanisms over time through evolution. These mechanisms help them adapt to natural disturbances and changes in resources.

The carbon footprint of a building or infrastructure project includes all the CO2 emissions associated with its entire lifecycle, such as material extraction, manufacturing, construction, maintenance, demolition, transportation, and waste recycling.

A market-based approach to reducing pollution to protect human health and the environment by making polluters pay for their greenhouse gas emissions.

The two key components are a limit (or the cap) on pollution and trade allowances. The limit sets the maximum amount of pollution allowed, while trade allowances allow holders to emit a specific quantity of pollutants, which can be bought and sold in an allowance market.

Ethics or moral philosophy involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.

Ethical business practices (EBP) are the moral principles, policies, and values that guide how companies and individuals conduct business. They go beyond what the law requires and establish guidelines that shape how employees behave at all levels, helping to build trust between a business and its customers.

Ethical labor practices involve upholding ethical standards to protect workers' rights and dignity, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, reasonable working hours, and eliminating child labor and forced labor.

Any discarded electrical or electronic equipment, whether working or broken, is considered waste. It is particularly dangerous due to toxic chemicals that naturally leach from the metals inside when buried.

A collection of processes and practices that allow companies to lower their environmental footprint and increase their overall productivity.

a form of racism that results in adverse environmental impacts, such as landfills, incinerators, and hazardous waste disposal, disproportionately affecting communities of color and violating substantive equality.

Also referred to as ecological racism or ecological apartheid.

A set of standards to measure a business's impact on the planet, people, and communities transparently while holding the company accountable.

The minimum income required for a person to meet their basic needs, including food, housing, healthcare, transportation, education, and other essential expenses. It should also allow for discretionary expenses and participation in the social and cultural life of the community. A fair living wage should consider the cost of living in a specific geographical region and the needs of the worker's dependents. It should enable workers to live with dignity and security without relying on public assistance or working multiple jobs to make ends meet.​​​​​​​​

Ensures farmers and producers receive a fair price for their goods, fostering sustainable and equitable trade relationships. This approach contributes to improved social and environmental standards within the supply chain, promoting fairness and sustainability in global trade.

Consumer protection laws require clear labeling of products with wool. This ensures that labels accurately describe the amount of wool in the product and protects consumers from false information and misrepresented content. Wool includes fibres from sheep, lamb, angora, cashmere, camel, alpaca, llama, and vicuna.

A global certification standard established for forests and forest products. It ensures products from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. Ten principles and associated criteria form the basis for all FSC standards and certification.

Established in 1993 in response to concerns over global deforestation, FSC provides forest management standards globally and promotes responsible management of the world's forests. It has around 1200 members.

Non-renewable energy sources including coal, coal products, natural gas, derived gas, crude oil, petroleum products, and non-renewable wastes.

At our current usage rate, it is estimated that all of our fossil fuels will be depleted by 2060.

An organism (plant, animal, or microorganism) modified using biotechnology to alter the organism's genetic material, such as DNA or RNA, with synthetic genetic sequences or by creating combinations of very different organisms that would not occur naturally.

The long-term warming of the planet's overall temperature is primarily caused by human activities. The top four contributors to global warming are burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), cutting down forests (deforestation), increasing livestock farming, and using nitrogen fertilizers, which produce nitrous oxide emissions.

The global primary textile processing standard for organic fibers includes ecological and social standards supported by independent certification of the whole textile supply chain.

A standard for organic textiles allows processors and manufacturers to export products using a single accepted certification, helping consumers choose verified organic products from eco-friendly supply chains.

Greenhouse gasses are natural and manufactured gasses within the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to the warming of the Earth's surface. The three primary greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These gasses are significant contributors to climate change and global warming.

A company is taking slow action to adopt sustainability policies while concealing itself within a group, such as by signing a global alliance.

A company refusing to share or under-report its environmental and social responsibility efforts.

A company falsely labels or advertises a product or service as 'green' using plant symbols or deceptive wording, misleading consumers into believing it is eco-friendly when it is not.

A company highlights a specific aspect of its operations or products as sustainable, intentionally diverting attention away from other environmentally harmful activities that may be taking place elsewhere.

A company that consistently changes its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals before they are able to achieve them. When companies fail to meet, lower, or postpone these environmental goals, people question whether they are really trying to reach them or just using them for marketing.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is a set of standards that transparently measure a business's impact on the planet, people, and communities while holding the company accountable.

A certification standard for companies to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals in textile manufacturing and products.

When a business blames consumers for environmental sustainability.

Companies that make false claims about their environmental practices and commitments.

Gross emissions are the total greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, including energy, industrial processes, agriculture, and waste.

Net emissions include the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through land use, reforestation, or purchased offsets, such as carbon credits.

A self-assessment tool for the apparel, footwear, and consumer goods industry designed to assess and standardize environmental and social sustainability throughout the entire supply chain.

More than 24,000 organizations worldwide use the Higg Index, driving change from within the industry.

Reducing or eliminating the amount of carbon dioxide released from an activity, product, or company by focusing on improvements within a company that are directly related to its products, operations, and services and that positively impact local communities, such as investing in cleaner energy, changing manufacturing processes that reduce local pollution, and improving air quality for residents nearby.

Corporate reporting integrates financial and non-financial information, such as environmental and social governance goals, into one report to show how a company performs on various levels.

Knit fabric is created through the process of inter-looping or inter-meshing yarns. There are two main types of knit fabric: weft-knit and warp-knit.

Weft-knit fabrics are more common and easier to make. However, when cut, they tend to unravel unless they are repaired.

On the other hand, warp-knit fabrics are more resistant to unraveling and are relatively easier to sew.

A methodology to assess the environmental impacts of a commercial product, process, or service throughout the life cycle.

A more traditional model of design consists of three stages:

Make: raw materials are transformed into products

Use: consumers use products

Dispose: consumers discard products as waste

An economy that absorbs as much greenhouse gas as is released due to human activity.

An artificial fiber developed in 1972 with a more environmentally friendly production process than conventional viscose or modal. Cellulose from pine, eucalyptus, or bamboo wood is processed all at once using NMMO monohydrate, a safe and recyclable solvent. This solvent is 99.7% recoverable, making lyocell production an almost closed-loop, short-circuit process.

A method for managing chemicals in products and supply chains involves restricting hazardous substances used and discharged during manufacturing, not just those present in finished products. This approach covers all process and functional chemicals used in production and for cleaning, with the aim of preventing chemicals from entering the facility and reducing the need for effluent treatment.

Extremely small pieces of plastic waste, less than 5mm in length, are generated by the disposal and breakdown of consumer plastic products and industrial waste.

Inspired by viscose, an artificial fiber created in Japan in 1951, it is derived from the chemical transformation of beechwood cellulose using a different recipe and solvents than viscose. This makes it more resistant than viscose, especially when wet.

A term for human exploitation utilizing violence, threats, or force to exploit an individual for personal or commercial gain, including human trafficking, forced labor, forced marriage, the sale and exploitation of children, and debt bondage.

A federal regulatory program that sets national standards for organic agricultural products sold in the United States. Raw natural fibers, like cotton, wool, and flax, are agricultural products covered under the NOP crop and livestock production standards. However, the program does not have specific standards for the processing or manufacturing of textiles.

Fibers from plants, animals, or minerals mechanically processed into threads and yarns to create woven or knitted fabrics. There are two main categories of natural fibers: animal-based and plant-based. Animal-based natural fibers include silk and wool, and plant-based natural fibers include cotton, linen, and jute.

Develop solutions inspired and sustained by nature and its processes to deliver environmental, economic, and social benefits with increasing resilience and reducing risk.

The world's natural resources considered to have economic value include geology, soils, air, water, and all living organisms that make human life possible.

An organization of the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology. Consists of 17 independent research and testing facilities constantly working to establish and update textile and leather industry safety standards.

Support consumers and companies throughout the supply chain to make ethical choices and products that are safe, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible manner.

Products with transparent supply chain traceability ensure every step of production, from start to finish, is tested for harmful substances and made in certified and audited production facilities obligated to protect workers, ensure safe working conditions, and advance healthy labor practices. Each product has a QR code or unique product ID to provide clear insights into how and where it was made.

Product certification verifying from farm to the final garment has been manufactured without the use of GMO and tested for pesticides and other harmful substances such as banned azo colourants, PFAS, cadmium or lead.

Product certification ensures every component of the item, including each thread, button, and accessory, produced and sold in different parts of the world, adheres to the same standards and is tested against a list of over 1,000 harmful substances to people and the planet.

Limit values of every substance are reviewed at least once a year. 

A legally binding international treaty adopted by over 195 countries at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on December 12, 2015. The treaty aims to limit the global average temperature below 2° Celsius, preferably to 1.5° Celsius, resembling pre-industrial levels. The treaty took effect on November 4, 2016.

Fabric designs created through knitting, weaving, or by different printing methods. Textile patterns can take any shape or form, such as floral or geometric designs, and have a range of color combinations.

Products and its ingredients must not use any animal products or animal by-products.

A series of widely used chemicals to make plastics like PVC, soft and flexible, are found in most products that come into contact with plastics during production, packaging, or shipping. These chemicals are not tightly attached to plastics; therefore, they escape from products and into the environment, exposing humans to them.

Chronic exposure to phthalates harms the endocrine system and the function of several organs, leading to long-term negative effects on pregnancy, child development, and reproductive systems in both children and adolescents.

An approach in which businesses take responsibility for the environmental impact of their products throughout the entire lifecycle, including end-of-life management.

An acronym for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals, regulated by the European Union to address the risks associated with chemicals to protect people and the environment.

Companies are required to identify the risks linked to the chemical substances and mixtures they use, determine how to manage them, and ensure that they can be used safely without harming the end consumer.

Turning waste materials into new objects and materials sometimes also recovers energy from the waste. A material's ability to regain its original properties affects how easily and how many times it can be recycled.

The ability of a product, its packaging, or related components to be recovered from waste, processed, and reused as raw materials or new products.

The ability of an ecosystem to renew, replenish, and recover from what is being eaten, damaged, disturbed, or harvested.

Rebuilding a product using a combination of reused, repaired, and new parts to bring it back to the original specifications. This process includes fixing or swapping out worn-out or outdated components and modules.

Energy from natural sources such as wind, water, and sunlight that are replenished and not depleted when used.

The process of repairing nature or an ecosystem to its original functionality and biodiversity after it has been damaged.

A test is conducted on finished products to ensure compliance with regulations regarding restricted substances.

The three categories or 'scopes' classify the different types of carbon emissions companies emit according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization (e.g., company vehicles that use petrol or diesel.)

Scope 2: Emissions from purchased energy an organization uses (electricity or heat).

Scope 3: Indirect emissions not produced by the company itself. However, the emissions due to the organization's activities generated from sources it does not own or control (e.g., flights taken for business travel, products an organization purchases, uses, and disposes of suppliers.) Scope 3 emissions include all sources not within scope 1 and 2.

A principle where businesses identify market opportunities that address social issues. Based on the concept of a company's success and its local community's well-being are intertwined.

A peer-to-peer (P2P) economic model enables collective acquiring, providing, or access to products and services rather than individual ownership.

The value of social connections between people living and working in a society allows individuals and groups to work together.

Toxic substances have serious consequences for humans and the environment, such as causing cancer or posing other risks to the environment and living organisms.

When a substance is added to the SVHC Candidate List by REACH or the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), it initiates the process of authorizing or restricting the chemical. Industries are expected to comply with the regulations and submit chemicals for consideration when necessary.

The list is updated biannually, most recently in January 2024, bringing the size to over 240 SVHCs.

A logistics system between a company and its suppliers facilitates the conversion of raw materials into finished products and distributes them from the manufacturer to wholesalers or end consumers.

An organization's primary goal is to create a positive impact by using business strategies to improve environmental and social well-being.

The ability to maintain a certain rate or level.

To avoid the depletion of the planet's natural resources and maintain an ecological balance based on three main pillars: environmental, economic, and social.

A company that is financially sustainable, socially accountable, and environmentally aware.

The approach to designing packaging, products, processes, services, and systems with consideration for environmental, social, and economic impacts throughout their lifecycle.

The sustainable development agenda highlights the interconnectedness of global health and economic, social, and environmental challenges. It comprises 17 goals to reduce inequalities and poverty and protect the planet, oceans, and forests by 2030. This agenda was adopted by all United Nations members in 2015.

How an organization determines the purchases of its goods, services, and utilities, considering specific requirements for price and quality while protecting the environment and society.

Man-made textile fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and Spandex are produced through chemical synthesis using primarily fossil fuels.

An approach to problem-solving that emphasizes understanding the relationships and interactions among different parts of a system as a whole rather than focusing on individual components.

An accounting framework comprising economic, environmental, and social aspects to comprehensively evaluate business performance and create greater value.

The process of transforming by-products, waste materials, or unwanted products into new materials or products of greater quality or value.

A certification for ingredients and products produced according to the USDA organic standards requires operations to use practices that cycle resources, conserve biodiversity, and preserve ecological balance.

The USDA regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through the National Organic Program (NOP).

There are four distinct labeling categories for organic products:

100% organic certified products must contain 100% organic ingredients and processing aids, excluding water and salt. All ingredients must comply with National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. No GMOs, or other ingredients or additives are permitted.

Organic certified products must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt), without GMOs or non-organic ingredients, and must comply with the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

“Made with” organic ingredients certified must contain at least 70% organic ingredients, no GMOs, or non-organic ingredients must comply with National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

Specific organic ingredients do not require certification or specific amount of certified organic. They may contain GMOs and compliance with the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances is not needed.

A business framework that outlines all the necessary steps to develop a product or provide a service.

The oldest artificial fiber, invented in France in 1884, was made from wood cellulose. It is achieved by chemically transforming woods such as eucalyptus, beech or spruce.

Human-made chemicals are gasses emitted into the air during product production, use, and storage.

VOCs are in thousands of products, including paints and lacquers, paint strippers, household cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics, and craft materials, including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, photographic solutions, and more.

Studies have found up to ten times higher concentrations of many VOCs indoors than outdoors.

Common VOCs present in daily life are benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and 1,3-butadiene.

A framework designed to rank waste management based on environmental impact, prioritizing prevention, reuse, and recycling, with disposal as a last resort.

The entire flow of waste from domestic or industrial sources through to recovery, recycling, or final disposal is known as the waste stream.

The process of interlacing two distinct sets of yarns or threads, called the warp and the weft, at right angles by passing one strand over, under, or through another to form a fabric or cloth.

Any textile produced by weaving, often using a loom or mechanical means, is composed of multiple threads interlaced on a warp and a weft.

When no carbon emissions are produced from a product or service.

An environmental organization advocating for high standards in sustainable chemical management, resource efficiency, and circularity in fashion, textiles, and leather industries. Working with over 300 brands, suppliers, and chemical formulators to eliminate harmful chemicals from the global supply chain and create sustainable manufacturing to protect workers, consumers, and ecosystems.

A set of principles focused on reducing waste by redesigning how resources are used so that all products are repurposed and/or reused. The aim is to prevent products and materials from becoming trash and sent to landfills, incinerators, oceans, or the air, which can harm the environment or human health.