New Effort Will Provide Consumer Guide to Environmental Impact of Clothing Products-

Over 32 companies, environmental groups and social watchdogs have joined a new effort which is out to show consumers that it is easy being green. Retail giants like Nike, Target, and Walmart, alongside long-standing environmental advocates Patagonia and Timberland, are joining forces with the U.S. EPA and the EDF to start what they have named Sustainable Apparel Coalition. The group plans to release an industry-wide guide which will gauge the environmental and social impact of clothing and footwear. “The largest and most influential corporations in apparel and footwear together with leading environmental and social organizations have voluntarily engaged in this collective effort because they recognize the opportunity to get in front of the growing need to measure and manage the environmental and social impacts of their products,” said Rick Ridgeway, Coalition Chair and Vice President of Environmental Programs at clothing-store Patagonia. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition says it plans to start its initial sustainability index this year, and hopes that the guide will bring about lasting change spanning throughout the apparel industry, from significantly lowering water consumption in manufacturing processes to diminishing the use of chemicals and synthetic dyes.