Elinor Averyt is the founder of a proposed eco-labeling program, ‘Labeling Ecologically Approved Fabrics™ ’ (L.E.A.F.) which aims to eliminate confusion in the US market around environmental and social labeling for apparel and other textile products. The three month public review process for LEAF is launching this week, during which industry stakeholders and the general public are being invited to participate in a collaborative development process. Ms. Averyt made some time for an exclusive Q&A with Sustainable Life Media.
What is the goal of LEAF’s new eco-label?
The overall goal of LEAF is to become the trusted label licensing program that eliminates confusion in the US marketplace concerning environmental and social labeling for apparel and other textile products. LEAF is intended to be a high profile program similar to the USDA program that is in place for food and the LEED environmental rating system in place for green buildings.
How will this be accomplished?
The LEAF program will clearly communicate to US consumers which third-party certifications different apparel products have received, and where along the supply chain the certifications apply. Grouped within specific environmental and social achievement categories, this information will be communicated through a licensed eco-mark and labeling format designed to be easily identified and read by US consumers.
Is this program focusing on all aspects of the textile industry?
The proposed focus of LEAF is on apparel sold in the United States. The program may also include other textile categories over time, e.g. home textiles and fabrics used on accessories (including shoes, bags, backpacks, purses, etc.).
So is L.E.A.F. also working on creating the actual solutions for how to green the apparel and textile industry?
No, not really. This program is not the entity that has created the environmental and social solutions when it comes to the production of apparel. Instead, this program’s purpose is to make sure consumers understand the solutions that already exist. Their informed purchasing habits can enable these solutions to become the norm, but the current labeling landscape is confusing. What we’ve found in this investigative process is that the answers for this industry’s successful transition to a sustainable existence are for the large part already here, and they’ve already been created by several key stakeholder groups. These solutions are being created by innovative designers and brands that have made great strides to work towards greening their products. This industry also consists of an extensive supply chain —all of whose efforts are absolutely necessary in order for the industry to operate and successfully transition to a sustainable existence. In addition, standards-setting organizations and their partnering certification programs have, by their painstaking efforts, created scientifically valid environmental and social benchmarks to aspire to all along the entire supply chain. These programs are literally spelling out the ways to successfully green this industry within its highly complex, industrialized life cycle.
Where then does your group fit in to the process of eco-certification for textiles and apparel?
Our group is here to be a neutral, non-biased entity that helps facilitate clear information exchange between four key stakeholder groups:
- Apparel industry stakeholders
- Standards-setting organizations and programs who have created environmental and social benchmarks for this industry
- Certifying bodies and agencies performing the certifications to/against these standards
- The U.S. end user, last but most definitely not least!
What’s the #1 competitive advantage that the LEAF label offers for businesses?
The #1 benefit is that their consumers will be able to identify easily which products have undergone extensive third-party certification. Our program gives assurance to the U.S. end user that their choices have been qualified when they see the LEAF mark. Additionally, one of LEAF’s primary goals is to help support avid consumer awareness through education and awareness campaigns in conjunction with brand holders that assist in informing and rallying the US marketplace to use their powerful consumer dollars in support of the companies that are taking these exciting, and at times painstaking, strides toward more sustainable practices.
Why does a program like this not already exist for this industry here in the United States?
The apparel supply chain is tremendously complex, and there are a myriad of different standards and certifications that exist and are emerging for this industry’s supply chain processes. Deciphering which standards are valid is confusing. Also, in order for a program of this nature to be successful, there needs to be some degree of collaboration between upwards of 15 standards-setting organizations that are headquartered all around the globe. It’s a complex industry.
Why a Public Review Process?
Overall, a public review process provides stakeholders the chance to provide feedback on a program that could potentially have impacts on this industry’s practices in the United States over time.
What happens during this review and where does it happen?
The review happens online at LEAFCertified.org (I’ll link to the site). Interested stakeholders and end users are invited to provide comments anywhere on the main document. Additionally, questionnaires have been created for both industry stakeholders and US end users. We hope both groups will take the time to answer these questions in order to help us understand the needs of these diverse groups, and how to form this program most effectively to serve those needs. During the review, LEAF will collect all comments, and every four weeks during the review we will post the comments, the name of the commenter, and LEAF’s proposed answer or solution to each comment or group of similar comments. We also welcome stakeholders to devise the solutions to the issues they are seeing toward these complex issues, if it is appropriate and/or feasible to do so!
What suggestions do you have for companies who want to consider using the LEAF label in the future?
The first step is to be a part of the review process at www.LEAFCertified.org. You can also contact me at Info@LEAFCertified.org if you would like to be considered as a licensee of the LEAF trademark labeling program in the future.
When can we expect to see the LEAF label in stores?
The review process will be completed in the next 90 days. It will take another 2 to 3 months to re-sculpt the program, incorporating stakeholder feedback from the review, after which we will launch the beta trials. We expect to launch the program to the marketplace in the summer or fall 2010.
Via | Sustainable Life Media
