App-date: Supply chains and carbon footprints

App-date: Supply chains and carbon footprints

In this section, WeAr reviews the best apps and software platforms used by retailers and brands. Some of them are available to all stores; others are exclusive to one retailer or territory, but will hopefully inspire others and help them keep abreast of changes in the digital fashion landscape.


The High Index

The Higg Index is a suite of sustainability measure- ment tools for brands, retailers and facilities of all sizes in the apparel and footwear industry. Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), these tools span design to end of use in three catego- ries: product, facility, and brand and retail. The first includes the Materials Sustainability Index, which allows designers to create materials and understand their overall environmental impact. Brands can employ other modules to measure product sustain- ability and life-cycle, and contextualize this with their internal system to generate analytics. The Facility Tools focus on environmental and labor impacts, determining, for instance, measures of emissions, facility safety, waste management and worker liveli- hood. Finally, the Higg Brand & Retail Module analyzes data to give companies a wide glimpse into the supply chain to see how they rank in sustainability – from manufacturing metrics, transportation of goods, and packaging, to measuring the environmental cost of office headquarters.


Cogo

CoGo is a UK app that connects consumers and businesses that strive to become more socially and environmentally responsible. Users sign up to the app by connecting their bank account and stating the social and environmental issues they care most about helping. The app then calculates a person- alized carbon footprint that is based on spending transactions and lifestyle choices, and offers ways to take action and make simple lifestyle changes to reduce the score. An ethical recommendation engine will point the user towards UK businesses that score best on the social and environmental issues the user shows interest in; these 20,000+ rigorously approved businesses exemplify ethical or sustainable prac- tices. When criteria are achieved, businesses earn at least one of twelve CoGo accreditation badges – badge examples include, but are not limited to, offer- ing fair trade, organic or vegan products, paying a living wage or actively pledging to reduce waste to landfill.