Clothes’ Green Score

A newly formed coalition called the Sustainable Apparel Coalition plans to set green standards for clothing companies and manufacturers, developing a database of each manufacturer’s sustainability score. The scores are based on water and land use, energy efficiency, chemical use, labor practices, and more. Clothing companies such as Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, and Timberland are involved, working with various academics, nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. “This will ultimately put the power in the hands of the consumers,” says Timberland Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Swartz.