Environmental labelling involves assigning a score to a product or service that reflects its environmental impact throughout its life cycle. This score can be displayed in-store or online to provide consumers with clear and accessible information.

It is calculated using a rigorous method: life cycle assessment (LCA). This takes into account several criteria, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water and natural resource consumption, impacts on biodiversity, and the various forms of pollution generated. The necessary data is sourced from specialised databases, assessment tools and information reported by the companies themselves.

The aim of this scheme is twofold. On the one hand, it enables consumers to better understand the environmental consequences of their purchases and to prioritise products with the lowest environmental impact. On the other hand, it encourages manufacturers to improve their practices, in particular by incorporating eco-design approaches and reducing the negative effects of their production.

Methodology for the textile sector

In France, the environmental labelling scheme covers clothing textiles and is based on eight stages of the product’s life cycle: The methodology developed by ADEME and the Ministry for Ecological Transition is based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) indicators defined at European level as part of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). These indicators enable the assessment of environmental impacts linked to energy and water consumption, as well as to agricultural practices associated with textile production, such as irrigation or the use of pesticides and fertilisers. They are grouped around four key issues: climate, biodiversity, environmental health and resources.

  • Raw material extraction
  • Yarn and fabric production
  • Finishing processes
  • Garment manufacturing
  • Distribution
  • Transport
  • Consumer use
  • End-of-life management

Non-LCA additional indicators

These 16 indicators are supplemented by three elements specific to the textile sector:

  1. Exports outside Europe: this supplement aims to reflect the impact associated with the end-of-life of some textile products that become waste outside Europe. This calculation is based on the mass and classification of the materials (synthetic or natural) used in the product.
  2. Microfibres: the release of microfibres has a significant environmental impact that must be factored into the assessment of a product’s environmental impact. To quantify this impact, two parameters are analysed: persistence (biodegradability) and the release of fibres.
  3. Durability coefficient: this coefficient allows both physical durability (strength, longevity) and non-physical durability (such as emotional attachment) to be factored into the product’s environmental rating.
  4. Non-physical durability is assessed according to two criteria: the brand’s encouragement of repair (the ratio of the average repair cost to a reference retail price) and the breadth of the product range (number of product variants).

The current methodology incorporates only non-physical durability, as work on physical durability had not been completed at the time the methodology was published. The physical durability indicator will be added in future updates to the system.

Product data to be collected for calculating the environmental cost

For each of these stages, the analysis is based on several parameters, but only four of them are mandatory:

  • the category of the product
  • the final mass
  • the raw materials used
  • the geographical locations of the key stages (weaving or knitting, finishing or printing, garment manufacturing).

Without this data, it is impossible to assess the product’s environmental impact. Other parameters may be included if the company has the necessary information, such as the number of product lines, the duration of marketing, the origin of the yarn, the type of finishing process, or the proportion of air transport. In the absence of this data, conservative default values are applied.

Scores are calculated using the Ecobalyse tool, which aggregates the results according to a weighting of the various impact categories: climate change, water consumption, eutrophication, etc.

Once the calculation has been completed, companies will be able to submit their environmental cost calculation via the reporting portal.

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