{"id":53824,"date":"2025-08-07T17:46:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T16:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/?post_type=news&#038;p=53824"},"modified":"2025-08-08T15:48:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T14:48:36","slug":"new-paper-sets-out-considerations-for-the-responsible-use-of-lca-data-across-the-fashion-textile-and-apparel-industry","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/news\/new-paper-sets-out-considerations-for-the-responsible-use-of-lca-data-across-the-fashion-textile-and-apparel-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"New paper sets out considerations for the responsible use of LCA data across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Textile Exchange has released a comprehensive new position paper outlining best practice for the responsible use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data in the fashion, textile, and apparel industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LCA is widely used by the industry to measure a product\u2019s environmental impact at different stages of its journey\u2014from raw material production to manufacturing, transportation to end-of-life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This paper, Ensuring Integrity in the Use of Life Cycle Assessment Data, provides guidance on how to use LCA data, and\u2014equally importantly\u2014how it should not be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also promotes the need to move beyond what is currently covered in LCA methodology to capture a more holistic view, including nature, animal welfare, and social impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The paper is intended for anyone looking to develop a greater understanding of the use of LCA data in the textile industry\u2014particularly for brands using LCA data directly or those who rely on it for their impact modeling or progress tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The paper includes a call for industry-wide integrity in the use of LCA data, listing key recommendations, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Only using LCA data when there is a full understanding of the key assumptions, methods, and use cases. To help, all assumptions, methodological decisions, limitations, and underlying datasets should be fully documented in studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Not comparing LCA data between:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fiber or material categories or geographies, for example between natural and synthetic fibers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Separate LCA studies, or within a study, unless it is specifically a comparative LCA study.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Different industry databases, which collect and store LCA data, as each of these databases applies differing methodologies and assumptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Consideration of an LCA+ approach that includes measuring impact areas such as biodiversity, soil health, animal welfare, and livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The paper also includes sections on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Understanding Life Cycle Assessment, including a definition of what it is, why it\u2019s used, and the steps to follow to conduct an LCA study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 The challenges and limitations of using LCA in the textile industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Textile Exchange\u2019s work with LCA studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The paper forms part of Textile Exchange\u2019s commitment to convening actors across the supply chain to improve the impact data available for the industry. The paper is complimentary to other work and guidance being developed across the fashion, apparel and textile industry on the responsible use of LCA data. Currently, Textile Exchange is running seven LCA studies across different material types and diverse geographies globally to help fill some of the significant data gaps. Where relevant and possible, the studies will include an LCA+ approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These will be released between the end of the year and 2027 in the following order:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Cotton (organic, conventional, regenerative practices, and recycled), Q4 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Cashmere, Q4 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) mohair, Q4 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Polyester (recycled and virgin), Q4 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) wool, Q2 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 Leather (bovine, ovine, and caprine), Q4&nbsp;2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Textile Exchange has released a comprehensive new position paper outlining best practice for the responsible use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data in the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. LCA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"template":"","tags":[],"news_category":[],"class_list":["post-53824","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"eight29_custom":[],"featured_image":false,"the_categories":[],"the_author":"Candace Benson","formatted_date":"August 7, 2025","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>New paper sets out considerations for the responsible use of LCA data across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. - Textile Exchange<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/textileexchange.org\/news\/new-paper-sets-out-considerations-for-the-responsible-use-of-lca-data-across-the-fashion-textile-and-apparel-industry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New paper sets out considerations for the responsible use of LCA data across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. - Textile Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Textile Exchange has released a comprehensive new position paper outlining best practice for the responsible use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data in the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. 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