Sports and outdoor brands are among the companies that have made the most progress toward circularity, a new report from Textile Exchange suggests. According to the study, titled “Material Change Insights Report,” the circularity score of Outdoor/Sports companies increased by 57 percent in 2020, as compared to an average increase in circularity scores of 37 percent. The progress of Outdoor/Sports companies in this respect is featured in the report as one of the “Five big trends” of 2020.
Among the other findings, the uptake of preferred materials increased by 24 percent. Preferred materials now account for 44 percent of the Material Change Index (MCI) portfolio, up from 39 percent. Preferred renewable cotton and recycled polyester accounted for most of this growth. The use of preferred cotton went up by 26 percent and recycled polyester by 30 percent. Textile Exchange defines a “preferred fiber or material” as one that results in improved environmental and/or social sustainability outcomes and impacts in comparison to conventional production.
Awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks rose sharply over the past year. While climate change was the top-rated risk in the 2019 benchmark, the loss of biodiversity took over in 2020, rising from 6th to 1st position.
The number of brands participanting in the latest survey increased to 191 from 173 in the previous year. Kering, New Balance, Smartwool, The North Face and Zalando were among the 22 companies (“MCI New Entries”) that completed the MCI full survey for the first time. The strongest participation growth took place within the Apparel/Footwear sub-sector.
Columbia Sportswear and Deckers Brands are featured in the latest report among the “MCI Big Movers” of 2020, which include the ten companies that made the greatest improvement in the MCI from 2019 to 2020. The Top 10 also include C&J Clark Limited, Darn Tough Vermont, KappAhl Sveridge, Kuyichi B.V., Orsay GmbH, Outerknown, Piping Hot Australia and Royal Robbins.
Other sports and outdoor brands that participated in the survey include Adidas, Arc’teryx Equipment, Nike, Patagonia and Puma, among others. The full list is available in the report, which can be fully downloaded from the Textile Exchange website.
