NEW YORK, NY – 8 am EST, April 22 2025 – A new report from Glimpact reveals that over 90% of an apparel item’s environmental footprint is determined before it’s assembled. The study analyzed clothing from Patagonia, Reformation, H&M, Ralph Lauren, and Alo Yoga and found that carbon emissions make up just 23% of a typical product’s total impact.
Using the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method, a scientific framework adopted through legislation, Glimpact evaluated apparel across 16 impact categories including particulate pollution, fossil resource depletion, and water use. These categories together account for more than 75% of a product’s footprint.
Key findings include:
- Reformation’s Tessa Hoodie, made from 100% organic cotton, had the highest footprint among the women’s sweatshirts tested, surpassing Alo Yoga’s Accolade Hoodie and Patagonia’s Fitz Roy Icon Uprisal Hoody made from recycled materials
- Packaging and distribution averaged less than 7% of impact despite being ESG priorities
- Raw materials and manufacturing accounted for over 90%, making them the most effective areas for intervention
The study also shows that changing cotton sources in Reformation’s hoodie could reduce its footprint by up to 40%, while modifying dyeing processes in Patagonia’s hoodie could cut impact by over 10%.
In menswear, Ralph Lauren’s Straight Fit Linen-Cotton Pant had a smaller footprint than Patagonia’s jeans and H&M’s chinos, due to linen’s lower-impact profile and low-impact dyeing.
The report comes as new legislation pushes for widespread adoption of PEF-based product assessments, which could reshape trade and labeling standards across the industry.
For more information please visit Glimpact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/glimpact-north-america/