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Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index (MCI) is the largest peer-to-peer comparison initiative in the textile industry. It tracks the apparel, footwear and home textile sector’s progress toward more sustainable materials sourcing, as well as alignment with global efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals and the transition to a circular economy.

The Material Change Index is a key component of Textile Exchange’s Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark (CFMB) program, which enables participating companies to measure, manage and integrate a preferred fiber and materials strategy into their business. More than 170 companies (including subsidiaries) voluntarily participated in this year’s program, including iconic fashion, home and sports brands like C&A, Tchibo, Nike, Patagonia, H&M, Gap, Gucci, Ikea, Target, New Balance, Adidas and Burberry.

With our new Climate+ strategy, Textile Exchange is the driving force for urgent climate action on textile fiber and materials. By benchmarking the industry and providing actionable tools for improvement, Textile Exchange is pushing a race to the top. Join us.

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Material Change Insights Report 2019  

Key 2019 achievements

Number of participating companies
173

Number of participating companies (including subsidiaries)

Participating companies target
85%

Participating companies with a 100% target for at least one preferred material

Percent of materials used
39%

Materials from preferred sources used by participating companies

2019 Material Change Index

By participating in the CFMB, all of the companies on this list have demonstrated a commitment to transparency and continuous improvement around their materials sourcing strategy. Our family of indices tracks MCI participants as well as progress on specific materials and program characteristics. Please note, companies are listed alphabetically within performance bands.

View results guide (PDF)
Read about our methodology
Fiber portfolio
Reporting company
Sub-sector
Materials
Circularity
Materials
SDG
Cotton
Polyester
Nylon
Manmade
Cellulosics
Wool
Down

About the performance bands

New for 2019, these recognitions are awarded for each of our indices.

Developing

This level is for companies that are laying the foundation of their programs and scored 25 or less out of 100 possible points.

Establishing

This level is for companies that are strengthening their programs and scored 26-50 out of 100 possible points.

Maturing

This level is for companies with emerging leadership that scored 51-75 out of 100 possible points.

Leading

This level is for companies that are pioneering industry transformation and scored 76-100 out of 100 possible points.

Full survey

The Full survey symbol recognizes companies who have completed all sections of the benchmark, including all priority fibers.

Modular

The Modular symbol recognizes companies who have completed one or more fiber modules.

Progress tracker

The Progress tracker symbol recognizes companies who have not completed material modules but who do submit progress data.

CFMB participant profile

A breakdown of 2019 CFMB participation and performance is below. In this chart, Level 1 also includes companies submitting modular surveys.

View sector scorecard (PDF)

MCI participants (%)

  • 100
  • 75
  • 50
  • 25
  • 0
  • Level 1Level 1
  • Level 2Level 2
  • Level 3Level 3
  • Level 4Level 4

Performance banding

What gets measured, matters

Over 170 companies voluntarily participated in the CFMB this year. Discover the benefits of benchmarking and find out how your company can start its journey to more sustainable materials sourcing.

Materials Impact Dashboard

Revamped for 2019, our Materials Impact Dashboard visualizes the global impact of the actions taken by participating companies.

View dashboard guide (PDF)

The big picture

Industry footprints are based on company-reported uptake volumes of key materials, including 54% cotton, 33% polyester, 7% manmade cellulosics, 5% nylon, 1% wool, <1% down.

  • Volume of materials reported: 4.4 million tons
  • Share conventional: 2.6 million tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 0.3 million tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 1.4 million tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (61%)

Preferred, recycled (6%)

Preferred, renewable (33%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Overall impacts

How brand adoption of preferred materials affected the planet in 2019.

Explore material-specific impacts
Impact area
Footprint
Saving
Saving is equivalent to
Impact area
Water scarcity
Footprint
3,104 billion liters
3,478 billion liters
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
11%
374 billion liters of water
Saving is equivalent to
The water needs of 342 million people for one year
Impact area
Fossil fuel energy
Footprint
192 billion megajoules
214 billion megajoules
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
10%
22 billion megajoules of fossil fuel energy
Saving is equivalent to
504,964 US homes powered for one year
Impact area
Global warming
Footprint
13 million tons CO2e
14 million tons CO2e
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
7%
1 million tons CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions
Saving is equivalent to
Driving 4.2 billion kms in an average sized car

Contributing to the SDGs

Which SDGs do these improvements work towards?

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts
Company and industry-wide progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is tracked through the CFMB. For the textile industry, SDG 12: Responsible Production & Consumption is the gateway to positive outcomes for many of the other SDGs, such as no poverty, sustainable agriculture, industry innovation, and improved life on land and under water. Through improved practices on the land and in the fiber mills, there is considerable potential to have a positive impact on water and energy use and to reduce carbon emissions. To achieve the 2030 Goals, many stakeholders must work together, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals will be key to success. Model and assumptions are Textile Exchange's own. See Impacts Dashboard Guide to find out more.

Material-specific outcomes and impacts

A breakdown of each material’s impacts and progress.

View dashboard guide (PDF)

Cotton

  • Volume of cotton reported: 2.4 million tons
  • Share conventional: 1 million tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 25,487 tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 1.4 million tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (43%)

Preferred, recycled (1%)

Preferred, renewable (56%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Outcomes of increased preferred uptake

  • Improved land management: 647,026 hectares
  • Participating farmers: 279,430 farmers
  • Cotton waste diverted from wastestream: 25,487 tons

Programs in use

  • BASF e3
  • Better Cotton Initiative
  • bioRe
  • Cotton made in Africa
  • Fair Trade
  • Organic
  • Organic Fair Trade
  • Recycled

Understanding the impacts

Impact area
Footprint
Saving
Impact area
Water scarcity
Footprint
3 trillion liters
3.4 trillion liters
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
11%
368 billion liters of water
Impact area
Fossil fuel energy
Footprint
49 billion megajoules
54 billion megajoules
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
8%
4.2 billion megajoules of fossil fuel energy
Impact area
Global warming
Footprint
4.8 million tons CO2e
5.1 million tons CO2e
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
6%
292,825 tons CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions

Contributing to the SDGs

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts

Polyester

  • Volume of polyester reported: 1.4 million tons
  • Share conventional: 1.2 million tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 249,483 tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 9.4 tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (82%)

Preferred, recycled (18%)

Preferred, renewable (<1%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Outcomes of increased preferred uptake

  • PET bottles diverted from wastestream: 18 billion
  • Fossil PET replaced by bio-based: 9.4 tons

Programs in use

  • Bio-based
  • Recycled

Understanding the impacts

Impact area
Footprint
Saving
Impact area
Water scarcity
Footprint
33 billion liters
33 billion liters
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
0%
0 liters of water
Impact area
Fossil fuel energy
Footprint
94 billion megajoules
109 billion megajoules
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
14%
15 billion megajoules of fossil fuel energy
Impact area
Global warming
Footprint
4.1 million tons CO2e
4.6 million tons CO2e
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
10%
472,047 tons CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions

Contributing to the SDGs

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts

Nylon

  • Volume of nylon reported: 208,284 tons
  • Share conventional: 205,324 tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 2,959 tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 0 tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (99%)

Preferred, recycled (1%)

Preferred, renewable (0%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Outcomes of increased preferred uptake

  • Nylon waste diverted from wastestream: 2,959 tons
  • Fossil nylon replaced by bio-based: 0 tons

Programs in use

  • Bio-based
  • Recycled

Understanding the impacts

Impact area
Footprint
Saving
Impact area
Water scarcity
Footprint
7.89 billion liters
7.92 billion liters
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
0.4%
33 million liters of water
Impact area
Fossil fuel energy
Footprint
25.28 billion megajoules
25.48 billion megajoules
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
0.8%
191 million megajoules of fossil fuel energy
Impact area
Global warming
Footprint
2.02 million tons CO2e
2.03 million tons CO2e
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
0.3%
5,600 tons CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions

Contributing to the SDGs

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts

Manmade Cellulosics

  • Volume of manmade cellulosics reported: 286,253 tons
  • Share conventional: 194,722 tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 213 tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 91,319 tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (68%)

Preferred, recycled (<1%)

Preferred, renewable (32%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Outcomes of increased preferred uptake

  • Land under certified forestry: 26,531 hectares
  • Cellulose waste diverted from wastestream: 213 tons

Programs in use

  • Forest certified*
    • Acetate
    • Lyocell
    • Modal
    • Viscose
  • Cupro
  • Recycled

* Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

Understanding the impacts

Impact area
Footprint
Saving
Impact area
Water scarcity
Footprint
30 billion liters
36 billion liters
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
16%
5.6 billion liters of water
Impact area
Fossil fuel energy
Footprint
23 billion megajoules
26 billion megajoules
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
12%
3 billion megajoules of fossil fuel energy
Impact area
Global warming
Footprint
1.9 million tons CO2e
2.2 million tons CO2e
Participants' actual use

Conventional equivalent
Saving
13%
272,774 MT CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions

Contributing to the SDGs

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts

Wool

  • Volume of wool reported: 62,525 tons
  • Share conventional: 57,988 tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 2,449 tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 2,088 tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (93%)

Preferred, recycled (4%)

Preferred, renewable (3%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Outcomes of increased preferred uptake

  • Sheep covered by programs: 639,024
  • Wool waste diverted from wastestream: 2,449 tons

Programs in use

  • Organic
  • Responsible Wool Standard
  • ZQ Certified
  • Recycled

Understanding the impacts

No impact modelling.

Contributing to the SDGs

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts

Impact contribution has not been calculated.

Down

  • Volume of down reported: 22,419 tons
  • Share conventional: 1,780 tons
  • Share preferred, recycled: 2.7 tons
  • Share preferred, renewable: 20,636 tons

Visualizing uptake share

  • 100%
  • 75%
  • 50%
  • 25%
  • 0%
Conventional (8%)

Preferred, recycled (<1%)

Preferred, renewable (92%)
Reported in 2019 (2018 data)

Outcomes of increased preferred uptake

  • Birds covered by programs: 819 million
  • Feathers diverted from wastestream: 2.7 tons

Programs in use

  • Downpass
  • Organic
  • Responsible Down Standard
  • Traceable Down Standard
  • Traumpass
  • Recycled

Understanding the impacts

No impact modelling.

Contributing to the SDGs

Inputs
Outcomes
Impacts

Impact contribution has not been calculated.

Uptake volumes are aggregated from company data reported through the CFMB survey, and have been rounded to whole numbers. Modeled improvements (outcomes) are based on commonly accepted methodologies. Potential environmental savings (impacts) associated with the use of preferred renewable or recycled materials are in accordance with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) using midpoint data from robust Life Cycle Assessment results. In 2019, participating company portfolios are compared to 100% conventional of the same materials. Dashboard data is limited by the availability and accuracy of company data, outcome modeling assumptions and the limitations associated with globalized averages used in the Higg MSI to model impacts. The Impacts Dashboard will be annually adjusted to reflect any improvements made. See Impacts Dashboard Guide to find out more.

About the Material Change Index

Learn more about the programs behind the MCI and get involved.

About the benchmark

Learn more about Textile Exchange’s efforts to benchmark the textile industry.

Our methodology

Get into the details of how we calculate scores and performance bands.

How to participate

Ready to be a part of the action? Discover the benefits of participation and sign up.

How your company can level up

By benchmarking the industry, we are driving a race to the top. Discover best practices from top-performing companies on how to improve sourcing strategies around priority materials, circularity, SDG alignment and business integration.

Strategy Integration

Circularity

Sustainable Development Goals

Cotton

Polyester

Nylon

Manmade Cellulosics

Wool

Down

Leather