The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s release of the latest incarnation of the Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI) show the environmental impact of polyester
according to the MSI has fallen from 44 to 36 – making it by far and away the most sustainable fibre on the planet.
Meanwhile, Higg’s completely unwarranted attack on the silk industry (and other natural fibres) continues – silk’s impact per kilo has risen from 681 to 1086 per kilo.
In its press launch for the latest Higg MSI, the SAC offers no explanation as it why the scores of silk and polyester have changed in this way.
While the SAC remains secretive about the underlying LCA data for its MSI scores,
from what we can gather the new scores given to silk and polyester are based on the same underlying data, which makes them even more perplexing.
Kassatly argues that the Higg MSI cannot be trusted and lacks all credibility because, among other things, it ignores socioeconomic impact,
it is cradle to grave only and it ignores the appalling environmental impact of polyester microfibre shedding.
