PFM Index
The PFM Index result is derived from a company’s Section 1: Strategy score plus the average score for Sections 2: Supply Chain, 3: Consumption and 4: Consumer Engagement of a company’s top three performing preferred fibers or materials (PFMs) modules. Until now, a company has had the option to complete as few or as many modules as they wish (including only a single module). Going forward, the Index will become more aligned to a company’s priority fibers, focusing on the key elements of their portfolio.

Founders Club
Of the 87 companies who completed the benchmark survey in 2018, 43 have completed it three years in a row. These 43 companies form the Founders Club, participating consecutively year on year.

Leaders Circle
In 2018, we introduced the Leaders Circle. This group includes the top scoring participants against the PFM Index. The aim is to celebrate top-performers across the qualitative as well as quantitative elements of the Index, including Strategy, Supply Chain, Consumer Engagement, as well as Consumption. Until now, a company has had the option to complete as few or as many modules as they wish (including only a single module). Going forward, the Index will become more aligned to a company’s priority fibers, focusing on the key elements of their portfolio.

Preferred Fiber & Materials Leaderboards
The Preferred Fiber & Materials (PFM) Leaderboard rankings are based on a company’s self-reported consumption data for each fiber. Leaderboards PFM Leaderboards include: Top by Volume, Top by Growth, 100% Club, Race To The Top: Companies that are closing the gap between conventional and preferred fibers in their portfolio. (This ranking excludes companies that belong to the 100% Club.)

Disclaimer:
The Textile Exchange Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark is based on participant self-assessment. While Textile Exchange reviews all data entries, checks calculations, and carries out consistency checks, it does not verify the accuracy of the data or disclosures within a company’s survey submission, or the process of preparing the disclosures. That responsibility remains with the participating company.

Land under more sustainable cotton agriculture:
Certified organic land area (hectares) is based on data from Textile Exchange’s data collection program. Land under BCI, CmiA, and Fair Trade production is estimated based on data provided by each initiative.

Bottles diverted from landfill:
Estimates of the number of PET bottles (recycled into polyester) are based on conversion factors shared by certification bodies.

Land under certified forestry:
Calculations are based on Lenzing, 2010, LCA of MMC fibers. Consumption of pViscose, pLyocell and pModal is calculated back to land use based on assumptions in the study. Then aggregated on total land basis, irrespective of origin.

Birds covered by down standards:
Geese and duck number estimations are based on conversions shared by key suppliers and J. Kozák, 2011, An Overview of Feathers Formation, Moults and Down Production in Geese.

Sheep covered by wool standards:
Sheep number estimates are based on conversions shared by key industry stakeholders, and the consultation and validation of these figures with multiple wool stakeholders.

Textile waste upcycled into new products:
rCotton and rWool

PFM Portfolio of Options

The preferred Cotton (pCotton) portfolio offers the largest number of options, including Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), CottonConnect’s REEL Cotton (REEL), Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), Fair Trade Cotton (FT), Organic Cotton (OC), and Recycled Cotton (rCotton).

The preferred Polyester portfolio currently includes Recycled Polyester (rPET) as the only PFM option. Recycled Polyester (rPET) uses mainly post-consumer plastic (PET) bottles and packaging, or pre/post-consumer textile waste as the raw material. rPET can be either mechanically or chemically recycled into filament or staple fiber. The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and SCS Recycled Content (RC) Standard) are Chain of Custody standards to track recycled polyesters through the supply chain. The GRS, in addition, requires social and environmental criteria to be met during the processing stages.

The definition of a preferred Manmade Cellulosic (pMMC) is evolving. For the purpose of the Benchmark a pMMC will have the following attributes:

• Feedstocks
  All feedstocks must be low risk of being sourced from ancient and endangered forests as verified by publicly available CanopyStyle Audits, and certified to a forest sustainability standard (e.g. FSC). The goal is that all sources of feedstock maximize FSC-certified pulp to validate sustainable forest practices. Where LCA’s confirm lower impact, waste inputs are preferred such as left-over straw and recycled cotton inputs.
• Manufacturing
  pMMCs must be produced according to Best Available Technologies in regards to water, energy, chemicals, waste, etc. Standards include EU Ecolabel and OEKO-TEX STeP.
• Traceability
  Companies should be mapping suppliers, and implementing a traceability management system. The CanopyStyle Audits create traceability from forest to pMMC producer. Some suppliers offer traceability through their own systems.
• Impact
  There is demonstrated environmental impact savings of the pMMC fiber compared with generic viscose, validated via an independent intermediary such as the Higg MSI or Life Cycle Assessments validated by a non-interested party.

Preferred lyocell is best in class, made in a closed-loop system that recycles the majority of the solvent used. Technologies for chemically recycling cellulose materials are increasingly providing opportunities to replace virgin inputs, and will be considered in this program in the future.

The preferred Down (pDown) portfolio currently incorporates products certified to either the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), Traceable Down Standard (TDS), Downpass, or an organic standard e.g. Organic Content Standard (OCS) or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Among other animal welfare criteria, pDown excludes feathers/down from birds that have been live plucked or force-fed. The portfolio of pDown options also includes recycled down (e.g. certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Content Standard (RCS), SCS Recycled Content (RC) Standard).

The preferred Wool (pWool) portfolio includes wool that is grown with a progressive approach to land management, and animal welfare. The portfolio of options includes wool produced to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or its equivalencies, organic e.g. Organic Content Standard (OCS) or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and recycled wool e.g. certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Content Standard (RCS), SCS Recycled Content (RC) Standard.

Sub-sector Categories

Multi-Sector/Apparel (Extra Large)
Description: Extra large apparel and multi-sector companies and retailers. Submissions from holding companies are also included in this sub-sector.
Product categories: Fashion, family, baby, basics, intimates, workwear/uniforms and home textiles.

Apparel (Large)
Description: Large and mid-size companies and retailers of mainly apparel.
Product categories: Designer, luxury, fashion, family, baby, basics, and intimates.

Apparel (Small/Medium)
Description: Small to mid-size companies and retailers of mainly apparel. Also includes submissions based on “product line” (even if the company size would place them in Large or Extra Large.
Product categories: Designer, fashion, family, baby, basics, intimates and workwear/uniforms.

Sports/Outdoor
Description: Companies and retailers, all sizes, of outdoor, sportswear, and footwear.
Product categories: Mountain, active and performance sports, yoga, lifestyle, and footwear.

Home Textiles
Description: Companies and retailers, all sizes, of exclusively or predominantly home textiles. Catering and hospitality companies are also included in this sub-sector.
Product categories: Dining (table cloths, napkins), bed and bath, and indoor or outdoor soft furnishing.

After the initial pilot in 2015, the Preferred Fiber & Materials Benchmark (PFMB) has now run for three consecutive years (2016-2018). The number of participants has doubled since the launch and the PFMB has become the biggest benchmark of its kind, with over 100 participants. This opens up many opportunities for the sector, including closer alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, and it is now time to transition to its next level of ambition.

The review team, including a steering committee chaired by C&A Global will deliver the review over the next six months for release of the 2019 PFMB survey at the beginning of May. A full stakeholder consultation will be integral to the review and to ensuring that the program remains business led. For more information, contact Liesl Truscott at Liesl@TextileExchange.org

2019 – SDG Insights Report (pdf)
2018 – Snapshot of Participants (pdf)
2018 – PFMB Insights Report (pdf)
2018 – PFMB Sector & Sub-Sector Feedback Report (pdf)
2017 – PFMB Insights Report and Key Insights (pdf)
2016 – PFMB Sector Report (pdf)
2015 – PFMB Pilot Report (pdf)