11/18/2022
Thuja's index : How do we rate brands ? 💯
Quite often, we get asked : How do we rate ? How do we actually bust greenwashing ? Is it a transparent process? So we're starting a series of posts.
We will take a deep dive into our rating system, so you can understand how we rate brands.
In our first pillar (the product), we're evaluating the impact of all the products a brand creates. It is one of the most direct impacts.
Here is the criterias we’re using to rate our “product” section :
✅ % of sustainable material used (organic cotton, wool, recycled material...)
In this criteria, we’re looking at what material they used. Are they using sustainable/durable/recycled or recyclable material ? The higher percentage of sustainable material in the overall total, the better they score !
✅ Timeless style (overall durability of their style)
Our principle is this : the more a brand uses trendy colours, original cuts and style, in a high frequency, the more this style is likely to go out of trend quickly, which encourages overconsumption of clothes and fast fashion. We’re giving more points to brands that use more minimalistic style, neutral or basic colours, that will create a durable style, keeping you trendy forever.
✅Tackling overconsumption (is the brand fighting overconsumption of clothes ?)
We are evaluating the different ways a brand fights overconsumption. Do they openly encourage people to buy less clothes ? Do they have actions that are tackling this issue (repair program, strong warranty policy, durable materials, second hand programs, etc…) ? Are they, on the contrary, using marketing and advertising to always sell more and push consumption ?
✅Number of collections and new clothes produced (per year)
It is simple. More collections every year = more styles, and more incentives to buy more clothes, all year. It also means more clothes produced every year, more garments potentially ending up in landfills
✅Durable shipping material use and waste reduction
We’re looking at the efforts a brand is undergoing to reduce plastic and other wastes with their shipping methods, and reduce their overall use of waste along the supply chain
