Fiber & Materials Matrix Archives - Textile Exchange

How are scores determined?

Candace Benson — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:17:09 +0000

For qualitative indicators, programs must provide publicly available documentation (evidence) to support each survey response. Without publicly accessible evidence, no points can be awarded for that indicator. This requirement promotes transparency and supports comparability across programs.

Evidence Requirements

Evidence must be uploaded to the platform and meet all of the following criteria:

Public:
Must be accessible on the organization’s website or elsewhere in the public domain. Only web links are accepted.
Relevant:
Must clearly originate from the assessed organization or program. Unlabeled documents (e.g., without a name or logo) are not accepted.
Credible:
Must be a formal, complete document. Screenshots or isolated excerpts that do not show context within the broader documentation are not accepted.
Current:
The assessment reflects current practices. Future commitments or planned revisions do not qualify for higher scoring.

Examples of acceptable evidence include (but are not limited to):

Principles and criteria documents
Policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Program manuals
Theory of change documentation
Annual reports
Impact reports
Assurance and verification procedures

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What are “Recommended” surveys?

Candace Benson — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:16:17 +0000

To accurately reflect real-world practices, procedures, and outcomes of a standards system, improvement program, or branded fiber, organizations must complete the self-assessment using only the mandatory practices from official program documentation.

After the mandatory-based assessment is completed, programs may choose to expand their evaluation by incorporating recommended or continuous improvement criteria. While these additional criteria may not always be fully implemented in practice, they represent aspirational goals outlined in program documentation.

This two-step approach allows for both:

A baseline assessment based strictly on mandatory compliance, and
An understanding of the potential impact of more ambitious, non-mandatory program elements.

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How is LCA data incorporated into the methodology?

Candace Benson — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:14:52 +0000

LCA data is integrated into the Fiber and Materials Matrix assessment in two key ways:

Quantitative environmental impact
Indicators that directly measure environmental impact (e.g., Climate, Freshwater, Chemicals & Toxicity) draw on LCA data to inform scoring.
Quality and completeness
LCA documentation is reviewed for its rigor, transparency, and comprehensiveness, contributing to the quality assessment of the program.

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