The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Washington, and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which they will collaborate on sustainability initiatives in the U.S. apparel and footwear industry.

AAFA and SAC will focus especially on promoting The Higg Index, a tool developed by SAC for measuring product sustainability across the industry value chain.

"When it comes to tackling the serious issues of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and sustainability, the apparel and footwear industry must collaborate around the best practices, measurable benchmarks, and a shared vision," said Kevin M. Burke, president and CEO, AAFA. "This memorandum of understanding better enables the industry and our stakeholders to rally around a consistent approach to sustainability in a more productive and efficient manner."

"We welcome this formalized understanding with AAFA, as it will allow the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to better fulfill its mission of unifying sustainability standards within the apparel and footwear industry, and help make a greater impact in the environmental footprint across the entire value chain," said Jason Kibbey, executive director, SAC.

November/December 2012