WHAT IS HIGG MSI?

The Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) is a cradle-to-gate material assessment tool using a
life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of materials used in the
apparel, footwear, and home textile industries.

The Higg MSI is designed to compare the environmental impact of different materials so design and
development teams can make more sustainable choices during materials selection. Built on science-based,
trusted life cycle assessment data, the MSI offers insight into the best materials and manufacturing
process options your company can use to develop more sustainable products.

Environmental impacts are measured in five areas:

 Global warming
 Nutrient pollution in water (eutrophication)
 Water scarcity
 Abiotic resource depletion, use of fossil fuels
 Chemistry

In addition, the Higg MSI reports the following inventory metrics:

 Biogenic carbon content

 Water consumption

For each material, the MSI provides scores for each of the impact areas assessed. It takes into account the
energy, water, and chemicals used to make materials, as well as waste generation and water pollution.
Scores are based on a variety of relevant environmental criteria and the manufacturing processes a
company uses to develop a material. By using the MSI, designers and product developers can choose
materials with better sustainability performance.