How Shezaar Calculates the Materials Score
The Materials Score reflects the environmental impact of the raw fibers and fabrics used in a product before design, labor, or manufacturing are considered.
Instead of relying on vague “eco” claims, Shezaar evaluates each material across five core impact areas used by sustainability researchers and life-cycle assessments.
The Five Impact Areas We Measure
Water Use
How much freshwater is required to grow, extract, or process the material.
Land Use
The amount of land needed to produce the raw fiber or resource.
Energy Use
The energy required to transform the material into usable fabric.
Biodegradability
How safely the material breaks down in natural environments.
Recyclability
Whether the material can realistically be reused or recycled at end of life.
Each material is scored across these dimensions and grouped into a sustainability tier, making it easy to compare fibers at a glance.
Why Some Materials Score Higher Than Others?
Different materials place very different demands on the planet. For example:
Conventional cotton is water-intensive and chemically heavy
Organic cotton typically uses less water and fewer harmful inputs
Synthetic fibers require high energy and don’t biodegrade naturally
Shezaar reflects these real-world impacts in each material’s score not marketing language.
Behind the scenes, Shezaar maintains one of the most comprehensive databases of commercially used fashion materials, continuously updated with sustainability research, certification standards, and verified claim frameworks across the global apparel industry.
Verified Claims & Certifications
Material scores are strengthened when brands provide trusted third-party certifications that verify better environmental or ethical practices.
We recognize globally respected standards such as:
GOTS & Certified Organic
Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
FSC for responsibly sourced fibers
Fair Trade and similar programs
And many more. Verified proof matters and is reflected in a product’s final Materials Score.
Where Our Material Impact Data Comes From
Shezaar’s materials benchmarks are built using a synthesis of:
Peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies
Industry sustainability research organizations
Agricultural water & land-use datasets
Circularity and recycling infrastructure research
Including insights from sources such as:
Textile Exchange
Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI)
Ecoinvent & academic LCA databases
FAO environmental data
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
When data is limited or inconsistent, Shezaar applies conservative scoring to avoid overstating sustainability benefits.
If you have any questions or suggestions about the Shezaar material scoring, reach out to us!
