Let's delve into the details of the Eco Score and discover how it helps to assess the environmental impact of our products.

2.1 How did we implement the Eco Score?

To assess our products, we use Ecobalyse, a tool developed by the French Ministry. This platform calculates an Eco-Score for textile products, largely based on the European criteria of the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. Although the tool is still in the consultation phase, it already provides a reliable estimate that complies with French legislation.

2.2 How Ecobalyse works

The Ecobalyse platform is easy to use. We enter all the information about our products, such as the materials, their origin, and how the yarns are woven. This step requires transparent communication with our suppliers to accurately populate Ecobalyse with information such as the materials, their origin and processing, and the assembly method used.

Once the data is entered, we obtain an overall score that we need to interpret. This score has no maximum, meaning we don't know the exact scale on which we are being evaluated. Therefore, we use the reference products provided by Ecobalyse to determine our ranking. For example, a "synthetic t-shirt (150g) Asian ultra-fashion" receives a score of 1510 points. In comparison, our Altitude jersey has a score of 510 points, three times less.

2.3 Why is the tool not perfect?

We still need to improve the accuracy of our eco-scores by remaining committed to Ecobalyse and keeping up with the platform's improvements. It would also be beneficial to collaborate with the Ecobalyse development teams to anticipate and prepare jointly for the period when the eco-score becomes mandatory. For example, Ecobalyse does not yet offer all the raw materials available on the market, nor a clear rating system like the one used for Nutri-Scores (ABCDE). Furthermore, some categories are still missing or imprecise, which prevents us from evaluating certain products such as our cycling shorts. Indeed, evaluating them would have been too imprecise since they do not fall under any of the categories offered by Ecobalyse.