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Outdoor Industry Association Welcomes Launch of Sustainable Apparel Coalition

Following three years of work by the outdoor industry, the Eco Index was released in July of 2010 and has been piloted by more than 100 companies. The development of the Eco Index is due to the hard work of outdoor industry companies whose thought leadership in the area of sustainable manufacturing has produced robust, transparent and open-source content which is being adopted by other sustainability efforts.

"OIA is proud of the outdoor industry's foundational contribution of the Eco Index to the work of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. We are gratified to be a member of this larger coalition that shares our values and desire to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products sold around the world. The outdoor industry is committed to the development of a single, common index for apparel and footwear. This effort reinforces our belief that global, industry-wide collaboration can lead to advances in sustainability that no one company, region or sector can achieve on its own," said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of OIA.

During 2011, members of the OIA Eco Working Group will have the opportunity to pilot the initial version of the Coalition's apparel tool and to participate in the development of a tool specific to footwear. OIA is also committed to its partnership with the European Outdoor Group, World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries and other groups to improve the Eco Index content based on feedback from the piloting process, to share these updates with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and to further enhance the Eco Index's application for outdoor gear such as tents, backpacks, climbing and paddling gear, bicycles, skis and camping gear.

"OIA looks forward to working as a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to build robust tools for apparel and footwear that are driven by content found in the outdoor industry Eco Index. At the same time, we will continue to support the unique ability of the outdoor industry to lead in the work of sustainability as we complete the Eco Index content and develop environmental impact evaluation tools and education that assist our member companies as they make sourcing, product life cycle and purchasing decisions," said Amy Roberts, vice president of Government Affairs for OIA.

To read about today's announcement from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, visit www.apparelcoalition.org.

About Outdoor Industry Association

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a national trade association whose mission is to ensure the growth and success of the outdoor industry. Over 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers of outdoor recreation equipment and services, as well as other related business entities, comprise the OIA membership. For more information, visit www.outdoorindustry.org.

Press Contact:
Outdoor Industry Association
Amy Roberts, 303-888-3827
aroberts@outdoorindustry.org