Apparel — Outerwear & Insulation

Material Composition Assumptions

The default reference product is a mid-weight insulated jacket weighing approximately 0.8 kg, composed of:

• Shell fabric: Nylon 6.6 or polyester ripstop with DWR (durable water repellent) finish, approximately 0.25-0.30 kg. Often laminated with a waterproof-breathable membrane (ePTFE or PU) for rain-rated jackets, adding approximately 0.02-0.05 kg.
• Insulation fill: Synthetic insulation (polyester microfiber such as PrimaLoft or Thermolite) at approximately 0.15-0.20 kg, OR natural down (goose/duck, 600-800 fill power) at approximately 0.08-0.12 kg. Default score assumes synthetic insulation as the conservative case.
• Lining: Lightweight polyester taffeta or mesh, approximately 0.08-0.10 kg.
• Hardware: YKK or equivalent nylon/metal zippers, snaps, drawcord adjusters, and Velcro closures, approximately 0.05-0.08 kg.
• Thread and trim: Nylon sewing thread, labels, hang tags, approximately 0.02-0.03 kg.
• Packaging: Polybag, cardboard insert or hanger, shipping carton, approximately 0.05-0.10 kg.

Outerwear is among the most material-intensive and construction-complex garment categories. A typical insulated jacket involves 50-100+ pattern pieces, seam taping for waterproofness, and specialty materials (membranes, DWR coatings) that are more carbon-intensive per kg than commodity textiles.

Manufacturing Geography

Outerwear manufacturing is concentrated in Asia, often in the same factories that produce activewear:

• Shell fabric production: Nylon and polyester weaving primarily in China, Taiwan, and South Korea. Membrane lamination in China and Japan (Gore-Tex is laminated in various Asian and European facilities).
• Down processing: China (dominant), Hungary, and Poland for European-sourced down.
• Garment assembly: China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian), Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
• Grid intensity (China): 565 gCO2e/kWh (IEA 2024). Default for the majority of production.
• Grid intensity (Vietnam): 480 gCO2e/kWh (IEA 2024).
• Rationale: Outerwear assembly is more labor- and time-intensive than basic garments (T-shirts, trousers) due to complex construction, seam taping, and quality control. This translates to higher electricity consumption per garment during assembly. Dyeing and finishing steps are also more intensive due to DWR application and membrane lamination.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
China (default)	~565 gCO2e/kWh	30 kgCO2e	Baseline
Vietnam	~480 gCO2e/kWh	28.5 kgCO2e	-5%
Bangladesh	~580 gCO2e/kWh	30.3 kgCO2e	+1%
EU (Romania, Portugal)	~300 gCO2e/kWh	25.5 kgCO2e	-15%
Japan	~460 gCO2e/kWh	28 kgCO2e	-7%

Note: Material choice has a larger impact than manufacturing region. Down-insulated jackets use less fill by mass but down processing can have variable emissions. High-loft synthetic insulation uses more material but has more predictable emissions.

Provenance Override Guidance

A supplier or brand may override the default CCI score by submitting:

1. Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) per ISO 14067 covering materials through finished jacket.
2. Insulation data: Down fill with Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certification and verified supply chain, or synthetic insulation with recycled polyester content (e.g., recycled PrimaLoft).
3. Shell fabric data: Recycled nylon or polyester content, PFC-free DWR chemistry, and mill-level energy data for weaving and finishing.
4. Higg FEM (Facility Environmental Module) verified data from SAC-participating facilities.
5. bluesign certification covering chemical management and resource productivity at dye houses and lamination facilities.

Methodology Notes

• CCI score of 30 kgCO2e represents a conservative estimate for a mid-weight insulated jacket. WRAP (2017) reports 25-50 kgCO2e for outerwear depending on composition and geography. The CCI score reflects a synthetic-insulated nylon shell jacket produced in China.
• Scope breakdown: Scope 3 dominates at 77% (23 kgCO2e), driven by nylon/polyester resin production, insulation manufacturing, DWR and membrane chemicals, and upstream textile processing. Scope 2 is 22% (6.5 kgCO2e) from complex garment assembly electricity. Scope 1 is 1% (0.5 kgCO2e).
• Functional unit: One mid-weight insulated jacket (~0.8 kg), cradle to gate through packaged garment.
• Material sensitivity: A lightweight down jacket (0.4 kg, 150 g down fill) may score ~18-22 kgCO2e. A heavy parka (1.5 kg, 300 g synthetic fill, fur-trimmed) may score ~45-60 kgCO2e. The default represents the mid-range.
• Use-phase: Excluded. Outerwear is typically washed infrequently (a few times per season), contributing modest use-phase emissions.
• Data gaps: DWR and membrane manufacturing emissions are not well documented in public LCA literature. Fluorinated DWR (PFAS-based) and ePTFE membranes involve fluorochemistry with uncertain emission profiles. PFC-free alternatives may have different but not necessarily lower production emissions.