New tool the 'True Cost Calculator’ maps the full impact of a garment

VITO and Flanders DC proudly announce the launch of the True Cost Calculator (TCC), an important step towards sustainable decision-making in the fashion industry. This self-assessment tool, freely accessible at truecostcalculator.eu, is designed to enable fashion professionals to efficiently measure, compare, and minimise the ecological, environmental, and social impact of clothing throughout its entire lifecycle. The results are presented in clear and understandable blocks for the intended audience of fashion designers, buyers, sustainability managers, and other decision-makers in fashion companies.

The True Cost Calculator was developed as part of the SCIRT project and builds on existing frameworks for evaluating the environmental and social costs of textiles. One of the key features of the True Cost Calculator is the integration of financial, environmental, and social dimensions, expressing the external costs associated with the lifecycle of clothing in monetary terms. 

Unlike other tools, the True Cost Calculator takes into account the full lifecycle of a garment, measuring the impact from production to transport, use, and waste processing.

The tool is supported by scientifically substantiated data on garments and is user-friendly and accessible, allowing a wide audience to participate in responsible and informed decision-making.

In addition to its broad analytical capabilities, the calculator, based on lessons from the SCIRT project, offers practical design guidelines for brands and manufacturers. These guidelines provide valuable insights into material composition, assemblies, and additions, enabling brands to make more sustainable choices from the design phase onwards. 

The True Cost Calculator is designed to support a wide range of professionals, including designers, buyers, CSR managers, consultants, and even students in the fashion industry. The tool is user-friendly and easy to integrate into daily work processes, making sustainability an achievable goal.

Although the True Cost Calculator currently focuses on the fashion sector, the tool can also be applied to other sectors in the future, promoting sustainability across various industries.

More information at truecostcalculator.eu.

SCIRT partners

Fashion companies: Bel&Bo, HNST, Decathlon, Xandres, Petit Bateau
Research centres: VITO, CETI, Prospex Institute
Universities: BOKU, TU Wien, ESTIA
Sector: Altex, AVS Spinning – A European Spinning Group (ESG) Company, Valvan
SMEs: Circular.fashion, FFact
Non-profit organisations: Flanders DC, IID-SII