The Duration of Service section determines the lifetime extension factors for products with demonstrated intrinsic quality parameters. Not all product categories have duration of service factors, although this is a section that could be expanded in future versions of the Product Module. The lifetime extension factors from Duration of Service are added to the Product Care section, which represents the use phase of the product.
The Duration of Service section of the Higg PM considers material and full product tests for seven different types of products, focusing on the physical attributes that can make a product’s service last longer. The number of tests for each product have been narrowed to those associated with the most common product failure modes identified by Cascale member experts. These have been further refined by the Technical Secretariat for the Global Apparel and Footwear Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR), which is developing a similar approach for including product quality into the product lifetime. The tests and thresholds in the Higg PM are not the final version of those being developed for the PEFCR, but were the most current versions at the time of the Higg PM being built. Once a final proposal is developed for the PEFCR, the Cascale plans to update the Duration of Service section of the Higg PM.
Selecting Product Type
The following product types are available in the Duration of Service section:
- Waterproof Breathable Jacket should be selected for outerwear garments that provide both protection from water penetration (measured through hydrostatic pressure tests) and breathability (measured through moisture vapor transmission or Resistance of Evaporation of a Textile [RET]).
- Athletic Shoe should be selected for footwear that is intended for activities involving movement and cardiovascular activity. Selecting this category opens another question asking if the footwear is made from a leather upper. If the product is made from synthetic leather, select “No”.
- Casual Shoe should be selected for footwear that is primarily intended for walking (including fashion footwear). Selecting this category opens another question asking if the footwear is made from a leather upper. If the product is made from synthetic leather, select “No”.
- Denim Product should be selected for products made out of denim. Selecting this category opens another question asking if smoothness is claimed. This refers to products that have anti-wrinkle treatments or other claims around product wrinkle resistance.
- Bed Linens should be selected for products intended for use as home bedding. Selecting this category opens another question asking if smoothness is claimed. This refers to products that have anti-wrinkle treatments or other claims around product wrinkle resistance.
- Woven Product should be selected for apparel products that are primarily made of woven materials. Selecting this category opens another question asking if smoothness is claimed. This refers to products that have anti-wrinkle treatments or other claims around product wrinkle resistance.
- Knit Product should be selected for apparel products that are primarily made of knit materials. Selecting this category opens another question asking if the product contains a functional finish. This refers to products that have any chemical finishing applied, such as stain release, odor management, water repellency, or others.
- None should be selected for any other product that cannot be included in any of the listed categories.
Answering Pre-Qualification Questions
Once the product type is selected, a list of pre-qualification tests will be shown. An industry test method along with the requirements will be shown, with the option to select “Yes” or “No” for each one.
Most of the pre-qualification tests are material tests and the answers should reflect the combination of main materials (excluding trims). If a product contains more than one main material, such as an outer material and a lining material, both materials must meet the color fastness requirement to answer “Yes”. However, for tests such as waterproofness, only the outer material would need to pass to answer “Yes” (since the combination of fabrics would still pass).
For tests that involve laundering, the product care instructions should be used (Example: if a product has a care label that indicates warm wash and tumble dry medium, these are the laundering conditions that should be used).
Answering Material Performance Questions
If all pre-qualification tests are answered with “Yes”, a set of material performance questions will be shown. An industry test method along with the requirements will be shown, with the option to select “Yes” or “No” for each one. These tests are material tests and the answers should reflect the combination of main materials (excluding trims). If a product contains more than one main material, such as an outer material and a lining material, both materials must meet the color fastness requirement to answer “Yes”. However, for tests such as waterproofness, only the outer material would need to pass to answer “Yes” (since the combination of fabrics would still pass).
For tests that involve laundering, the product care instructions should be used (Example: if a product has a care label that indicates warm wash and tumble dry medium, these are the laundering conditions that should be used).
Answering Full Product Integrity Questions
The final tests listed are full product or garment integrity tests. These will specify a number of wash cycles as well as specific performance requirements that must be met. For each cycle of 10 washes, one drying cycle should be performed. The product care instructions should be used when choosing the laundering conditions (Example: if a product has a care label that indicates warm wash and tumble dry medium, these are the laundering conditions that should be used). A continuous wash process for each ten-wash cycle is acceptable as long as the total agitation time matches the equivalent of ten individual washes.