How we estimate impact.

Every product on Kleerdrobe shows an estimated production footprint. This page explains exactly where those numbers come from, what they cover, and what they don't.

What the numbers are

For each item we show an estimate of the greenhouse gases (in kg CO₂e) and water (in litres) used to produceit — raw materials plus manufacturing, known as “cradle to gate”. Public life-cycle research shows production accounts for the large majority of a garment's total climate impact, which is why we focus there. Washing, wearing and disposal are not included.

These are category-level estimates, not measured product LCAs. We start from the typical footprint of the product's category (a typical pair of jeans, a typical pair of boots) and adjust it when we can detect the main material from the product photo or name — for example wool, leather, linen or recycled fibres. When we can't detect a material, the item shows its category's typical value and says so.

The category baselines

Mid-range values across three independent sources: ADEME's Ecobalyse (the French government's textile-impact tool), Carbonfact category medians, and the peer-reviewed Mistra Future Fashion LCA programme. Water figures use the Water Footprint Network's total water footprint and are inherently rougher than the CO₂e figures — for cotton and leather, most of that water is rain falling on fields and pasture, not tap water.

Categories marked “rough estimate” have no dedicated public LCA and are interpolated from related categories.

Material adjustments

When we detect the main material, we scale the baseline with a multiplier derived from per-fibre LCA data — deliberately dampened, because fibre production is only part of a garment's footprint. Examples: wool and leather raise the CO₂e estimate (livestock emissions), linen and Tencel lower it, recycled content lowers both CO₂e and water. If a category already assumes a material (denim for jeans, leather for boots), detecting it confirms the estimate rather than double-counting.

Two honest caveats. Synthetic fibres like polyester score lower on CO₂e and water here, but shed microplastics and are fossil-based — a trade-off these two numbers don't capture. And figures for animal-derived materials (leather, wool, down) depend heavily on how you allocate farm emissions; we use mid-range allocations.

The comparisons

“≈ 147km by petrol car” converts kg CO₂e at 0.17kg per km (UK DEFRA 2024 / ADEME mid-range for an average petrol car). “Showers” convert litres at 65 L per shower (~7 minutes at a standard flow rate). These are one-way comparisons to make abstract numbers relatable — never offsets, savings or rewards.

Brand ratings are separate

The “Brand x/5” badge is the independent Good On You rating of the brand's practices across planet, people and animals (checked June 2026). It rates the brand, not the item, and it never changes our footprint estimate — practices and physics are different facts, so we show them separately. Ratings are shown as published by Good On You and may have changed since; Kleerdrobe is not affiliated with or endorsed by Good On You.

What this is not

These figures are not certified product LCAs, are not verified by the brands, and don't make any product “sustainable” — producing any new garment has a real footprint. The most reliable way to lower your clothing impact is buying fewer, better items and wearing them longer; the cost-per-wear tool on every product exists for exactly that reason.

Estimates based on public LCA data (ADEME Ecobalyse, Carbonfact, Mistra Future Fashion, Water Footprint Network), category averages as of June 2026. Not a certified product life-cycle assessment. Back to the feed →