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Product Impact Calculator: Material Library

  • Updated

Table of Contents

The Material Library allows brands to simply and efficiently add material information for better impact calculations. Materials make up the majority of scope 3 emissions for consumer goods. It is imperative to accurately account for material impacts in scope 3 emission calculation and decarbonization planning.

As a companion to the Product Library, the Material Library provides a central hub for bulk uploading materials and scalable linking to Tier 2 and Tier 3 supplier information. The Material Library provides insight into material impacts at the process level by swapping out energy defaults in emission calculations for supplier specific data by linking to Tier 2 and Tier 3 FEM data.

 

Navigation

  1. Select Products.

     
  2. Select Materials from the black navigation bar.

     
  3. The Material Library is available here.

 

Bulk Upload - Material Workbook

This workbook is only for textiles with a maximum of 4 base materials.

 

Bulk Upload - Material Workbook Fields

Field name Description
Material Name (Required) Name of material or material blend
Material Code User supplied product identifier
Material Supplier

No FEM linking


This optional field is intended to help identify a material. These are Vendors who are not involved in the making of the actual material. They’re the point of contact for the brand when they buy textiles.


Example: Vendor ABC in China sold me 50 Cotton/50 Poly blend, and Vendor DEF in Vietnam sold me 50 Cotton/50 Poly blend
Material Country Select a country from the list
Base Material 1, Base Material 2, Base Material 3, Base Material 4,
Base Material 5,
Base Material 6 		Select a material from the list
Sustainability 1, Sustainability 2,
Sustainability 3, Sustainability 4,
Sustainability 5, Sustainability 6

Enter Recycled if the material is recyclable.

Leave blank if the material is not recyclable.
Composition 1, Composition 2, Composition 3, Composition 4,
Composition 5,
Composition 6

Enter a number between 1-100 when the "Material" field is populated

All composition columns must add up to 100%
T2 Facility, T3 Facility Populated with list of T2 and T3 accounts that have shared a 2023 or 2024 FEM with the brand

Supplier Name or Worldly ID

If No Match, map to Keep value as is
T2 Country, T3 Country Select a country from the list
Overwrite Set to YES when uploading a file that contains revisions to existing materials

Contents of MatLib can be exported by selecting one or more materials and clicking Download in the table action bar
Worldly Material ID Worldly Generated ID for the product
The below fields are automatically pre-populated with the T2 and T3 values, but can be overwritten if the brand has more detailed information. P002-P006 refer to lifecycle stages.
P002 Facility Definition: Supplier Name or Worldly ID

Automatically Pre-populated: T3 Facility value

Lifecycle Stage: Yarn Formation stage (i.e. Spinners)
P002 Country Definition: Select a country from the list

Automatically Pre-populated: T3 Country value
P003 Facility Definition: Supplier Name or Worldly ID

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Facility value

Lifecycle Stage: Textile Formation stage
P003 Country Definition: Select a country from the list

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Country value
P004 Facility

Definition: Supplier Name or Worldly ID

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Facility value

Lifecycle Stage: Preparation stage
P004 Country Definition: Select a country from the list

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Country value
P005 Facility Definition: Supplier Name or Worldly ID

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Facility value

Lifecycle Stage: Coloration stage
P005 Country Definition: Select a country from the list

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Country value
P006 Facility Definition: Supplier Name or Worldly ID

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Facility value

Lifecycle Stage: Finishing stage (e.g. Applying heat transfers, or adding a weatherproofing coating)
P006 Country Definition: Select a country from the list

Automatically Pre-populated: T2 Country value
T2FacilityRawText, T3FacilityRawText

This is a read-only field that stores the supplier information as part of the PO record, even when no eligible FEM is found during import

If a user maps unmatched suppliers to “Keep as is”, the system imports this information to the FacilityRawText field
P002FacilityRawText, P003FacilityRawText, P004FacilityRawText, P005FacilityRawText, P006FacilityRawText

This is a read-only field that stores the supplier information as part of the PO record, even when no eligible FEM is found during import

If a user maps unmatched suppliers to “Keep as is”, the system imports this information to the FacilityRawText field

 

Example

Next, let's walk through an example of uploading a Bulk Upload - Material workbook. Download the template at the bottom of this article.

  1. Select Import

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  2. Select the Bulk Upload - Material workbook.

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  3. Drag and drop your file onto the screen. You can upload the following file formats: CSV, Excel, or JSON. We recommend CSV as a best practice.

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  4. Review the field mapping on the next two windows before clicking Continue.

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    • If a field is missing or incorrect, select the dropdown arrow to select the desired field.
    • Preview the data for the category on the right side of the window. Hovering over different rows updates the preview window.
    • Select Continue. 

  5. On the next page, review the Bulk Upload table for any errors.

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  6. After the table has been reviewed and all errors have been resolved, click Submit data.

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Material Library Overview

The Material Library allows you to link materials to Tier 2 and Tier 3 FEM data and replace energy defaults in emission calculations for supplier specific data.

  1. Select the Download button to access two different reports, the Detailed Material Components Report and the Material Impacts Report.
    • Detailed Material Components Report - Breaks down each base material into composition %.
    • Material Impacts Report - Provides a high level summary of base materials and Tier 1, 2, 3, and 4 Impacts.
       

  2. Download data for a single material or a large batch of select materials. This enables you to download a customized CSV file of your material library.

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  3. Search the library by typing into the search bar. For example, you can search for cotton materials in the material library.

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  4. Sort the library by clicking the arrows next to the column. For example, you can sort the Total Impact kg CO2e/ kg column for most impactful materials. You can also show or hide columns within the table.

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  5. Toggle between Compact and Normal views by selecting the toggle at the upper right corner of the table. You can change your view depending on your viewing preferences.

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  6. You can also save a view by selecting Save Columns and giving a name to your view. Saving a view makes it easier to access an already customized table specific to your organization.

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Recycled Materials

Use the Sustainability Attribute field in the Material Library to create recycled materials. PIC will automatically map these materials to the correct Tier 4 recycled processes from MSI when a match exists. Use this feature to model the impact of recycled content of products.

 

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure of the following:

  1. Select Refresh Import Space on the PIC Dashboard to ensure the new workbooks are updated.
  2. During bulk upload, you must have a data file that includes a column indicating which materials are recycled.

 

Which materials have automatic Tier 4 recycled process mappings?

If a material is not on this list, no recycled process option is available.

  • Cotton
  • Nylon
  • Polyester
  • Polyethylene (PE)
  • Polypropylene (PP)
  • Wool

 

How does it work?

Prepare the Upload File

  1. Include “- Recycled” in the Material Name column.
    • Recycled material example: Cotton - Recycled
    • Not recycled material example: Cotton - Conventional
  2. Include a column for the sustainability attribute in the upload file.
    • If you are uploading recycled material, enter Recycled under this column.
    • If you are not uploading a recycled material, leave the sustainability attribute blank.

Upload and Map Fields

  1. Upload your file using these instructions, and you’ll see an option to map columns to the new Sustainability Attribute field.
  2. During the value-mapping step, map your Recycled values accordingly.

Download Impact Report - Tier 4 Process Assignment

The download reports show the adjusted Tier 4 processes and impact for recycled materials.

Click here to jump to Detailed Material Components Report Fields

 

Click here to jump to Material Impacts Report Fields

 

Detailed Material Components Report Fields

Field Definitions
Account ID Brand Account ID
Account Name Company name of the account
User Email Email of user who created the material
Date Created Date the product was created in PIC
Date Modified Date the product was modified
Material Name Name of the material or material blend
Material ID Worldly Generated ID for the product
Material Code User supplied product identifier
Base Material Name of the base material
Composition % Percentage of material if yarn is a blend
Sustainability Type

Enter Recycled if the material is recycled.

Leave blank if the material is not recycled.
Tier 4 Impacts Portion of the Total Impact that comes from Tier 4 (Raw Material Extraction)
Tier 3 Impacts Portion of the Total Impact that comes from Tier 3 (Yarn Formation)
Tier 2 Impacts Portion of the Total Impact that comes from Tier 2 (Textile Formation)
Total Impacts Total Global Warming Impact for the base material (constituent)
P001 Raw Material Extraction stage - description
P002 Yarn Formation stage - description
P002 Facility Facility where P002 process was executed
P002 FEM ineligible reason Reason why FEM could not be linked
P002 Country Country where P002 process was executed
P002 Source Source of the data for P002 process impact calculation
P002 FEM Status Status of the FEM posted by P002 supplier
P003 Textile Formation stage
P003 Facility Facility where P003 process was executed
P003 FEM ineligible reason Reason why FEM could not be linked
P003 Country Country where P003 process was executed
P003 Source Source of the data for P003 process impact calculation
P003 FEM Status Status of the FEM posted by P003 supplier
P004 Preparation stage - description
P004 Facility Facility where P004 process was executed
P004 FEM ineligible reason Reason why FEM could not be linked
P004 Country Country where P004 process was executed
P004 Source Source of the data for P004 process impact calculation
P004 FEM Status Status of the FEM posted by P004 supplier
P005 Coloration stage - description
P005 Facility Facility where P005 process was executed
P005 FEM ineligible reason Reason why FEM could not be linked
P005 Country Country where P005 process was executed
P005 Source Source of the data for P005 process impact calculation
P005 FEM Status Status of the FEM posted by P005 supplier
P006 Finishing stage - description
P006 Facility Facility where P006 process was executed
P006 FEM ineligible reason Reason why FEM could not be linked
P006 Country Country where P006 process was executed
P006 Source Source of the data for P006 process impact calculation
P006 FEM Status Status of the FEM posted by P006 supplier

 

Material Impacts Report Fields

Field Definition
Account ID Brand Account ID
Account Name Company name of the account
User Email Email of user who created the material
Date Created Date the product was created in PIC
Date Modified Date the product was modified
Material Name Name of the material or material blend
Material ID Worldly Generated ID for the product
Material Code User supplied product identifier
Base Materials Comma separated list of base materials
Sustainability Composition Enter what percentage of the material is recycled.
Tier 4 Impacts Portion of the Total Impact that comes from Tier 4 (Raw Material Extraction)
Tier 3 Impacts Portion of the Total Impact that comes from Tier 3 (Yarn Formation)
Tier 2 Impacts Portion of the Total Impact that comes from Tier 2 (Textile Formation)
Total Impacts Total Global Warming Impact for the material or material blend

 

FEM Outlier Exclusion

Unusual or potentially erroneous FEM data is automatically excluded before it impacts product-level calculations.

 

Material Library FAQs

Q: Why isn’t my FEM linking?
A: There are several reasons why the platform may fail to link an FEM, including: 
- FEM not found/not current: Only 2023-2024 FEMs are eligible 
- Facility type mismatch: Entered supplier may not be a true Tier 2 or Tier 3 facility 
- Missing GHG data: No normalized emissions reported
Q: How many FEMs can be linked to a single material?

A: Up to five FEMs can be linked to a single material, or one per lifecycle stage (P2-P6).

Q: Can I upload Tier 2 or Tier 3 facilities using names or IDs?
A: Yes, use either Worldly IDs or facility names that match the platform.
Q: Why would my facility not link?
A: Check for recent FEM submission, correct tier type, and material match in FEM
Q: Can I override lifecycle mappings?
A: Yes, you can fine-tune which process stage a facility is linked to.
Q: Can I choose a specific recycled process?

A: The system automatically maps to the default recycled process based on the material type. No custom selections are available.

Q: Can Tier 4 FEM data be linked to recycled materials?

A: Tier 4 FEM linking is not available at this moment.

Q: Why is the Sustainability Attribute field not appearing during mapping?

A: Make sure to click Refresh Import Space on the PIC Dashboard.

 

Workbook Template

Download the Bulk Upload - Material Workbook Template below.

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