MADE-BY partner brands commit to registering their social and environmental progress, which is published yearly in the form of MADE-BY Scorecards. The Scorecard shows how a brand has improved year-on-year and where it may have encountered any significant challenges. An online analysis explains successes for the year along with any hurdles the brand has faced and how it will or has tried to overcome them. Only companies that have been partner brands of MADE-BY for the entire year have a Scorecard published.

Based on the MADE-BY Benchmarks that rank and classify fibres and social compliance initiatives in terms of sustainability, the Scorecards aim to make each brand’s activities more transparent. They highlight progress towards becoming more sustainable and ethical in the production methods used by their supply chains.

The Scorecards illustrate the percentage of their supplier’s factories that are socially certified, in addition to the percentage of organic cotton and environmentally friendly materials used to produce their collections.

Two Benchmarks form the foundation of the Scorecard.   

Benchmark for Social Standards

The Benchmark for Social Standards is based on six internationally recognised codes for monitoring and certifying improvements to employment conditions for workers at garment manufacturers. These are based on standards that the International Labour Organisation conventions ratified in relation to child labour, salary, working hours, union membership and safety in the workplace.

A special ranking is given to suppliers located in countries which MADE-BY has deemed as ‘low risk’. These include EU countries (excluding Romania and Bulgaria), Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In essence, social policy distinguishes between certain developed countries, where workers' rights are adequately protected, and the rest of the world, where adequate protection is often lacking.

Environmental Benchmark for Fibres

Brown and Wilmanns, a research company specialising in fibre analysis, has developed a materials benchmark with MADE-BY. The benchmark supports brands in limiting the impact of its materials on the environment and advises them on sustainable alternatives. In this benchmark the processing of a large range of materials from raw to yarn are compared in relation to emissions produced, their use of land space, pesticides, chemicals, water and energy.