Eco Value
Eco Valore [Eco Value] allows customers to understand at a glance the environmental impact of each item.
What is meant by Eco Valore
The index was developed as part of a collaborative project with the University of Padua and reports water consumption and CO₂ emissions, both derived from the production process.
Since 2021, Eco Valore has been extended to 100% of the products available on our e-commerce platform.
What is meant by Eco Valore
The index was developed as part of a collaborative project with the University of Padua and reports water consumption and CO₂ emissions, both derived from the production process.
Since 2021, Eco Valore has been extended to 100% of the products available on our e-commerce platform.
CO₂ emissions
Indicates how much CO₂ was emitted to produce the item. Producing a t-shirt generates up to 4 kg of CO₂, the same amount consumed during a 30 km car trip. Every garment requires resources, and we are committed to reducing its impact: an OVS t-shirt made of organic cotton emits only 0.75 kg.
Water consumption
Shows how much water was used to produce the item. Producing a t-shirt can require up to 1400 liters of water, the same amount used for 25 showers. Every garment requires resources, and we are committed to reducing its impact: an OVS t-shirt made of organic cotton uses only 220 liters.
Circularity
Circularity index under review
Method
The index was created from a project in collaboration with the University of Padua
and is composed of three data points: water consumption and CO2 emissions, both derived from the
production process, and circularity.
Since 2021 Eco Valore has been extended to 100% of the products on our e-commerce and was
updated in September 2025 to make the life-cycle assessment more complete and
accurate.
How did we assess the potential impacts on climate change and water consumption?
To assess and quantify the potential environmental impacts of each individual garment, a cradle to grave
approach was adopted and the following life-cycle phases of each garment were considered:
- Extraction and production of raw materials (for example cotton, polyester, organic
cotton, modal) - Textile processing
- Production of tertiary packaging for transport
- Transport and distribution
- Consumer use (washing, drying, ironing)
- End of life.
For the greenhouse gas emissions indicator, the IPCC 2021 - GWP100a [1] method is used in
its latest available version. For the water consumption indicator, the ReCiPe 2016 v1.03,
midpoint (H) | water consumption potential (WCP) method is used, based on Pfister et al. [2].
Method
How did we assess potential impact on climate change and water consumption?
To assess and quantify the potential environmental impact of each single item in our collections, we considered the following stages in its life cycle:
- extraction and production of raw materials (for example, cotton, polyester, organic cotton, and modal)
- processing (spinning, cutting, finishing, packaging)
- transport and distribution.
The results are represented from cradle to gate. For each single item, we also considered the following:
- weight
- composition
- origin
- specific processing
To carry out these assessments, we worked with UniSMART – University of Padua Foundation - and looked at the methods governed by the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards (ISO, 2006a,b). To assess the potential impact on the climate, we used the IPCC GWP 100 method (IPCC, 2013), the coefficient that expresses global warming potential as developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. To assess the potential impact of water consumption on water scarcity and drought, we used the method of Pfister et al. (Pfister et al., 2009).