Overview
ISO 5157:2023 - Textiles - Environmental aspects - Vocabulary is a first-edition ISO vocabulary that standardizes terms and definitions used across the textile value chain for environmental and circular-economy topics. It covers design, production, retail, use and reuse, recycling, repair and disposal. The standard aims to reduce confusion and greenwashing by providing a common language for sustainability reporting, claims (e.g., recycled fibre, bio-based content), and downstream compliance and standards work.
Key Topics
ISO 5157:2023 organizes terms into practical categories that are directly relevant to textile sustainability and circular economy initiatives:
- General textile terms: textile fibre, textile product, fibre composition, mono-/multi-material textiles, blended fabric
- Natural and bio-based terms: biomass, bio-based, bio-based content, natural fibre, organic fibre
- Man‑made and polymer terms: regenerated, synthetic and artificial fibres, microfibre, microplastics
- Chemical and contamination terms: chemical content, contaminant, contaminated textile, MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List), restricted chemical, pollutant
- Circular economy & recovery: recycled fibre, material recovery, recycling processes, mono material vs multi material products
- Life cycle and traceability: life cycle assessment (LCA) related vocabulary, chain of custody, traceability concepts
- End-of-life: biodegradability, biodegradation processes, disposal, reuse, repair
These topic areas reflect the table of contents and definitions included in the document and are intended to support consistent use of terms across standards, certification schemes and commercial communications.
Applications and Users
ISO 5157:2023 is practical for anyone working on textile sustainability, including:
- Textile manufacturers and brands - for consistent product declarations and supply‑chain communication
- Sustainability and compliance managers - to align internal policies with industry vocabulary (e.g., recycled content claims, MRSLs)
- Recyclers and circular‑economy solution providers - to clarify material categories (mono vs multi-material) and recycling terminology
- Standards developers, certification bodies and regulators - to harmonize technical documents, tests and certifications
- Product designers and procurement teams - to specify materials and end‑of‑life considerations using standardized terms
Using ISO 5157 supports clearer sustainability claims, improved traceability, and better comparability of LCA and circularity metrics.
Related Standards
ISO 5157:2023 draws on and aligns with other ISO documents and industry references, for example:
These related standards help integrate ISO 5157 into broader sustainability and regulatory frameworks for textiles.
