The Responsibility Index

The Responsibility Index helps you quickly understand how environmentally and socially responsible a growing media product is.

Every mix that’s part of the Responsible Sourcing Scheme is assessed against seven key criteria: energy use, water use, social compliance, habitat and biodiversity, pollution, renewability, and resource use efficiency.

Each of the seven criteria is scored from 0 to 20, giving a total possible score of 140 for every growing media ingredient. These ingredient scores are independently verified and combined to calculate an overall product score. That total determines the product’s Responsibility Index rating, from A to E, with A being the most responsible and E the least.

Each rating band represents a defined score range.
Grade A demonstrates the lowest environmental and social impact, while Grade E represents the highest.

Visually, the Responsibility Index will appear both on this website and on packaging via the RSS Accredited Member logo. This allows everyone, from professional growers to home gardeners, to make quick, informed choices about the responsibility of the products they buy.

Every manufacturer begins with an initial audit that sets a clear baseline. From there, the goal is continuous improvement, and all members are actively working to raise their scores over time.