Group items tagged

Fashion retailer H&M has been named the biggest user of organic cotton for the second consecutive year. Their increase in the use is part of their plan to use more sustainable cotton in their clothing lines by 2020. The company has been using certified organic cotton for the past 8 years and their clothes are clearly labeled to inform the consumer of their informed choice. 

But the cotton is probably not from the U.S. Only 1% of U.S. cotton is organic.

This is a great way to get people informed on what exactly the fashion industry is doing to the environment. Garments were tested for chemicals that might harm the environment or human health. It found that 89 of the 141 contained detectable levels of nonylphenol ethoxylates or NPEs. The campaign is pushing for fashion brands to commit to zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals by 2020.  

Greenpeace loves doing stuff like this. They try to capture as much free media attention as possible. This one did not get much play though.

Ecouterre is a website that promotes about eco friendly fashion, designers, and technology. The idea is to inform the public about the advances being made in sustainable fashion. There has also been a new certificate developed that encourages fashion brands and retailers to recycle waste and become more sustainable. Consumers are able to use the certificate to see how their purchase is directly impacting the environment. I think this certificate is such a great idea. Being able to directly see how one's purchase is affecting the environment will definitely encourage more people to shop at retailers that utilize the certificate. 

A Minnesota fashion group has created a set of standards for sustainable and "green" fashion. The group hopes to better put the consumer at ease by informing them of the strict standards that are carried out to ensure their garment is ethically made and environmentally sustainable. The group offers their certification requirements free of cost to the designer so it is not difficult or expensive to attain for companies just starting out. 

A set of standards is a good idea. The USDA can set organic standards but most of the environmental harm is from the chemicals used on the textiles later in the cycle.

This article is about how lately consumer trends have been more about buying from smaller farms to invest in community agriculture, but in recent findings this trend is not really helping the environment as much as consumers think.

This second article is about how this year in New York fashion week, sustainability was also a new trend. But for different designers and brands sustainability means different things, like being ethical or using environmentally friendly products. It really all depended on the designers and their definition of sustainability.

I have read about people trying to get more information on tags so consumers can make their own decisions. I think people do have different definitions.