These days it is very fashionable to be “green.” But what about fashion itself? Can it be green too? One of the not-so-secret things about the traditional fashion industry is that it has had many environmental and labor problems throughout the years. There were not many options that allowed a conscious consumer to feel good about what he or she was wearing while looking good. Today, however, consumers have more choices. From underwear to shoes to outdoor gear, you have an array of eco-friendly companies to choose from. Below are several of the best.
PACT Underwear
When you think about organic, you probably think of strawberries or cereal and probably not your underwear. Some entrepreneurs in California want to change this. They have started PACT, an underwear company that uses organic cotton to make underwear and support various environmental groups. The company’s motto, “Change starts with your underwear,” reflects the goal of the company to change how clothing is produced. It sources its organic cotton within a 100-mile radius of the factory to reduce transportation emissions, refuses to use certain dyes and chemicals that are not environmentally friendly, and ships the underwear in fully compostable packaging. [1]
PACT is a certified B-Corporation, which means that the company’s mission is to use business to solve social and environmental problems. In order to maintain this certification, the company has to adhere to strict environmental and labor criteria. [2] The company also partners with environmental organizations to raise money for environmental awareness and protection. PACT has designed lines of underwear specifically for the Sierra Club, ForestEthics, and Oceana, donating a percentage of the sales of each line to the groups. [3]
Photo Source: media.dexigner.com
TOMS Shoes
If you were to tell someone that you planned to start a company where for each item you produced, you would donate the same item to charity, that person might look at you like you were crazy. They would question how you ever expected to make a living giving away half your inventory. However, that is exactly what TOMS shoes has been doing since 2006. For every pair of shoes that people purchase, TOMS donates one pair to someone in a developing country who needs them. The company has given away over one million pairs of shoes and is still going strong. [4]
TOMS also sponsors “One Day Without Shoes” events around the world, where people spend a day without wearing shoes to see what it is like for those who do not have any. The event raises awareness about the need for shoes and raises money to send more shoes to developing countries. [5]
On the production side, TOMS uses environmentally friendly materials for its shoes. The company combines post-consumer recycled plastics with organic canvas to create shoes that are durable and stylish. TOMS even has a line of vegan shoes, something that is hard to find in the marketplace. [6]
Photo Source: Toms.com
Threads for Thought
Few eco-friendly fashion companies have the social cachet that Thread for Thought does. Based in New York City, the company’s clothing has been seen on celebrities across the country. The brand is not just glitter and glam, though. The company also strives to be sustainable, using fabrics made from organic cotton and polyester from recycled plastic bottles. In addition, Threads for Thought partners with the International Rescue Committee to raise money to help refugees in developing and war-torn countries and with the Natural Resources Defense Council to advance environmental law and legislation. [7]
Photo Source: threadsforthought.com
Jonäno
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, famous for its steel mills and heavy industry, is not known for its environmental prowess. Pittsburgh does have its green side, though. Jonäno, a clothing company based there, is developing fashion for women that is both elegant and eco-friendly. According to Bonnie Siefers, Jonäno’s founder and designer, the company “chooses organically grown, recyclable, and/or sustainable materials as the primary materials” from which it makes the clothes. [8]
Jonäno uses organic cotton, organic hemp, and other alternatives to the traditional sources of clothing fabrics. It has developed a special line of very soft, cashmere-like fabric made from bamboo fibers, and is currently working on a special fabric made out of corn crop wastes. [9]
Photo Source: jonano.com
Rawganique
Rawganique (derived from the words raw, organic, and unique) is not your typical fashion company. Founded in 2000 by Touch Jamikorn and Klaus Wallner, the company makes simple, functional clothing primarily from organic cotton, hemp, and linen. The founders wanted to share their mission with people to live more sustainably through their fashion choices. They fervently believe that the U.S. is missing an opportunity by suppressing the cultivation of industrial hemp, and are demonstrating that products made from the fiber are fashionable, functional, and eco-friendly. [10]
Photo Source: rawganique.com
REI
For outdoor enthusiasts, there is probably no other store in the world that is more inviting than REI. When you walk into an REI store, you immediately notice the wide variety of hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, and running gear. Being inside an REI makes nature lovers feel like kids in a candy store. There is so much great gear that it is hard to leave without buying all of it. What might not be so apparent when you see all of the products is REI’s commitment to sustainability. The cooperative donates millions of dollars each year to causes that protect and preserve the environment. Employees donate many hours to their favorite environmental and social causes, too. [11]
In addition, REI also operates as sustainably as it can by installing energy-efficient lighting in its stores, buying renewable energy, and recycling most of its packaging materials. This commitment to sustainability carries over into REI’s clothing, too. The cooperative has created the ecoSensitive™ line of clothing made from recycled and renewable fibers, and it provides consumers with lots of information about what went into making specific items “green.” REI also works with suppliers to find the most eco-friendly clothing possible. [12]
Photo Source: rei.com
Element EcoWear
It has been said that wherever you put your money is where your heart is. That is definitely the case at Element EcoWear. Element EcoWear claims to be “earth’s favorite clothing,” and it backs that claim up with its environmentally friendly ethos. The company donates 1% of gross sales or 5% of net profits, whichever is larger, to five different environmental organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Trust for Public Land, Earthjustice, the Ocean Conservancy, and the Coral Reef Alliance. [13] For its fabrics, the company uses renewable, eco-friendly materials such as bamboo fibers and organic cotton (example in photo to right), soy, and hemp. [14]
Photo Source: elementecowear.com
SPUN
SPUN was started in 2007 by Sara Seumae, a Seattle woman who wanted to buy some organic clothing but could not find exactly what she wanted. The choices available to her were not what she was looking for, so without any fashion experience, she decided to start her own clothing company. All of the company’s garments are made in the U.S. from 100% certified-organic cotton. The fabric is dyed with an “environmentally safe low–impact fiber reactive dyeing process,” making it “green” through and through. [15]
Photo Source: choosespun.com
Recycle a Tee
Recycle a Tee wants to change this. The company’s mission is to “produce quality, affordable organic clothing, t-shirts, and apparels with a minimal ecological footprint,” using organic cotton and PVC-free dyes, but they go beyond just talking about what goes into their clothes.
In the U.S., nearly 12 million pounds of textile waste are thrown away each year, a problem that Recycle a Tee deems solvable. The company recycles over 90% of the waste from the production process, and has also started a program that allows customers to recycle their garments when they no longer want them. You can send your shirt back to the company (they pay for shipping) to receive a 25% store credit on your next purchase, and the company donates it to charity or sends it to a recycling facility. This saves you money and helps the environment – a win-win situation. [16]
Photo Source: recycleatee.com
Look Good, Feel Good
Companies like these are changing the fashion industry. They are demonstrating that you can have good-looking clothes and still treat employees and the environment well. By insisting on higher environmental and labor standards, these companies are leading the way toward a more sustainable future. As a customer, you can now look good and feel good, knowing that your clothing choices are doing their part to make a better world.
Sources
1. http://www.wearpact.com/ingredients/
2. http://www.wearpact.com/blog/
3. http://www.wearpact.com/collections-and-causes/sierra-club.html/
4. http://www.toms.com/our-movement
5. http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/
6. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/the-th-interview-toms-2.php
7. http://www.threadsforthought.com/brand http://www.threadsforthought.com/charities
8. http://www.jonano.com/news-events/june-22-2009-ten-minutes-with-jonano-designer-bonnie-siefers.html
9. http://www.jonano.com/news-events/wearable-corn-maisse-eco-lux-lingerie-blends-corn-and-bamboo.html
10. http://www.rawganique.com/aboutus.htm
11. http://www.rei.com/aboutrei/about_rei.html
12. http://www.rei.com/help/eco-conscious.html
13. http://www.elementecowear.com/7-policies-info/ecodonations/policies_information–eco-donations_p1.html
14. http://www.elementecowear.com/6-about_products/earth-friendly_organic_clothing-choose_bamboo_soy_organic_cotton.html
15. http://www.choosespun.com/spun_story.html
16. http://recycleatee.com/index.php?main_page=recycle
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