Sustainable Action Leadership

Sustainable Textiles.....

Here is the definition of Sustainable Textiles that I have been using the last two years in my  Eco-Innovations workshops

 

•  All materials and process inputs and outputs are safe for human and ecological health in all phases of the product life cycle.
• All energy, material and process inputs come from renewable or recycled sources.

• All materials are capable of returning safely to either natural systems or industrial systems.

• All stages in the product life cycle actively support the reuse or recycling of these materials at  the highest possible level of quality.

• All product life cycle stages enhance social well being.

Above Design by Harmony Art

 

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Navigating Organic~Eco Labels; Smart Solutions for Sustainable Business

 

by Coral Rose

The terms “eco, green, sustainable and organic” are being used openly and interchangeably in the market with the term ‘certified organic.’ Inappropriate use of environmental labels has caused confusion in the apparel market. To be sold in the US as certified organic cotton, all textile fiber must be certified organic in accordance with the USDA NOP (National Organic Program) program (or) for Europe the EU organic certifications EU 2092/91. Currently that is the legal requirement for certified organic cotton.

This is NOT business as usual, nor is this a trend, this is an entirely new business model, one where you need to know your supply chain clear back to the farm or fiber production facility. Where does your fiber come from? What is the country of origin? Bottom line: There needs to be Supply Chain Transparency back to the farmer and to the seed.

One reason that there is confusion in the apparel market is that the NOP Organic Standards were originally created for food.

So why is cotton included? The USDA considers cotton a food product until it leaves the gin. Upon completion of the ginning process, where the seed and fiber are separated, cotton consists of 60% seed and 40% fiber. Cotton seed enters the food chain. Cottonseed oil is found in many processed snack foods, among them chips, cookies, crackers and salad dressings. Cotton seed is fed to livestock, dairy cattle and poultry as a high protein supplement. The remaining fiber is baled and shipped to textile mills to be spun into yarn for fabric.

The Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS)has been submitted for trademark rights. GOTS has offered the world the first globally accepted standard for certified organic fibers. (As early as Fall 2008, we may see the USDA NOP adopt GOTS as the USDA NOP official standard for fiber. )

The GOTS standard for organic textiles covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, exportation, importation and distribution of all natural fibres. The final products may include, but are not limited to fibre products, yarns, fabrics and clothes.

“The aim of the standard is to define requirements to ensure organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.” The standard provides for a subdivision into two label-grades. “ according to GOTS.

a) "organic" or "organic in conversion" 95% or more of the fibres must be of certified organic (or in conversion) origin. The remaining balance up to 5% may be made of non-organic fibres including defined regenerated and synthetic fibres. Blending (= mixing the same fibre in organic and conventional quality in one product) is not permitted.

b) "made with x % organic materials" or " made with x % organic in conversion materials" 70% - 95% or more of the fibres must be of certified organic (or in conversion) origin. The remaining balance up to 30% may be made of non-organic fibres. Regenerated and synthetic fibres are limited to 10% (resp. 25% in the US). Again blending is not permitted.

There is concern in the organic food and apparel market with standards that seek to certify blends and or low percentages of organic fiber content. If USDA/NOP recognizes GOTS as the US Standard for apparel, these minimal standards could go away as quickly as they appeared.

Your label claims CANNOT be deceptive according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Environmental Marketing Guides.

“It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, that a product, package or service offers a general environmental benefit.” Additionally, claims should be adequately qualified to avoid consumer deception.

FTC is an Independent Agency, appointed by the President. Its goal is to enforce consumer protection and antitrust laws AND the FTC has jurisdiction over environmental claims and Textile Labeling.

FTC’s GREEN GUIDES(link)  

The Green Guides do not set performance standards or grant eco-labels but require that labels and communications:

• Tell the truth
• Have substantiation
• Are based on consumer perceptions and require claims controls so they are not misleading
• Have clear qualifications & disclosures
• Specify whether claims apply to the product, the package, or both
• Do no overstate the product attributes

General Environmental Claims:

• Qualify: identify specific "green" attribute
• Third Party Certifications must be independent from advertiser
• Certification does not insulate advertiser - Avoid broad claims unless it is based on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and sustainable product standard addressing multiple environmental impacts      across the supply chain and social equity.

Symbols

• Avoid unqualified symbols, e.g. generic recyclable
• Use disclosures to qualify claims. Recyclable e.g. for this bottle may not exist in your area.

Bottom line; Before you label-Educate yourself!!!!!!

 

Have You Been Bamboozled by Bamboo?

BAMBOO IS NOT A FIBER.

BAMBOO IS NOT LEGALLY RECOGNIZED AS A FIBER BY THE FTC.

Bamboo is not, in and of itself, recognized as a fiber in the US or EU.  What is referred to as bamboo fiber in the market is actually viscose/rayon.

All viscose or rayon fiber from Bamboo (as a source) that is imported into the US must carry a legal fiber content label declaration of viscose or rayon. All bamboo imported into the EU must use of the legal content declaration viscose; the EU does not permit the use of the word rayon.

According to the FTC, you can label your garments; "Rayon from Bamboo"

As one of the fastest growing plants in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years.  It spreads rapidly across large areas. Because of relatively quick growing time and the ability to be grown without fertilizers or pesticides, the fiber is currently being marketed as an ‘eco-green-sustainable fiber.’ There are also claims that viscose or rayon from bamboo is biodegradable and anti-microbial. There are potential risks associated with using bamboo as a polymer source for rayon since there is currently a lack of transparency in the supply chain. It is not always clear which type of bamboo is used for fiber, where it is grown, how it is cultivated, harvested etc. To date there are no known organic certification of bamboo. 

The process to make viscose or rayon fiber from bamboo is the same process used to produce viscose/ rayon from any other plant source. The cellulose is extracted from the bamboo, and then the cellulose is mixed with chemicals to convert the plant pulp into textile quality fiber. This process can be very polluting unless it is carefully controlled, which can be influenced by the age and condition of the equipment as well as whether there is any by-product recycling or effluent treatment.  

There is only one case of manufacturing a regenerated cellulose fiber-where the chemicals used in the process are completely recycled  with a recovery rate of 99.5%, this is known as a closed loop system. The fiber made using this closed looped process is Lenzings TENCEL ® Lyocell. More accurately described Lyocell is a solvent spun fiber in which the cellulose is directly dissolved keeping the cellulose much closer to that found in nature. TENCEL® Lyocell,  also carries the Oeko Tex 100 certification and FSC certification ( http://www.fsc.org/en/) Currently organic standards are not in place for certifying regenerated fibers using trees as a source e.g. Eucalyptus, or Beechwood.  FSC certification for TENCEL® Lyocell is for the forest and for the pulp, they also have been awarded the European-Eco flower label. (www.Lenzing.com)

 

Navigating Organic~Eco Labels; Smart Solutions for Sustainable Business

by Coral Rose

The terms “eco, green, sustainable and organic” are being used openly and interchangeably in the market with the term ‘certified organic.’ Inappropriate use of environmental labels has caused confusion in the apparel market. To be sold in the US as certified organic cotton, all textile fiber must be certified organic in accordance with the USDA NOP (National Organic Program) program (or) for Europe the EU organic certifications EU 2092/91. Currently that is the legal requirement for certified organic cotton.

This is NOT business as usual, nor is this a trend, this is an entirely new business model, one where you need to know your supply chain clear back to the farm or fiber production facility. Where does your fiber come from? What is the country of origin? Bottom line: There needs to be Supply Chain Transparency back to the farmer and to the seed.

One reason that there is confusion in the apparel market is that the NOP Organic Standards were originally created for food.

So why is cotton included? The USDA considers cotton a food product until it leaves the gin. Upon completion of the ginning process, where the seed and fiber are separated, cotton consists of 60% seed and 40% fiber. Cotton seed enters the food chain. Cottonseed oil is found in many processed snack foods, among them chips, cookies, crackers and salad dressings. Cotton seed is fed to livestock, dairy cattle and poultry as a high protein supplement. The remaining fiber is baled and shipped to textile mills to be spun into yarn for fabric.

The Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS)is premiering the new GOTS Logo at BioFach in Nurenberg, Germany this week.GOTS has offered the world the first globally accepted standard for certified organic fibers. (As early as Fall 2008, we may see the USDA NOP adopt GOTS as the USDA NOP official standard for fiber. )

The GOTS standard for organic textiles covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, exportation, importation and distribution of all natural fibres. The final products may include, but are not limited to fibre products, yarns, fabrics and clothes.

“The aim of the standard is to define requirements to ensure organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.” The standard provides for a subdivision into two label-grades. “ according to GOTS.

a) "organic" or "organic in conversion" 95% or more of the fibres must be of certified organic (or in conversion) origin. The remaining balance up to 5% may be made of non-organic fibres including defined regenerated and synthetic fibres. Blending (= mixing the same fibre in organic and conventional quality in one product) is not permitted.

b) "made with x % organic materials" or " made with x % organic in conversion materials" 70% - 95% or more of the fibres must be of certified organic (or in conversion) origin. The remaining balance up to 30% may be made of non-organic fibres. Regenerated and synthetic fibres are limited to 10% (resp. 25% in the US). Again blending is not permitted.

There is concern in the organic food and apparel market with standards that seek to certify blends and or low percentages of organic fiber content. If USDA/NOP recognizes GOTS as the US Standard for apparel, these minimal standards could go away as quickly as they appeared.

Your label claims CANNOT be deceptive according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Environmental Marketing Guides.

“It is deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, that a product, package or service offers a general environmental benefit.” Additionally, claims should be adequately qualified to avoid consumer deception.

FTC is an Independent Agency, appointed by the President. Its goal is to enforce consumer protection and antitrust laws AND the FTC has jurisdiction over environmental claims and Textile Labeling.

FTC’s GREEN GUIDES 

The Green Guides do not set performance standards or grant eco-labels but require that labels and communications:

• Tell the truth
• Have substantiation
• Are based on consumer perceptions and require claims controls so they are not misleading
• Have clear qualifications & disclosures
• Specify whether claims apply to the product, the package, or both
• Do no overstate the product attributes

General Environmental Claims:

• Qualify: identify specific "green" attribute
• Third Party Certifications must be independent from advertiser
• Certification does not insulate advertiser - Avoid broad claims unless it is based on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and sustainable product standard addressing multiple environmental impacts      across the supply chain and social equity.

Symbols

• Avoid unqualified symbols, e.g. generic recyclable
• Use disclosures to qualify claims. Recyclable e.g. for this bottle may not exist in your area.

Bottom line; Before you label-Educate yourself!!!!!!

 

Sustainable Fibers

With the current eco-opportunistic GREEN rush to market by fabric suppliers, it is not surprising that recently retailer Lululemon Athletica made headlines about the validity/credibility of a new so-called eco/sustainable fabric.

This is NOT business as usual, nor is this a trend, this is an entirely new  business model, one where you need to know your supply chain clear back to the farm or fiber production facility, where does your fiber come from? What is the country of origin???? that is just for starters.

Since the market currently lacks standards and third party certification of sustainable/eco-fibers, the fabric market has become the “Wild West”….where anything goes…..the only problem is there is something called….”Truth in Labeling.”

I urge participants of my Eco-Textiles Workshops to consult the FTC guidelines for clarity, bottom line....
Your label claims CANNOT be deceptive.

The terms “eco, green, sustainable and organic” are being used openly and interchangeably in the market with the term ‘certified organic.’

To be sold in the US as certified organic, all fiber must be certified organic in accordance with the USDA NOP program (or) for Europe the EU organic certifications EU 2092/91.

Of enormous concern, much more than Lululemons “Sea Cell”... is what people are touting as “Bamboo” I  was concerned as I shopped in  L.A. recently, at the number of  garments on shelves that contained  fiber  declarations of "Bamboo?"  

Read on………………………

Viscose or Rayon from Bamboo    

Bamboo is not, in and of itself, recognized as a fiber in the US or EU.  What is referred to as bamboo fiber in the market is actually viscose/rayon.

All viscose or rayon fiber from Bamboo (as a source) that is imported into the US must carry a legal fiber content label declaration of viscose or rayon. All bamboo imported into the EU must use of the legal content declaration viscose; the EU does not permit the use of the word rayon.

As one of the fastest growing plants in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years.  Because of relatively quick growing time and the ability to be grown without fertilizers or pesticides, the fiber is currently being marketed as an ‘eco-green-sustainable fiber.’

There are also claims that viscose or rayon from bamboo is biodegradable and anti-microbial. Here is the definition of antimicrobal; "Capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms" 

Currently there is a lack of transparency in the supply chain. It is not always clear which type of bamboo is used for fiber, where it is grown, how it is cultivated, harvested etc. To date there are no known organic certification of bamboo.

The process to make viscose or rayon fiber from bamboo is the same process used to produce viscose/ rayon from any other plant source. This process can be very polluting unless it is carefully controlled, which can be influenced by the age and condition of the equipment as well as whether there is any by-product recycling or effluent treatment.

Tencel® Lyocell 

There is only one case of manufacturing a regenerated cellulose fiber-where the chemicals used in the process are completely recycled (closed loop) with a recovery rate of 99.5%. Lenzings TENCEL ® Lyocell, is a solvent spun fiber in which the cellulose is directly dissolved keeping the cellulose much closer to that found in nature. TENCEL® Lyocell,  also carries the Oeko Tex 100 certification and FSC certification Currently organic standards are not in place for certifying regenerated fibers using trees as a source e.g. Eucalyptus, or Beechwood.  FSC certification for TENCEL® Lyocell is for the forest and for the pulp, they also have been awarded the European-Eco flower label.

The Green Claim Game........Part I of III

With the current eco-opportunistic GREEN rush to market by fabric suppliers, it is not surprising that recently retailer Lululemon Athletica made headlines about the validity/credibility of a new so-called eco/sustainable fabric.

This is NOT business as usual, nor is this a trend, this is an entirely new  business model, one where you need to know your supply chain clear back to the farm or fiber production facility, where does your fiber come from? What is the country of origin???? that is just for starters.

Since the market currently lacks standards and third party certification of sustainable/eco-fibers, the fabric market has become the “Wild West”….where anything goes…..the only problem is there is something called….”Truth in Labeling.”

I urge participants of my Eco-Textiles Workshops to consult the FTC guidelines for clarity, bottom line....
Your label claims CANNOT be deceptive.

The terms “eco, green, sustainable and organic” are being used openly and interchangeably in the market with the term ‘certified organic.’

To be sold in the US as certified organic, all fiber must be certified organic in accordance with the USDA NOP program (or) for Europe the EU organic certifications EU 2092/91.

Of enormous concern, much more than Lululemons “Sea Cell”... is what people are touting as “Bamboo” I  was concerned as I shopped in  L.A. recently, at the number of  garments on shelves that contained  fiber  declarations of "Bamboo?"  

Read on………………………

Viscose or Rayon from Bamboo    

Bamboo is not, in and of itself, recognized as a fiber in the US or EU.  What is referred to as bamboo fiber in the market is actually viscose/rayon.

All viscose or rayon fiber from Bamboo (as a source) that is imported into the US must carry a legal fiber content label declaration of viscose or rayon. All bamboo imported into the EU must use of the legal content declaration viscose; the EU does not permit the use of the word rayon.

As one of the fastest growing plants in the world, bamboo grows to its maximum height in about 3 months and reaches maturity in 3-4 years.  Because of relatively quick growing time and the ability to be grown without fertilizers or pesticides, the fiber is currently being marketed as an ‘eco-green-sustainable fiber.’

There are also claims that viscose or rayon from bamboo is biodegradable and anti-microbial. Here is the definition of antimicrobal; "Capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms" 

Currently there is a lack of transparency in the supply chain. It is not always clear which type of bamboo is used for fiber, where it is grown, how it is cultivated, harvested etc. To date there are no known organic certification of bamboo.

The process to make viscose or rayon fiber from bamboo is the same process used to produce viscose/ rayon from any other plant source. This process can be very polluting unless it is carefully controlled, which can be influenced by the age and condition of the equipment as well as whether there is any by-product recycling or effluent treatment.

Tencel® Lyocell 

There is only one case of manufacturing a regenerated cellulose fiber-where the chemicals used in the process are completely recycled (closed loop) with a recovery rate of 99.5%. Lenzings TENCEL ® Lyocell, is a solvent spun fiber in which the cellulose is directly dissolved keeping the cellulose much closer to that found in nature. TENCEL® Lyocell,  also carries the Oeko Tex 100 certification and FSC certification Currently organic standards are not in place for certifying regenerated fibers using trees as a source e.g. Eucalyptus, or Beechwood.  FSC certification for TENCEL® Lyocell is for the forest and for the pulp, they also have been awarded the European-Eco flower label.

Part II.......is it really biodegradable, compostable and or recyclable???

Sustainable Action Leadership