Sustainable Action Leadership

How Green Is Your Wardrobe?

Orginal Post on EcoTextile News click here

MATLOCK – [08.07.08] A new on-line calculator which allows consumers to calculate the environmental impact of their clothing has been launched by Colour Connections Ltd – the same company which developed the ground-breaking textile eco-metrics (click here or see this blogs 7.18.08 post) for manufacturers and clothing brands.

The new ‘Household Textile Environmental Impact Calculator’ differs from textile eco-metrics in that it's aimed specifically at shoppers instead of the textile industry. Using a series of drop-down menus and a set of complex mathematics hidden behind its user friendly interface allows consumers to assess the environmental impact of the choices they make when they buy, care and dispose of household textiles and clothing.

All users have to do is choose from a list of common clothing items in terms of how many items they buy and how they are disposed in a twelve month period. Then users are asked how these items are washed, dried and ironed in a typical week. After pressing the 'calculate' button, users score a rating in terms of 'Environmental Damage Units' or EDU’s. The EDU value is an environmental measure which is scientifically arrived at based on water and energy use, the use of non-renewable resources and pollution.

The overall EDU score for each item of clothing depends on each individual consumer’s buying preferences, how they care for their garments and ultimately how they dispose of them.

“You may be surprised at how much impact your personal or family clothing preferences have on the environment,” said Phil Patterson, managing director of Colour Connections. “Doing one fewer tumble drying cycle per week saves 170 EDU’s, which is enough to make the fabric for 50 pairs of underpants.”

CLICK HERE to see how your wardrobe stacks up.

Copyright © 2008 Mowbray Communications Ltd 

Labeling of Textiles: National Organic Program (NOP)

USDA regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through its
National Organic Program (NOP) regulation, 7 CFR Part 205.(LINK HERE)

● Raw natural fibers, such as cotton, wool ,flax, etc., are agricultural products and
are covered under the NOP crop/livestock production standards. Off-farm treatment of
raw organic fibers are not covered under the NOP crop/livestock production standards. 

● Although the NOP has no specific fiber or textile processing and manufacturing
standards, it may be possible for fi bers grown and certified to NOP crop/livestock standards
to be processed and manufactured into textile and other products which meet NOP
standards. 

Labeling for Certified Handling/Processing/ Manufacturing Operations 

Only textile products certified to the NOP production AND processing standards are eligible to be labeled
“100 percent organic” and “organic.” 

100 percent organic 

● 100 percent organic fiber content.

● Only organic processing aids.

● USDA Organic seal may be displayed on final product, in marketing materials, and in retail
displays—in proximity to certified products only.

● All operations producing, handling, processing and manufacturing the final product must be
certified. 

Organic 

● Minimum of 95 percent organic fiber content.

● 5 percent nonorganic substances, as listed in Section 205.605 of the NOP regulation.

● No non-organic fibers.

● USDA Organic seal may be displayed on final product, in marketing materials, and in retail
displays—in proximity to certified products only.

● All operations producing, handling, processing,and manufacturing the final product must be certified. 

Other Uses of the Word “Organic” in Textile Product Labeling 

The NOP does not restrict the use of the term “made with organic …” in the labeling of textile products to
only those products manufactured in certified organic facilities or containing a minimum of 70 percent
organic fibers. However, all fibers identified in these textile products as “organic” must be produced and
certified to NOP standards. 

Labels on textile products from non-certified handling/processing/manufacturing operations: 

● May identify specific fibers as being organic if certified to the NOP crop/livestock standards.

● May state the percentage of organic fibers contained in the final product.

● May not use the USDA Organic seal.

● May not imply or lead the consumer to believe that the final product is certified organic 

Other Labeling Laws 

● NOP label requirements are in addition to those required by the Federal Trade
Commission’s (FTC) Textile and Wool Acts.

● Information on FTC labeling requirements for textiles can be found at the following websites:

Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements of The Textile and Wool Acts

Calling it Cotton

Love, Earth Jewelry: From Mine to Store

How do corporations support sustainable consumerism in light of lack of transparency and the slew of misleading claims in the market? By purchasing fully transparent product source to shelf and by communicating that to their customers.

Love, Earth Jewelry: From mine to store

In another “game changing” move, congrats goes to Wal-Mart Stores Inc this week for introducing a ‘transparent’ line of gold and silver jewelry that can be traced from the mine to store shelves. "For every ring that is made, gold mining generates approximately 20 tons of waste. Most of the world's gold deposits consist of microscopic specks that must be chemically extracted from rocks using thousands of gallons of cyanide.”

Wal-Mart said the Love, Earth line, which includes a $69.84 sterling silver necklace and $48 hoop earrings, will be sold in its U.S. discount stores, Sam's Club warehouses and online. A customer who buys the jewelry can log on to a website to see where their particular piece of jewelry was mined and learn about the suppliers' environmental programs.

"It's the first time ever that we, or any major mass retailer, have been able to provide customers with a way to trace the path of their product from the mine it was actually mined from to the shelf," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Tara Raddohl.

As the retailer looks to sell more jewelry sourced from mines and manufacturers that meet its environmental and human rights standards. Those standards currently include minimization of waste and pollution; safe disposal of waste and hazardous materials; respect for employee rights; and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Wal-Mart wants at least 10 percent of its jewelry offerings to meet those standards by 2010.

Fair Trade-Organic Coffee........Part III of III

                      

Saving the planet one cup at a time…..

Café Bom Dia (click here) (Portuguese: "coffee good morning")

Café Bom Dia’s story began in 1895, when the Marques De Paiva family planted its first coffee seeds in Brazil’s lush tropical farmlands. The region’s legendary sun, mineral-rich soil and tropical mountains proved to be the perfect setting for growing for quality, low-acid coffees. Now a century later, Café Bom Dia is one of Brazil’s great coffee companies and a supplier to the world.

As fourth generation farmers, the family behind Café Bom Dia believes in protecting the earth and supporting small-scale, independent farmers.

Café Bom Dia uses locally available coffee tree and eucalyptus wood as renewable fuel for its roasting facility. As a participant in the USDA Forest Stewardship Program, Café Bom Dia plants back lumbered trees at the same rate to ensure reforestation.

Cafe Bom Dia's integrated tree to shelf approach means coffee travels fewer miles before reaching the retailer and we rely on recycled shipping pallets that may be reused at their global destination. These steps and an aggressive effort to measure, reduce and offset its CO2 emissions led to Café Bom Dia’s certification as the first CarbonNeutral® coffee company in the world.

In addition to our USDA Organics, Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade Certified ™ products, we are proud of our company-wide commitment to environmental and social movements.

Information as reported on Cafe Bom Dia's website click here.
 

Fair Trade-Organic Coffee........Part II of III

Coffee for a cause or known as, The “Cause” coffee market goes mainstream............... 

Q. Why would consumers care about making sure that they choose coffee that is Organic, Fair Trade or Fair Trade Organic?

A. Because, It takes one pound of chemical inputs to produce a pound of coffee.

Looking at these few facts, we should all be buying 'cause coffee'

• 108 million people in the U.S. drank coffee yesterday.

• At 2.3 billion pounds each year, Americans consume more coffee than any other nation. For every daily coffee drinker in the U.S., there is one worker elsewhere in the world who depends on coffee for his or her livelihood. 

• Of the 25 “biodiversity hotspots” identified by Conservation International, 13 overlap with coffee growing areas.

Its Good for business also..... 

The total US coffee market reached a value of $29.3 billion in 2006. 

Fair Trade coffee grew by 54% between 2001 and 2006, and now represents 2.2% of coffee sold in the US. Fair Trade certified, Rainforest Alliance certified and organic certified coffees all experienced substantial growth in 2006. 

Organic coffee sales were up 22.5% in 2006 to $109 million.  Organic coffees can also provide farmers with a premium ranging from $0.15 to $0.30 per pound, giving them an inducement to cultivate their crops in a sustainable way. 

Fair Trade coffee is  the largest segment of the cause coffee market in the US, representing an estimated 2.2% of total coffee sales in terms of value in the US, up from 1.9% in 2005 according to Datamonitor estimates. 78% of the Fair Trade coffee sold in the US is also Certified Organic. 

At present, 75% of Fair Trade certified coffee in the US market is supplied from Latin American countries, with Nicaragua and Mexico supplying 17% of total Fair Trade coffee each.

According to TransFair, by the end of the first half of 2006, Fair Trade certified coffee had generated an additional $83.3 billion towards farmer income, due to the higher prices paid to farmers. 

While certified prices vary, in the first half of 2006 Fair Trade certified beans cost $1.07 per pound, while the International Coffee Organization ( ICO) average price per pound was $0.84. 

Financial incentives are not just restricted to the farmers. On average Fair Trade coffee can expect to command a 15% premium, and the growth in sales over the last few years demonstrates that there is significant growing demand. 

According to research carried out by Fair Trade, 68% of respondents were willing to pay more for Fair Trade certified coffee, while specialty coffee drinkers were willing to pay the highest premium prices for their product with 60% indicating that they were willing to pay more than a 5% premium for Fair Trade certified coffee and 22% were willing to pay more than a 15% premium price.

Sources: (Datamonitor 2007/US Retail and Foodservice Coffee/Complete Review of Coffee Markets, TransFair Almanac 2007)

Fair Trade/ Organic Coffee Resources:

Equal Exchange

Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO)

The Organic Trade Association Coffee Collaboration

TransFair

Watch Fair Trade the MOVIE here.
 

Fair Trade-Organic Coffee........Part I of III

My concern with the amount of chemicals used in coffee growing, started the evening following the evening, that my granddaughter and I celebrated œEarth Hour. Earlier that day when she called asking to stay the night, I said great, but from 8-9pm we have to turn off all the lights, her response was "œWhy?" and ...........œ"What will we do?"

Well I said "œWhat did people do 50 years ago?" A great place to get grounded in what our parents and grandparents did with their Saturday nights not so long ago..........

While many pose the question, shouldn't every hour be Earth Hour? it seems Earth Hour has become the 'unofficial' kickoff to what is now being pegged as "Earth Month" previously known as Earth Day.

Earth Month "My Coffee AHA!" ............

Wal-Mart kicked off Earth Month with some great T.V. commercials, one of which highlighted a woman sitting next to a stream proclaiming  "If all of us bought a bag of Sam's Choice organic coffee, all 200 million of us, the number of customers that shop at Wal-Mart every week, ”that would save 133 million pounds of harmful chemicals from the earth!!!!"

Fresh off of two weeks work updating the chemicals used in cotton--my immediate thought....this cant be right---next step,”hit the internet---Walmart.com/green---there it was..

"œ200 million bags of USDA Certified organic coffee (10oz) would prevent 133 Million pounds of fertilizers and chemicals from being released into the environment. One bag of USDA Certified organic coffee helps prevent 0.665 pounds of fertilizers and chemicals from being released into the environment. 200 million bags of USDA Certified organic coffee helps prevent 133 Million pounds of fertilizers and chemicals from being released into the environment."Source:http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Sustainability-Page_ektid39886.aspx

Coffee equation:

One bag is 10ounces-or .665 pounds or  One bag of 12 ounces-or .75 pounds

200 million bags of 10-12oz coffee =2 billion ounces

2 billion ounces=125-133 million pounds 

WOW...... I had no idea that coffee had such huge environmental and social impacts---that would mean that coffee was a 1 to 1 ratio, ”chemical pounds  to product pounds, ”this couldn™t be right, ”cotton ”which I am fairly knowledgeable about (see previous posts)---is touted as one of the most heavily chemical intensive crops in the world ”at 2.86 ounces of chemicals per pound of cotton grown---a mere 1/3 of the coffee claim.....

So, if coffees impact is one pound of chemicals for every pound of coffee, why had I never heard about this?

Next step; contact Wal-Mart,”to ask for the back up documents to these claims........

I was impressed by the Wal-Mart promise of transparency--not only the web-posted
Sustainability Substantiation but in the prompt reply my email received.

I was put in contact with the coffee supplier Cafe Bom Dia, the local office here in Northwest Arkansas, and the New York office as well, they immediately sent me all the back up documents from their agronomist.

After spending about a week conducting due diligence, including a third party check of all the information........

YES, indeed the inputs to coffee growing-is about one pound of chemicals-to one pound of coffee*--

I had no idea that my morning cup of Joe was so damaging to the planet!!!! *Note: Almost all of the chemical inputs are in the fertilizer category--not pesticides.

More on Cafe Bom Dia.... continued in Part III........

Fair Trade 101

What is the difference between Fairtrade and Fair Trade?

The term Fairtrade is used to describe the certification and labeling system governed by FLO designed to allow consumers to identify goods produced under agreed labor and environmental standards.

The term Fair Trade is used to refer to the Fair Trade movement as a whole and can be used to describe both labeled and unlabelled goods and the work of Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs), Fair Trade federations and networks such as IFAT, NEWS, and EFTA etc. The term Fair Trade is a broader term often used to describe one or many of the above, but can also occasionally be used to refer to trade justice issues. In such cases, it can be as broad as to describe general fairness in trade, such as tariffs, subsidies, worker rights and other issues.

Fair Trade certification is a market-based model of international trade that benefits over one million farmers and farm workers in 58 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Fair Trade is sometimes used interchangeably with Ethical Trading, however, they are very distinct from one another.

Ethical Trading means companies are involved in a process of ensuring that the basic labor rights of the employees of their third world suppliers are respected.

The FAIRTRADE Mark, applies to products rather than companies.

The FAIRTRADE Mark; Core Standards and practice behind the Five Guarantees;

• · Guarantees farmers a fair and stable price for their products.
• · Extra income for farmers and estate workers to improve their lives.
• · A greater respect for the environment.
• · Small farmers a stronger position in world markets.
• · Closer link between consumers and producers. 

Roots of Fair Trade can be traced back to projects initiated by churches in North America and Europe in the late 1940s. Their goal was to provide relief to refugees and other poverty stricken communities by selling their handicrafts to Northern markets. Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs) offered higher returns to producers in the developing world through direct trade and fair prices. In the US, ATOs such as Ten Thousand Villages and Equal Exchange, are worker owned co-operatives, formed to import Fair Trade crafts and coffee to the US market.

In 1988, world coffee prices began a sharp descent, triggering the birth of the first Fair Trade certification initiative.. The Netherland's Max Havelaar label offered mainstream coffee industry players the opportunity to adopt a standardized system of Fair Trade criteria.

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) is the 'umbrella organization' that establishes Fair Trade standards, globally for the industry using a multi-stakeholder process involving producers, workers, mission-based companies, conventional traders and third party certification labeling Initiatives like TransFair USA.

Which products are Fair Trade Certified™ in the U.S.?

TransFair USA began certifying coffee in 1998 and has since expanded to include tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, and spices. TransFair is currently investigating the potential to certify additional products. Fair Trade Certified flowers, cotton, honey, sports balls, wine and beer are available in the European market. TransFair does not certify handicrafts.

TransFair does not certify COTTON.

Q. Are Fairtrade products organic?

A. Fair Trade standards require sustainable farming techniques and offer price premiums for organic production, However,  Fair Trade certification does not guarantee that a product was organically grown.

Fair Trade farmers are more likely to use sustainable, traditional growing methods rather than apply agrochemicals, and producer groups frequently use Fair Trade revenues to train members in environmentally sustainable farming practices and to finance the cost of organic certification. “FLO encourages producers to work towards organic certification” (FLO, 2003).

Resources:

Redressing a Global Inbalance: The Case for FairTrade Certified Cotton
Source: Fairtrade Foundation Briefing Paper

Fair Trade Garment Standards Feasibility Study
Source: TransFair

FLO
Fair Trade Foundation
TransFair
Oxfam 

Currently The United Nations “Least Developed” Countries are the only countries eligible for Fairtrade certification.                           

Watch Fair Trade the MOVIE here.

In Honor of Memorial Day 2008

'Fair Trade Cotton'........Part II of II

One of the most common fairtrade questions is.....

What is the difference between Fairtrade clothing and Ethical clothing?

Fairtrade is often confused with ethical trade but they are different. Ethical trading (or sourcing) is a business model that aims to ensure that acceptable minimum labor standards are met in the supply chains of the whole range of a company's products. Fairtrade specifically aims to improve the position of marginalized producers, and enable trade to contribute to sustainable development initiatives that have a wider community benefit.

Key unique aspects of Fairtrade are that:

• There is a focus on disadvantaged smallholders at the bottom of supply chains.

• Producers receive a fair and stable price which covers the costs of sustainable production a Fairtrade premium for investment in social development projects.

• It helps producer groups organize themselves democratically to protect their rights.

• It empowers producer groups through provision of information on markets and supply chains

• It uses the FAIRTRADE Mark as a tool to build a social consumer movement pushing for change in global trading.

Social Benefits of Fair Trade

International Labor Organization (ILO)

The Fairtade Labelling Organizations International or (FLO) requires that the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Conventions must be followed. Fair Trade organizations and cooperatives must abide by these standards, and take steps to ensure farmer’s workers follow them as well. Forced or bonded labor is prohibited, as is child labor that is hazardous or interferes with the child’s education. Children cannot be hired under the age of 15. Workers must enjoy freedom of association and collective bargaining. They must be employed under fair conditions, and paid at least the national minimum wage. Hazards in the work environment must be minimized as much as is possible. 

• Each stage in the commercial supply chain to process Fair Trade Certified cotton from raw cotton into  its final product must demonstrate compliance with ILO international labour standards. In the production of all cotton, company and sub-contracted companies within in the supply chain, including those doing the ginning, spinning, weaving, knitting and dyeing, etc. of the cotton, must clearly demonstrate they are in  compliance with ILO Labor Standards. Including holding an International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) membership certificate or demonstrating that      the company is a worker’s cooperative. 

Fairtrade Cotton Good For Business Too:

Fairtrade Market Doubles in One Year!!!!
As recently reported here in EcoTextileNews :

"Global demand for Fairtrade cotton has doubled in just one year according to the latest figures available from Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) with worldwide sales of all Fairtrade products rising by 47% on last year."

'FairTrade Cotton'........Part I of II

Fairtrade certified cotton carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark was launched internationally in April 2005. Fairtrade certification of cotton is currently helping over 95,000 people - farmers, workers and their families - to improve their lives, as well as the wider community, through receipt of a fair price for their cotton and a Fairtrade premium.

Fairtrade cotton is cotton which has met the international Fairtrade standard for production of seed cotton and is therefore eligible to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. The Mark is an independent product certification label which guarantees that cotton farmers are getting a better deal - receiving a fair and stable Fairtrade price and Fairtrade premium, receiving pre-financing where requested and benefiting from longer-term, more direct trading relationships. The Fairtrade minimum price is set at the farm gate level and is based on actual costs of sustainable production. If the local market price is higher than this minimum price, then the market price applies. An additional payment of a Fairtrade premium is set aside for farmers’ organizations to spend on social and environmental projects or to strengthen their businesses. This ensures that communities have the power and resources to invest in long-term improvements. Elected farmer committees decide democratically how these premiums are spent.

Q. Is Fairtrade cotton organic? If it isn’t, what is Fairtrade doing about the issues of chemicals in the cotton farming industry?

A. Fair Trade standards require sustainable farming techniques and offer price premiums for organic production,

However,  Fair Trade certification does not guarantee that a product was organically grown.

Fair Trade farmers are more likely to use sustainable, traditional growing methods rather than apply agrochemicals, and producer groups frequently use Fair Trade revenues to train members in environmentally sustainable farming practices and to finance the cost of organic certification. “FLO encourages producers to work towards organic certification” (FLO, 2003).

As of November 2005, 50 cotton producer groups have been Fairtrade certified, 8 of which also have organic certification.

"Fairtrade standards do encourage producers to become certified organic however we do not require all Fairtrade certified producer groups to farm organically."(FLO 2006)

Where farmers are not certified organic, they are required to implement a system of integrated crop management (ICM) which enables them to establish a balance between environmental protection and business results through the permanent monitoring of economic and environmental indicators.

This integrated crop farming approach progressively replaces traditional inputs with organic fertilizers and biological disease control and enables farmers to convert gradually to organic farming.

All Fairtrade certified cotton producers are required to demonstrate increased diligence in choosing appropriate non-harmful chemicals or a biological or home-made alternative wherever possible. As would be expected, this means that pesticides in the Pesticide Action Network’s “dirty dozen” list and pesticides in FAO/UNEP's Prior Informed Consent Procedure list cannot be used.

Does FLO have standards for Cotton?

International (FLO) standards have now been developed for raw cotton (seed cotton) that will guarantee certified farmers a fair and sustainable price for the cotton that they sell into Fairtrade registered supply chains. Fairtrade seed cotton is the harvested cotton crop (seeds and fiber), sold by small farmers of a FLO certified smallholder organization. Except where specifically provided in these standards, all cotton in FLO Fairtrade Cotton products must be sourced originally from FLO Certified Producers.

FLO has published two types of standards for cotton cultivation. Under the umbrella of “Fairtrade Standards for small farmers”, there are;

•  Fair trade standards for cotton seed which were first design for African cotton then expanded to India and Pakistan.

• Fair trade standards for contract production of cotton in India and Pakistan (FLO, 2005). They take into account the existence of promoting bodies such as AGROCEL and Maikaal which are specific to this geographical area. 

Where does Fairtrade cotton come from and what difference will it make?

Farmers’ groups are from India, Peru, Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Egypt. For these cotton farmers the guaranteed Fairtrade minimum price, which covers the cost of sustainable production, can make a crucial difference to their ability to meet their basic needs. There are plans to extend certification to more producer groups from countries including Pakistan and Brazil.

How does a company get the Fairtrade label for a cotton product?

The FAIRTRADE Mark certifies individual products and not whole companies. The Mark indicates that the products have complied with internationally agreed standards for Fairtrade certification. Fairtrade certified cotton products are sourced from smallholder cooperatives that are independently certified by our international body, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). All the traders in the supply chain have been registered with the Fairtrade system and work to our trading standards. These include sourcing from certified associations of smallholders, paying the agreed minimum Fairtrade price and social premium, providing pre-financing where requested, committing to long-term, more direct trading relationships, and independent auditing of their supply chains. Any company that is able to comply with these trading standards for their products is eligible to apply for the FAIRTRADE Mark.

NOTE: Under the Fairtrade MARK it is only the cotton that is certified Fairtrade. Not the yarn, fabric or garment.

Therefore a product can only be referred to as Fairtrade Cotton NOT for example a Fairtrade cotton shirt.
Proper labeling: “Made with FAIRTRADE Certified Cotton”

Each stage in the commercial supply chain to process Fair Trade Certified cotton from raw cotton into its final product must demonstrate compliance with ILO international labour standards. In the production of all cotton, company and sub-contracted companies within in the supply chain, including those doing the ginning, spinning, weaving, knitting and dyeing, etc. of the cotton, must clearly demonstrate they are in compliance with ILO Labor Standards. Including holding an International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) membership certificate or demonstrating that the company is a worker’s cooperative.

Is there a Fairtrade 'mark' for Fairtrade Certified Cotton?
Yes. As noted above.

For further information visit FLO's website.

THANK YOU.......

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