Sustainable Action Leadership

Levi’s To Phase Out PVC And Other Chemicals

As reported by Eco Textile News: Click here for original post

SAN FRANCISCO – [15.07.08] Levi Strauss has put five new chemicals on its phase-out list as part of a continued effort to improve its commitment to environmental sustainability through its manufacturing supply chain.

The five substances which have been put on the list as part of Levi’s two yearly Restricted Substances List (RSL) update include PVC – often found in screen printing systems. The giant jeanswear company is now encouraging suppliers to use water-based (PVC-free) printing systems instead and also intends to phase out the use of phthalate plasticisers. Phthalates give flexibility to PVC prints on t-shirts and other garments. Phthalate use is already prohibited for children products, but Levi’s is now also encouraging its suppliers to use phthalate-free chemicals for adult products.

Other chemicals on the new phase-out list include alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs), which are often found in detergent, soap or chemical mixtures as surfactant and in wetting agents for scouring (see Ecotextile News, April 2008, p. 35). The company will in future prohibit the use of D4 siloxane which may be found in residual traces in certain silicone softeners along with a chemical called Bisphenol-A which is not likely to be used in the production of textiles but may be found in resins.

“Levi Strauss &Co seeks to reduce the impact of our and our suppliers’ business processes on the environment, and the phase-out list is an important step in realizing this commitment,” said Sean Cady, LS&CO. Director of Environment, Health and Safety. “The RSL is a critical element of LS&CO.’s responsible sourcing program,” Cady continued. “It helps us ensure product quality, protect the health and safety of our consumers and further our environmental objectives.”

Levi Strauss updates its RSL every two years to reflect developments in production methods, legal requirements, scientific understanding and the company’s sustainability priorities.

This chemical phase-out list applies to chemicals used in the manufacture of Levi Strauss products and raw materials. While it says suppliers are encouraged to find alternatives to these five substances it acknowledges “certain challenges may prevent an immediate cessation of use,” adding that it will, “continue to support efforts to identify alternatives to these phase-out chemicals with the goal of prohibiting their use at a future time.” Copyright © 2008 Mowbray Communications Ltd  

Eco-fabrics Featured At G8 Summit

As reported by Eco Textile News: Eco-fabrics featured at G8 summit

TOYAKO – [08.07.08] Heat resistant PLA fabrics and recycled polyester textiles from Teijin Fibers have featured at an eco fashion show as part of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit of world leaders currently taking place in Japan.

Teijin’s latest ‘Biofront’ fibre was used in garments for the ‘Fashion for the Earth in Sapporo’ show, which took place under the auspices of the sponsor organisation and as part of The Environmental Exhibit of 2008 (sponsored by the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Commemorative Summit in the Hokkaido Environmental Exhibition Organising Committee).

All the garments worn at the show were made primarily of ‘green materials’ which included women’s jackets made of Teijin’s heat-resistant poly-lactic acid (PLA)-based fibre ‘Biofront’. Unlike earlier versions of PLA fibre, this new polymer has pushed up the melting point of ordinary PLA fibres to 210oC from 170oC, which has enabled high-temperature and high-pressure dyeing along with moderate-temperature ironing of the fabrics.

Previously it was virtually impossible to iron garments at high temperatures made with PLA without destroying the fibres. There were also issues surrounding the dyeing of deep shade fabrics due to the limitations of PLA when it came to heat resistance during dyeing.

Teijin says that Ms. Masako Oka, chairman of the fashion show‘s executive committee, has been promoting the use of the PLA heat-resistant materials at the event and has worked together with Teijin’s ‘Sustainable Management’ team.

Meanwhile, the huge message flags used for the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit events at the Environmental Exhibit 2008 were made from Teijin’s ‘Eco Circle’ recycled polyester fibres which have been certified with an ‘Eco Mark’ seal of approval. This message flag uses roller-screen textile fabrics developed jointly by Teijin Fibers and Tachikawa Corporation. Copyright © 2008 Mowbray Communications Ltd  

Picking Cotton............

As you educate yourself on the sustainable textile market, there are more than a few types of cotton to chose from……..

• Organic Cotton
• Fair Trade Cotton
• Fair Trade Organic Cotton
• Colored Cotton-Organic
• Recycled Cotton
• Conventional Cotton: NON-GM
• Conventional Cotton: Genetically Modified-Roundup Ready (RR) and or BT

Sustainable Cotton; (A hotly debated and officially undefined term) does include agricultural practices such as Biodyanimic, IPM (BMP-the debate here is if conventional cotton should be included in Better Management Practices-if indeed the conventional cotton industry is practicing BMP), also considered 'Sustainable' is the Sustainable Cotton Project and the Better Cotton Initiative BCI.

Not be left out this category, I would include:Cotton in Tranistion or In Conversion-There is a 3 year period under the NOP Standard, and a 2 year period under the EEC 2092/2091. Cotton in transition, transitional cotton or cotton in conversion, is cotton being grown on land in the transitional period according to the above organic standards at this time in the US a declaration of "in-conversion" is not allowed under the NOP Standard. In the EU it is acceptable to use the term "in conversion."

Read here how Wal-Mart is supporting Farmers during the Transition to Organic growing phase.

"Better" cotton........Part II of II

The Sustainable Cotton Project

According to the SCP (Sustainable Cotton Project) Cleaner Cotton™ is Sustainable Cotton.

So just what is Sustainable Cotton?

Sustainable Cotton encompasses biologically-based, IPM, and organic farming practices in the production, manufacturing and use of cotton. The Sustainable Cotton Project’s grower programs help move farmers through the changeover from chemically-dependent to more biological sound approaches. Composted manures and cover crops replace synthetic fertilizers; innovative weeding strategies are used instead of herbicides; beneficial insects and trap crops control insect pests; and alternatives to toxic defoliants prepare plants for harvest.

The ultimate goal of the Sustainable Cotton Campaign is to move sustainable production, manufacturing and use practices throughout the cotton value chain in order to create a healthy and profitable industry for growers, their communities, manufacturers, retailers and users of all cotton products.

About the SCP

Located in the world's most productive agricultural region–California's Central Valley–the Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP) focuses on the production and use of cotton, one of the most widely grown and chemical-intensive crops in the world.

Since 1994, SCP has been building bridges between farmers, manufacturers and consumers to pioneer markets for certified organically grown and sustainable cotton, including working on the ground with local farmers. SCP's guiding philosophy of "cooperation for a change" has fostered a new level of shared information among farmers, manufacturers and others in support of creating a cleaner cotton industry.

In 2003, SCP joined with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) to strengthen its operation and reach into farm and consumer audiences. CAFF and SCP are collaborating to provide growers with information about biological farming techniques and to educate the public about the importance of reducing chemical use in food and fiber production.

All information reported as posted on Sustainable Cotton Project's website click here

"Better" cotton........Part I of II

AS REPORTED BY ECOTEXTILE NEWS: Working towards ‘better’ cotton
 

LONDON – [22.05.08] The ‘Better Cotton Initiative’ recently released the latest version of its global principles as it looks to refine its consultation document with a view to launching the final version of Better Cotton Initiative criteria in 2010.

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) was established in 2007 to promote improvements in the environmental and social impacts of cotton cultivation. The BCI intends to initiate global change in the mass market, with long-term benefits for the environment, farmers and other people dependent on cotton for their livelihood. Its charter is being developed through a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach involving global buyers of cotton products to grow the demand for larger amounts of ‘better cotton‘.

Unlike organic cotton, ‘Better Cotton’ allows the minimal use of pesticides by farmers and will ensure they are used safely and responsibly. It will also ensure that ‘better cotton’ is produced where water use is optimised (both irrigated and rain-fed) and that the water is extracted legally without adversely affecting groundwater or water bodies. Minimum tillage of soil and the use of cover and rotation crops will also apply.

After receiving, considering and incorporating feedback from this consultation period, BCI says it will work to design a recommended supply chain system and related work streams.  BCI’s current goal is to complete the supply chain system design at the end of 2008 and pilot the system in 2009 although it says it will not provide a labeling scheme for Better Cotton. For more information click here.

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

 

Future Fashion White Papers: by Earthpledge Part II of II

" Good for Business, Good for the Environment"

Authored by Coral Rose

 Excerpt from Future Fashion White Pages: this is an excerpt click here to read in full version

I knew that the success of a test in organic cotton would depend on the desirability of the end product. Ladies' apparel happened to be the number one volume category of organic textiles, and also one of the fastest growing. Next, I looked for the number one category in ladies' wear: active wear. Where does organic cotton fit into activewear?

My answer was easy: yoga wear. I understood that organic cotton wasn't about trend. It was a lifestyle choice. The kind of person who would value organic would also probably value the comfort and health associated with yoga. So I developed yoga pants and tops in a selection of pastel colors. They were priced at a similar point as their conventional cotton counterparts would have been. My decision was logical, and based upon years of experience. We sold over 190,000 units in ten weeks, a number that speaks for itself.

What I learned, and what I'd like to drive home, is that it's about the item. The average Sam's Club member purchases on impulse. When she finds the right item, she will buy it. When she realizes it is organic, it fuels her enthusiasm. Organic cotton is a great added value for the consumer, but what makes her put down her money is finding the right item.

The yoga sets let me demonstrate decisively that choosing organic cotton could help a mass-market retailer meet or even surpass its immediate sales goals while doing the environment right. If I had developed the wrong yoga set, then the story would stop there. As it turns out, those yoga sets changed how retailers now view the opportunity to offer organic cotton to their customers, and it did transform a niche market fiber into a mass market fiber seemingly overnight.

Whether they're dealing in apparel or food, because of their sheer size, big box retailers are in a privileged position to make organic widely affordable. This is in part because of the relationship they can build with the farmers. One challenge for the organic cotton farmer is the fact that, unlike the conventional cotton farmer, he or she must plant a rotation crop in order to maintain soil health. Wal-Mart has transformed that handicap into an advantage. In many cases, it is able to offer a market for the rotation crop as well.

This affordability trickles down to the customer. Making organic affordable for consumers was one of my personal motivations.

I have found that one of the most effective ways to impress this philosophy onto the corporate team is to take as many of them as possible on a farm tour. In 2005, we took several Wal-Mart buyers and suppliers to tour organic cotton farms in California and Texas.

Together with my team, I watched as crop dusters sprayed the conventional cotton fields with chemicals to defoliate the leaves from the cotton plant. Then we visited an organic cotton field. Organically grown cotton uses a natural process occurring during a seasonal freeze for defoliation. The contrast between the two fields was clear. The conventional cotton was brown and lifeless; the organic cotton vibrant with leaves that were glossy and green. At lunch that day, we listened to a local doctor speak about treating her patients, primarily farm workers and their young children, who suffered from mild to life-threatening illnesses caused by the chemical spraying of agricultural fields.

Usually, a buyer or supplier would never step into a cotton field. They normally get involved at the yarn stage. However, all of those who participated said that they wished that their colleagues from every department in the company could have come along. Before they went on the tour, they were making decisions with the organic farming projects because of the corporate initiative. After the tour, they better understood the environmental and social repercussions of their purchasing decisions.

Though Wal-Mart has certainly been an important force for change in the area of organic cotton and environmental reform in general, many companies are realizing that considering environmental impact and social responsibility are as critical as (and, in the long run, inseparable from) economic growth.

I founded Eco-Innovations to support companies in integrating sustainable value into their services, strategies and products.

To order the entire book, Future Fashion White Pages, visit: www.earthpledge.org

Future Fashion White Papers: by Earthpledge Part I of II

"Good for Business, Good for the Environment"

Authored by Coral Rose of Eco-Innovations

 

Excerpt from Future Fashion White Pages: this is an excerpt click here to read in full version

In 2004, as the ladies' apparel buyer for Sam's Club, the warehouse club division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., I found myself responsible for the economic, environmental and social impact of more than five million pounds of toxic chemicals used each year in the production of our conventional cotton merchandise. Of course, my job description did not specify those responsibilities; my conscience held me to them. I had experienced too much tragedy related to pesticide use to ignore the threat it poses.

I became aware of the danger of pesticides in the 1970s and 1980s with the malathion helicopter sprayings in the L.A. basin. First our family dog fell victim to pesticide poisoning. He developed numerous cancerous tumors all over his small body and, a short time later, one of the best friends anyone could have was buried.

I began to think, “Yikes, if that happened to Pee-Wee, what will happen to us?” A decade later, my mother passed away from cancer. Then a neighbor. At the same time, another neighbor (who survived) became ill with cancer. About five years later, my father passed away, also of cancer.

I am often asked, “If you don't eat it, why would you care if your t-shirt is organic?” I care
because of how cotton is produced. It is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. Many of the agents used to spray cotton were originally developed in World War II as nerve gases. By the way, indirectly, you do eat cotton. Its oil can probably be found in your favorite junk food, and its seed is fed to the poultry and livestock that we in turn eat, and to the dairy cattle whose milk we drink.

Fortunately, cotton hasn't always been dependent upon chemicals. They have only been applied to cotton (and other farm products) in the last 60 years or so. Organic cotton, which is cultivated without these dangerous agents, is a completely viable alternative to conventional cotton.

As a buyer for a mass-market retailer, I realized that by buying organic cotton instead of conventional cotton, my colleagues and I could improve the quality of life of millions of people. After that insight, how could I not do something?

My perseverance resulted in a success story for Sam's Club and provided Wal-Mart with crucial economic evidence that doing the environment good would be good for business.

Continued in Part II

To order the entire book, Future Fashion White Pages, visit: www.earthpledge.org

 

THANK YOU.......

Thank you to all the regular readers of this blog, you have made this blog one of the
most searched for and read blogs on Organic Cotton, and Sustainable Fashion.... facts, practices and processes on the global internet.

Our regular readers are from every continent and dozens of countries including: France, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and the UK.

Concern Over Recycled Polyester: As Reported by EcoTextileNews

Source:  EcoTextileNews  Concern over recycled polyester

TAIPEI – [13.05.08] Textile industry sources in Taiwan have revealed to our new sister publication – The Textile Dyer – that some suppliers of polyester fabrics made from recycled bottles have been taking things a little bit too literally, and have put financial gain ahead of environmental common sense.

Clothing retailers and brands could be in for a nasty surprise when they find out that some of the bottles used to make their textiles have never actually been used as drinking bottles by consumers.

One reliable industry insider, who refused to be named, has claimed that the demand for used bottles, from which recycled polyester fibre is made, is now outstripping supply in some areas and certain cynical suppliers are now buying NEW, unused bottles directly from bottle producing companies to make polyester textile fibre that can be called recycled.

Retailers and brands that can fully trace their supply routes are likely to be able to put a stop to this practice but those who buy fabrics and garments on trust, with little knowledge of where they come from, may find themselves exposed to accusations of greenwash and subsequent brand damage.

A related issue involves the dyeing of the recycled polyester fibres which are claimed by some dyers to be less consistent than virgin polyester. This is resulting in increased levels of re-dyeing which of course has massive environmental impacts of its own.

The demand for recycled polyester is growing rapidly and although as the commercial scale of production gathers pace, there is growing concern that dyeing consistency in some qualities is limited.

If you have any comments on the consistency of recycled polyester compared to virgin fibre please e-mail: editor@ecotextile.com