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
USDA regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural
products through its
National Organic Program (NOP) regulation, 7 CFR Part 205.
● 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
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.
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
co
mpany-wide commitment to environmental and social movements.
Information as reported on Cafe Bom Dia's website click here.
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'
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:
Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO)
The Organic Trade Association Coffee Collaboration
Watch Fair Trade
the MOVIE here.
My concern with the amount of chemicals used in coffee growing, started the evening following the evening,
that my granddaughter and I celebrated Earth 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 "Why?" and ..........."What will we do?"
Well I said "What 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..
"200 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 couldnt 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........
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;
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
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:
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.
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
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;
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.
