Green Cotton

The Swedish clothing retailer H&M is usually raved over and blogged about for its bargain-priced, runway-inspired pieces. But recently the company came under fire for reportedly slashing unworn clothing to pieces – using a machine to cut holes in items and render them un-wearable – and tossing the clothes out with the trash.

The dumping was discovered at New York’s 34th street H&M by City University of New York graduate student Cynthia Magnus. When Magnus contacted H&M’s headquarters in Sweden, she received no response. She even offered to connect H&M with a local charity so that it would be easy of them to dispose of the clothing more effectively, but still no response.

Desperate, Magnus told her story to the New York Times. The Times did some follow-up, then published an article on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Clearly striking a cord with many a reader, the story happened to be the second most tweeted headline of the day. After waking up to the angry national buzz over the issue, H&M finally paid attention to the issue, and released a statement reported in the Times:

“It will not happen again,” said Nicole Christie, a spokeswoman for H&M in New York. “We are committed 100 percent to make sure this practice is not happening anywhere else, as it is not our standard practice.”

The standard practice is, apparently, to donate unworn clothes and shoes to charity. Christie claimed that she did not know why this particular H&M store was destroying clothes, and that the company is investigating its other stores to make sure this wasteful practice is not happening elsewhere.

The New York Clothing Bank is one such charity that would have gladly accepted H&M’s unwanted garments (or similarly-slashed items from a New York City Wal-Mart that was also discovered demolishing clothes and dumping them on 35th street). Mary Lanning, chairwoman of the Clothing Bank, told the Times, “I would welcome H&M, Wal-Mart and every other enterprise that presently is destroying new clothing to call me immediately.”

Allegedly, H&M is also trying to go green. The Times reports that the Sweden-based company “has an executive in charge of corporate responsibility who leads the company’s sustainability efforts. On its Web site, H&M reports that to save paper, it has shrunk its shipping labels.”

This discovery of H&M’s wastefulness could not have come at a worse time— right after the launch of a new “Garden Collection,” which features clothes made from recycled textiles and PET bottles. It’s a nice attempt, but the humiliation H&M has suffered after this unfortunate incident will make it difficult for their “garden” to flourish.

Apparently, H&M is not alone in their dumping of unused, unsold apparel. Writer, researcher Erika Kawalek, a New York-based journalist, published a very interesting and informative piece on Double X following the news of H&M (http://www.doublex.com/blog/xxfactor/why-hm-destroys-unsold-clothes) on why this industry-wide practice is happens. Who would have thought that these unworn clothes often end up as airline seat cushions?  Stay tuned for more on these issues with Erika Kawalek’s forthcoming fashion chronicle, Ragpicker. She’ll offer a rare behind the scenes look at post-market clothing & textiles in the fashion industry.

Photosource top: H&M

By Erin Dale

Photosource: Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times

Today, the New York Times reported that the H&M on 34th Street in New York has regularly (at times daily) disposed of brand new apparel in trash bags, purposefully slashed or otherwise destroyed to make them un-wearable. To think that a major retailer such as H&M could get away with such waste in the middle of an economic recession (not to mention frigid winter) when thousands of the cities homeless, unemployed and otherwise struggling people would happily make good use of that clothing is hard to digest.

For reasons unknown (H&M was unavailable for comment in the article – despite numerous attempts– other than to say that the question needed to be answered by headquarters), H&M appears to be regularly dumping new clothes and yielding them permanently un-wearable behind certain stores.

In speculating a rationale behind this irresponsible behavior, the only thought that comes to mind is that the retailer is afraid give brand new clothes (not selling fast enough) to a charity or other group for fear that potential customers would start shopping at Goodwill rather than at their store? Or are they simply being lazy? Wouldn’t they be able to take a tax deduction if they donated them somewhere?

Beyond the rationale for dumping though, a key question is why is there a need to dump clothes in the first place? The last time I was in an H&M, I was struck by how many garments seemed to be cheaply made with no apparent sustainability elements, and also how items seemed to be priced strikingly low. Having researched garment production inputs here at Green Cotton, the prices did not seem to possibly reflect the true cost of production….Yet, with so many garments to chose from at once and many with few redeeming attributes, it is not surprising that the store has unsellable wares on a daily basis…At the same time, that in no way excuses their disposal, nor any reason to continue with such a production model.

Considering all the water, land, petroleum, chemicals, time, human resources and other resources that are typically used to make a single garment, it is troubling to think that at the end of a production lifecycle, a producer (or retailer) could decide to render the product useless. When this happens, the whole process becomes an entire waste of the planet’s precious resources. Not only is this irresponsible environmental stewardship, but it is also, a reflection of poor planning and bad decision-making.

Corporations today, especially those that are in the manufacturing industries, are in important stewardship positions for our planet. They are on the front lines, working in countries all around the world, extracting the earth’s resources, employing people, building factories, manufacturing goods, and it is their responsibility to ensure we have a planet with viable, healthy resources for generations to come. Corporation’s need to make the right/best choices possible in terms of resource-use, energy-use, environmental stewardship and human capital investments.

We as customers on the other hand, are subject to the choices available to us in the marketplace. Our duty is to make the best choices, given the information available to us. Along these lines, we have the power to choose which companies and products we want to support (through our purchases). However, as we are not on the front lines, and do not see all that is being extracted, grown, disposed of, and made, we are at a disadvantage in terms of genuine stewardship. We are often not privy to key pieces of information and are left in relatively naive positions to trust (or not trust) what our corporate partners are doing to steward our finite resources.

That is why, in cases like this one, we (as consumers) can play an important role in encouraging change. We can take steps to ensure that companies like H&M continue to move faster and more effectively toward sustainability. Some things we can do NOW to foster change:

1)   Do not buy from retailers who you know are blatantly wasteful and/or are manufacturing their clothes in ways that damage the environment or the people who made them. If you love a particular company that you know is being wasteful, then write the CEO a letter and say how mad you are. Write that you will not tolerate this kind of behavior or will leave for another competitor.

2)   Do diligence on the retailers you buy from. Ask about their commitment to the environment and to human resources? Are you able to easily find this information? If not, probably these are not very important issues to the company. Be wary of retailers patting themselves on the back for small successes while missing the big picture (eg dumping new clothes in the dumpster regularly).

3)   Ask questions. If you are not sure about your favorite retailer or designer, write the CEO a letter. Ask them what they are doing about sustainability and the environment and tell them this matters to you.

4)   Take a look at the pioneers. Certain retailers we know are doing tremendous work when it comes to sustainability. For example Patagonia, Indigenous Designs, Timberland and many smaller emerging eco-designers. Find out exactly what these leaders are doing and then benchmark that against your favorite company. By looking at some of the pioneers, you will be able to more easily tease apart the “genuine” from the “green-washing” next time you read a sustainability claim.

Can you believe it? It’s already time to bid 2009 goodbye. As we complete this decade, it’s time to look back and see how many things have changed and how far we’ve come. There have been significant advances and innovations, especially on the ecological front. Over the past few years, green issues have stolen the spotlight, whether from political debates, celebrity endorsements, or peer-reviewed scientific studies, talks of “going green,” recycling more, using less, and trying to reverse the effects of global warming have been hard to ignore.

Looking back on all the good that’s occurred in “the noughties,” we hate to bring up the bad, but the truth is out there. “Climategate” has caused folks to doubt the harmful effects of global warming, tempting people to “press pause” on environmental issues. But the realities of pollution, factory farming and reckless consumption won’t simply go away if we will them to—we should all be advocates for change.

So as we close out the noughties and welcome a whole new decade, we can all start this year with a clean slate. As you’re making your New Year’s resolutions, why not add a few “go greener” ones?

Here at Green Cotton, we’re all trying to leave the lightest carbon footprint possible, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t continue to strive for better. Sure, you can compost, drive a hybrid and always recycle, but there’s always something more you could be doing. Here, a list of just a few good ideas—eco resolutions for a brand new, greener year.

Party Greener

The holiday season is about to end, and between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, you’ve probably attended or hosted many a soiree. And in those five short weeks, Americans throw out a whole lot of trash—five million extra tons,* to be exact. Even if you recycle, that’s a crazy amount that just gets tossed.

It’s tempting to buy all disposable dinnerware for the holidays, especially when you have lots of people over and clean-up is a pain. But don’t reach for Styrofoam – which never breaks down – or plastic utensils when it’s easy to find an eco option. Try compostable dishes and cups instead. Cereplast.com is a great resource, offering items made from renewable plastic. Also try Recycline (photo featured above) and Nature Works. My mom even found biodegradable plates and bowls at Wal-Mart, made from recycled paper and sugarcane; we used – and recycled – them during Thanksgiving week when the house was full of family members. Of course, the most eco-friendly option is to simply use and wash your own dishes (preferably in a dishwasher, which uses less water than hand-washing), but in a pinch, biodegradable dishes will cut back on your overall party waste.

If you plan on using your own stuff and simply don’t have enough to go around, consider investing in extra dinnerware just for the holidays. But rather than going out and buying all-new holiday-themed dishes and glasses, scour thrift stores or eBay for funky vintage finds. You’ll save money, keep your celebration’s carbon footprint small, and score one-of-a-kind items your guests are sure to rave over.

Drink Cleaner

Resolve to finally kiss bottled water goodbye. Your plastic bottle isn’t doing you any favors; the plastic is full of harmful chemicals, and the more you re-use your bottle, the more potent it gets. You may feel a bit nobler if you chuck your empty bottle into a recycling bin, but there’s no way to know whether your bottles will actually be recycled… and think of the millions that won’t. Besides, remember that you’re actually paying for tap water, which you can get for free. The selling of this natural resource is something we should all protest, not continue to promote by buying bottled water. Invest instead in a filter for your tap or a water carbonator to make your own sparkling water. And pick up a reusable, eco-friendly bottle to tote all your beverages in; look for one that’s made of stainless steel and BPA-free. Try Klean Kanteen (photo featured above) or EcoUsable. For more info on the boycott of bottled water, check out the Sierra Club’s bottled water campaign: http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/bottled_water/

Go Local

Of course you know that the best, healthiest way to fuel your body is with food that’s organic and grown locally. Sometimes it might get expensive, but it’s better for your body in the long run (what ends up costing more—your grocery bills or medical costs?). But instead of buying organic food at a chain grocery store, why not check out your local farmer’s market, or even join a CSA? Subscribing to community-supported or community-shared agriculture means you’ll get a basketful of fresh produce every week, local and in season. It’s a great way to support the farmers near you while treating your body right. This would also go a long way to help fight factory farming and global warming. Check out LocalHarvest.org for more ideas and details.

Be a Conscientious-Consumer

One important issue that we cover at Green Cotton is making conscientious choices when you do decide to buy something new. While we definitely endorse the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), there are times when you want or need something new. At these times, the opportunity for you to make a real impact on the global economy and the planet earth is yours. You can choose to have a positive impact and vote with your wallet, OR you can go with the flow and buy the cheapest product on the market that likely has the greatest negative social and environmental impact along with it.

We do not want to blame people for doing this (or step on our soap box here), because we know that people are just being savvy shoppers after all– but we do believe that one of the biggest problems with the status quo is a dirth of information in the marketplace. Had we more information on products, their environmental and social footprint…..all the countries they had been before arriving to our local store….perhaps a short video on youtube on how it was made….the question is would we still buy it?

How often do you see information on how your products are made, who made them, and what their environmental impact is? Zilch to few and far between is our guess.  And that is precisely our job at Green Cotton: to raise that awareness, break down the lack of transparency and wisen-up our consumption.

So if you want to “Go Green” and conscientious, how do you navigate this complex and over-crowded marketplace?

First may be the obvious: pay attention to a product’s environmental footprint (how much waste accrued in the production of the product, how much energy was used, whether or not the item is made from recycled materials or healthy, non-toxic materials for example– can you pronounce the ingredients?). You may already be trying to do this with the items you buy. But there is another important set of criteria emerging among the conscientious consumer base – and that is a product’s social impact.

Social criteria has become increasingly important for conscientious consumers as we become more aware of how our products are made, and whether or not they benefit (or hurt) the people who made them. People are asking for example: is the product fair trade certified? Is it ethically made? Is it made in the USA?

For certain products like coffee, tea and chocolate, this is now easier to judge, with Transfair’s Fair Trade certification program (the majority of chocolate, tea and coffee consumed in the USA for example originates from countries outside the US, making Fair Trade a viable option). If you look for this symbol below, you can be assured that the product has been certified by Transfair (for more on fair trade certification, see our post on this topic), meaning not only that farmers are paid a living wage, but that investments are made in the farming communities beyond wages to move the community out of poverty.

However, despite the progress we’ve made in coffee, chocolate, tea, bananas, and some beverages, there are still millions of products on the market that are not even eligible for fair trade certification yet, leaving consumers in a bind. One of these neglected categories is clothing/fashion. Historically, very few apparel companies in the US come even close to being fair trade (the majority of clothing in US originates from outside the US– often from multiple countries, and is notorious for labor violations and human rights compromises).

To our knowledge however, there is one company in the process of becoming a fair trade certified clothing company (perhaps the first in America), as part of a pilot program with Transfair. That company is Indigenous Designs (sold at Jute and Jackfruit), who is not only a pioneer in fair trade apparel (15 year old company) but also a trail-blazer in the organic cotton space, making organic cotton knits starting in early Nineties.

So we will have to continue to be vigilent with our choices until fair labeling penetrates this market further, looking primarily for company’s overall commitment to the environment and social justice in order to be assured of any  “green” claims they may be making. However there is one other sub-market that we can safely traverse as conscientious style consumers, and that is with independent eco-designer apparel.

Thankfully, many of the emerging eco-designers out there– for example Prairie Underground, Kelly Lane, Rebe, and Feral Childe all use eco-fabrics AND make their limited edition clothing here in the USA, adhering to fair labor laws and standards. Their supply chain is so close knit with tight controls that it is easy to be transparent and understand each step, while also placing strict social and environmental criteria on it. We admit that the handmade designer clothing is more expensive than options at your discount department store, Target or other stores, however we would venture to say that it is more beautiful, more unique, and will be cherished longer than the throw-away sweater for $19.99 for example which lasts only one season. Its all about choices and thinking about these choices in the short and long term is part of one’s calculus.

So questions remains on how we find products that match our values and have a positive environmental and social impact in this beehive of a market?

One suggestion we adhere to at Green Cotton is to look at the company as a whole and their commitment to the environment (and not just the product in isolation). While this does require a bit more research in the short term, it may save you time in the long run, as you gather a list of companies that you like and trust for each of the types of products you buy.

Questions to consider asking include:

- Has the company publicly stated on their website, on their labels or elsewhere that they are committed to the environment and to people? Do they consistently use eco-friendly materials? Do they have employee-friendly policies? Are they a good place to work? What is their mission and vision?

One good example of this company driven vision is Patagonia. Patagonia has been a pioneer in environmental conservation since the 1970′s. They were the first company in the United States to force their suppliers to move over exclusively to organic cotton in the 1980s because they thought it was the right thing to do. They issued a study on their fabrics at that time revealing that cotton (not their synthetics!) was the worst on the environment, so they decided to do something about it. Best part too, is that they did not even tell their customers! They simply did this because they believed it was the right thing to do. They were also astute enough to realize that in the 1980s not many people knew even what organic cotton was (or cared)– so they did not pass this information on. Rather, they did it (even though it was more expensive for them) because they did not want to destroy the environment while conducting their business (unlike many other companies at that time).

Patagonia also started donating a percentage of their revenue early on to environmental causes. They did this because they cared (and continue to care) about the environment and hated seeing certain environments destroyed or over developed. They even had employees solely devoted to environmental activism all through the 80s and 90s. Later on, they started One Percent for the Planet (an organization for other businesses to join and donate a percentage of their revenue every year to environmental causes). This organization has now grown to over 1,000 corporate members donating to over 1,000 non profits. If you are looking for businesses to buy from that are committed to the environment, take a look at this Member directory. Important to note too, is that the donations are not out of a companies Profit (but of actual revenue). So much much more is donated than all those organizations out there that claim they donate a percentage of “profits” to some cause or other. Revenue as you know is income BEFORE expenses are subtracted (not after).

Green Directories for Finding Companies & Products

Directories and green-approved listings are other good places to look for companies committed to the environment and social justice. One of the biggest and most accredited national listings is provided by Green America (which happens to be the oldest and largest environmentally and socially driven non profit in America), formerly Coop America. Green America runs the National Green Pages directory which is a useful place to find pre-screened companies and green products. All businesses listed in the Green America directory have to go through a tough screening process in order to be listed, so they have already proven their commitment to the environment and social justice to an expert panel before showing up in this directory (unlike most other green directories out there – that simply have to pay to be listed). The directory is organized by categories as well, so if you are interested in fashion/clothing, you can search that listing and find only those companies truly committed to the environment vs those that simply may be riding the green bandwagon.

Green Fashion Trends

As you know, we love following fashion and reporting on the latest trends—especially the ones that occur within the world of eco-fashion. As we ring in the New Year and new decade, you can expect Green Cotton to continue reporting on the best of eco-fashion.

While this is just the tip of the iceberg on making wiser decisions in the marketplace for 2010 and greening your lifestyle, we hope it is the start of a solid year ahead. Looking forward in 2010 we hope to provide you with more tips and inside scoop on which companies and products to choose as you navigate the marketplace around you. What’s one green change you can make this year—something you’ve been meaning to try, maybe, that you finally will? Whatever it is, there’s no better time than now to test out new resolutions—and keep the green movement moving forward.

Additional resources used in this post: http://www.lanl.gov/news/newsbulletin/pdf/holiday_waste.pdf

By Erin Dale and Shana Yansen