i love eco

I Love Eco™ Introduces L.E.A.F. (Labeling Ecologically Approved Fabrics)

Elinor Averyt, an environmental activist and humanist believes that we need to bring eco fashion into the mainstream. Five years ago, an outsider to the fashion world, she had an idea; and with the help of many experts in the field, the power of eco labeling has been culmunated into a positive seed for change - allow me to introduce this seed called, L.E.A.F. (Labeling Ecologically Appproved Fabrics). 

LEAF's mission statement:

"The mission of L.E.A.F. (Labeling Ecologically Approved Fabrics), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, is to increase consumer awareness and demand for ecologically sound apparel and fabrics, and to encourage mainstream, industry-wide transitions toward sustainable and socially responsible practices in the apparel/fabrics industries. 

A new eco-label for apparel and fabrics shows consumers that a garment meets strict standards for environmentally and socially responsible claims. Growing consumer awareness and increased consumer demand for third-party certified apparel and fabrics will provide greater incentive for these industries to move toward positive change in the way textiles are produced."

Set to debut in Feburary 2009, L.E.A.F wants to operate as a unified labeling system on clothing (using tags) that will help consumers make informed fashion choices. L.E.A.F. will award certification to companies under the following categories: life cycle of organic fibers, manufacuring and processing techniques used in manufacturing facilities (including dyeing and waste water treatment issues), and employee practices in manufacturing facilities. 

Also, L.E.A.F. wants to introduce an educational program for consumers, which is a crucial approacch close to I Love Eco's heart - the more we know, the smarter choices we can make! 

It is important to note that Europe is way ahead of North America with respect to eco labeling. The EU has a already began a research group that is currently investigating methods for implementing eco labeling on clothing and textiles, among other manufactured goods like electronics. If you'd like to read more about this project click HERE. 

I Love Eco™ would like to send a huge congratulations to both L.E.A.F. and the EU Eco Labeling programs! The L.E.A.F. website can be found at www.LEAFCertified.org.

Sans Plastique Totes!

It is a pleasure to promote sustainability at I Love Eco and it is also quite an expense both in time and money. If you like what we do here, we've created some lovely products to help support I Love Eco and to promote a greener lifestyle, you can help support by making a safe and secure donation through PayPal or by purchasing one of our 100% certified organic Hemp totes at the I Love Eco store.

My personal favorite is the "Sans Plastique" tote! To care for your tote, please hand or machine wash in cold water and NO machine drying necessary - this should save close to 50% in energy consumption (climate impact) of the tote! There will be more goodies to come soon...

A Story About Seed Packages...

In the retail store J.Crew, something interesting caught my eye near the registers. Offered within tall glass vases were pretty little seed packages for customers. The thought of giving away seeds for promotion put an instant smile on my face, although the smile sadly lasted but a minute.

I have found only one sweater that JCrew has manufactured from organically farmed wool. And the rest... well, please read this harsh company profile from the Coop of America:

"Representing more than $800 million in annual sales, J.Crew's clothes are undeniable fashionable, but with labour abuses and environmental violations, they are also unassailably irresponsible. J.Crew has been cited for the use of sweatship labor, witht he most publicized case involved sweatshop workers in the US territory of Saipan. Though the company reached a settlement in that particular case, J.Crew has shown little effort to stop the abuse of workers in its overal supply chain. By remaining inactive on issues of labor violations, J.Crew is silently accepting the garment industry's unjust terms."

Please refer to CleanClothes.org site for further information about the lawsuit, as J.Crew was one of dozens of retailers the lawsuit targeted. I only mention J.Crew because of those little packages...

While they are just seed packages, they represent an indifferent attitude to the current working conditions, human rights, unsustainable consumption and toxic chemicals in the working environment of the fashion sector. An example of a great marketing campaign that is more substantial than offering seed packages are the ads run by Kenneth Cole. He also writes a social awareness blog at www.awearnessblog.com highlighting " Social Rights, Well-Being, Political Landscape and Hard Times."

Retailers at the top of the supply chain have the power to initiate and encourage social and environmental growth. They can offer fair pricing to producers, lobby for incentives to encourage suppliers to clean up their practices, provide country of origin labeling to educate the customer and they can physically be present during an audit of a supplier, versus submitting a questionnaire. Leading the way towards a more transparent supply chain is the The Footprint Chronicles by Patagonia, where they describe the production process of 4 pieces of clothing and a pair of shoes.

The opportunistic nature of marketing, including recent "green" marketing can confuse the customer; and a laizez-fair approach in auditing a supply chain does not support what organizations like Fair Labor (U.S.) and Fashioning an Ethical Industry (U.K.) work towards. They promote international labor standards and are working towards implementing regulations to enforce.

Until there exists international standards, our purchasing power carries significant weight and I hope that one day we can shop without having to question where and how our clothing is made.