A T-shirt with a tonne of carbon locked up in it? That must be a pretty big T-shirt right? Not exactly. This new range of T-shirts has been created by Treecreds. Their objective is to save forests from being logged and encourages investment in avoided deforestation offset projects. The T-shirts each contain one tonne of carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions. That is, for every T-shirt purchased, Treecreds retires one carbon credit.

Treecreds assists organisations in calculating, reducing, marketing and offsetting their emissions. Treecreds wants to raise their profile through these T-shirt. In addition to T-shirts, badges have also been created. The badges contain an embedded offset component of 0.2 tonne of carbon.

A bit of background. Treecreds was founded in 2008 and works predominantly in the facilitation of sustainable events ranging from music festivals and performances to corporate meetings. Treecreds also assists with the marketing of sustainable business practices. It does this through a range of innovative measures including carbon neutral tickets and events and the creation of eco-art installations.

Treecreds avoided deforestation offsets are different to forestry offsets which are derived from treeplanting. Avoided deforestation provides an alternative income to clearing and logging and preserves forests that would be destroyed without this mechanism. Avoided deforestation supports living ecosystems, habitat and communities as well as the embodied carbon of the trees. Credits are currently sourced from the ‘Minding the Carbon Store’ project. This project saved 12,000 hectares of forest and woodland in Queensland from clearing for the next 120 years. Treecreds also supports other project groups in Tasmania, Indonesia and Cambodia and more offsets will be available later in 2010.

For more information on Treecreds, or to get yourself a T-shirt or badge visit http://www.treecreds.com/.

]]> http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/07/02/carbon-offset-t-shirts/feed/ 0 http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/06/03/eco-baskets-take-the-test/ http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/index.php/2010/06/03/eco-baskets-take-the-test/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:52:51 +0000 admin http://greenbeings.com.au/greenroom/?p=589 Seriously chic, these genuine French-style market baskets are perfect for shopping, picnics, beach bags, you name it. They are hardwearing, with strong handles, and made using traditional techniques. We've got a selection, in all sizes, handle shapes and even colours for the Green Beings panel to test out.]]>

Ten years ago, Lindy McLeod was living abroad and while visiting France, admired the women of Paris rushing home in the evenings and on weekends with their fresh produce – fruit, breads, meats and cheeses – brimming in their seriously chic shopping baskets. She bought some for herself which rapidly became an indispensable part of her life because, as well as looking great, they proved to be extremely hardwearing and the handles were very strong and did not break.

After returning to Australia and realising how many plastic bags we use as a nation (at its peak over 7 billion annually!), Lindy began investigating the possibility of bringing a classic French-style shopping basket to Australia.

These baskets are genuine French-style market baskets imported from Morocco. Each one is handmade using traditional methods and techniques and so is unique. The baskets are made of strips of woven palm leaves from a species of date palm. These strips are then sewn together and the basket built up in “rounds” into the traditional triangle shape, variations of which can be found in countries all around the Mediterranean. The more rounds the bigger the basket! The handles are of genuine Moroccan leather and firmly fixed to the baskets so they never pull off. Handles are either short so the baskets can be carried in the hand or on the elbow, or longer to go over the shoulder.

Great for shopping, picnics, beach bags, gift hampers, use them for weekends away or they also make great presents.

For more information visit The Market Basket Co.

Its not news to Etiko, their founder Nick Savaidis was acutely aware of the positive impact that a company can have on people and communities – if it wanted to. Etiko’s ethically produced sportswear is the first non food range to receive Fairtrade certification and it is Savaidis’s hope that his range will triumph over the big brands such as Nike.

The competition is on as the big brands have cottoned on to the fact that today’s customers are looking more critically at products. Nike’s CEO Mark Parker realises that doing the right thing in terms of waste reduction, renewable energy and factory conditions is good for business.  In  Nike’s 2007-2009 sustainability report the CEO admits past mistakes with respect to labour conditions. Their new focus is on transparency and innovation to, in their words, ‘prototype the future rather than retro fit the past’. Eco-design is the new buzz word and when developing products, consideration is now given to everything involved with bringing a product to market, from raw materials sourcing to transportation. They have also sought to reduce the impacts of their manufacturing activities through the use of renewables such as solar and wind power on some of their facilities.

When big companies move into the sustainability arena, they bring money, resources and power, and can have a significant sway in terms of the performance of their supply chain which can only be a good thing. But where does that leave companies like Etiko?

Without the big marketing budgets of the big competitors, their success comes about through word of mouth, and whilst performance of products is key to their success, it seems they have a no compromise approach. While for Nike, sustainability is an add on, for Etiko it truly is core to the business and many consumers will go to great lengths to buy into that.

Etiko is a niche brand, and like other ethical brands, these products have a personality and a story which brands like Nike will have trouble matching.

Etiko’s awards

The 2008 Premier’s Sustainability Award – Small Business (Victoria),

2008 Banksia Environmental Foundation Award – Business Sustainability,

2008 Telstra Business Award – Social Responsibility (Victoria)

Winner of the 2008 FSC Responsible Forest Management Awards – Small Chain of Custody Operator of the Year.

I actually found them by accident as they started following Green Beings on Twitter. The name eco conscious optics got me curious. The company uses recycled metal (with a minimum of 95% recycled stainless steel) and plastic and ‘eco reinterprets the whole product lifecycle in an environmentally sustainable way, starting with its recycled content‘. Other  company initiatives include planting a tree for each frame sold and providing easy access to facilities to donate unused frames frames to people in developing countries.
Well, that all sounds great, but the most important thing about specs is whether they look good, and even better, can they make you look more intelligent? One things for sure it makes a good talking point. The collections on the website look cool, but if they are unique frames with a uniquely high price tag then they are likely to only be affordable to those with oodles of cash. The prices on first glance seem reasonable where they retail in the US, Europe and Japan….The next question is will they be available in Australia?

We’ll find out.

There is one way guaranteed way to ruin the great feeling you get from putting on a new outfit – finding out that it has been manufactured in a sweatshop environment or that the manufacturing process will have caused significant environmental impacts.

Awareness of environmental and social impacts from the fashion industry has created a backlash against what has become known as ‘fast fashion’ – clothes which are made cheaply and only worn for a season. As a result, a niche market has been developing in sustainable clothing using natural fabrics with socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing methods.

Gone are the days of the shapeless hemp hippie clothes. Today’s sustainable fabrics are beautifully soft, breathable and naturally antibacterial. Fabrics such as bamboo and soy, feel like silk, with the added bonus that they don’t need ironing.

To service this growing trend, a number of small, sustainable designers and sustainable fashion suppliers are becoming very popular – often selling directly on the internet or at specialist environmental or fashion fairs. The secret to their success is the ability to provide key wardrobe items which last for years and can be mixed and matched depending on the season. The added bonus of buying from these suppliers is that they have specifically sought out materials and manufacturing facilities that consider the workers and the environment s uch as Eastern Weft and Moral Fibre and as they do not provide the bulk fashion you find on high street stores you can be sure that you will be buying a unique item with a story attached.

For more information on the impacts of fabrics have a look at our ‘fabric facts’ and for further tips on reducing the impacts of your clothes, read our ‘greening your wardrobe’ article.

To choose sustainable clothes you may need to expend a little more effort than just slipping downtown to the nearest shop. You need to go online and research those companies that stock organic clothing. The real treasure troves for sustainable clothing are the smaller, family owned or boutique companies. We have researched and actively support a number of these ethical and sustainable clothes producers. You can see the range available from these producers on our Eco Threads pages. Organic clothing and natural fibres are particularly suited for babies and children and the hemp, organic cotton and bamboo baby clothes available are durable yet soft, so are perfect for their sensitive skin.

Online clothing stores often have reasonably priced organic clothing items and this makes it a great deal easier to buy than having to read all the clothing labels in a store. However, increasingly you will find organic clothing in the more common clothing stores such as Target. Giaim, Esprit and Patagonia all offer organic clothing, as do many of the more up-market labels. It is even possible to buy denim clothing made organically.

The label will identify organic clothing in shops. It will state that the item is organic with no pesticides having been used in the growing or making process. Once you have identified which stores stock organic clothing, this will make it easier to buy, as you’ll know exactly where to go next time.

Once only one or two companies stocked organic clothing, now more are seeing the value of offering ‘green’ clothing, so it is becoming easier to buy. For those who love to sew, you can even buy rolls of organic cotton fabric to use in your sewing projects. Organic cotton is much softer and more comfortable to wear than non-organic cotton clothing.

As well as purchasing new items our greening your wardrobe provides some great ideas on how to reduce the footprint of your wardrobe without spending a fortune.

So to recap:

• You can buy online through the Eco Threads listings or do your own search by simply by typing in the keywords to Google.
• You can buy organic/sustainable/ green clothing and organic baby clothing through mail order companies that send out catalogues, although opt or online versions where possible to avoid the use of paper.
• You can hunt down the clothing stores that sell organic clothing by reading the labels on the clothes.

Once organic clothing becomes more popular and is stocked more, the prices will come down and soon everyone who wants to play a part in saving the environment will be able to be seen in green.

If you want to green up your wardrobe here are a few things to think about:

• Buy second hand clothing and textiles where possible.
• Buy fewer more durable garments.
• When buying new products, choose those made with the least energy and least toxic emissions, made by workers paid a credible living wage with reasonable employment rights and conditions.
• Hire or borrow clothes.
• Wash clothes less often at lower temperatures and using eco-detergents, line dry them and avoid ironing where possible.
• Extend the life of clothing and textile products through repair.
• Dispose of used clothing and textiles through recycling businesses who would return them for second-hand sale wherever possible, but otherwise extract and recycle the yarn or fibres.

From: ‘Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom’ Julian M Allwood, Soren Ellebaek Laursen, Cecilia Malvido de Rodriguez and Nancy M Bocken, 1996.

Standard clothing labels at the back of your jumper give you an indication of the material and the country of origin. However, these generally give no information on the working conditions and the treatment and dying processes. Eco labels therefore play an increasing role. There are a number of labels to look out for such as the European Union’s Öeko-Tex Standard 100 which regulates substances in raw materials as well as finished products, and every stage in between, and labels which ensure protection of workers such as FairTrade and FairWear labels. Further details are provided on our eco-labels page.

Fabrics began changing in the early 20th century with the introduction of synthetic fabrics such as nylon. Traditional fabrics such as cotton were subject to pesticides and fertilisers. Wool wasn’t immune either as nasties including arsenic, were used in sheep dips for parasite removal. Many of these sites remain hazardous. Chemicals also began creeping into every step of the fabric and clothes manufacture process as chemical dyes and dye carriers became more popular and chemicals were used in the finishing process to make them softer, shrink resistant, crease resistant or to prevent odours. But things now seem to be coming full circle as concerns are raised about our exposure to chemicals and the impact on the environment. As a result organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, which are undeniably better for the environment, are becoming easier to get hold of.

But what do we know about the fabrics typically adorning shop rails? We have attempted to provide a brief comparison of the key materials and impacts associated with some typical fabrics.

This cooperative now employs around 60 local people, provides training, education and medical care whilst keeping the ecological footprint of production down to the bare minimum.

Eastern Weft uses traditional weaving methods, locally produced silk, hemp and cotton and natural dyes such as leaves, bark and flowers. The woven material produced is of exceptionally high quality, providing a refreshing alternative to the mass produced synthetic goods becoming increasingly common in the shops. As a result, the fabrics, scarves and clothes look as good on your wall as they do on your body.

The quality and beauty of these fabrics has been recognized by international designers, which is another story in itself. I recently met up with Samorn to hear about her fascinating journey.

How it started

Born in Laos, Samorn and her family fled the war and unsettlement in their country, and were held in a refugee camp before coming to Australia where she grew up. In 2002, she had the opportunity to return to her birth place. Her husband was offered the role as the United Nations Regional Coordinator on Human Trafficking based in Vientiane, Laos. Samorn worked as a volunteer teaching English to monks in the local village temple. Roaming the markets for fabrics to make clothes for herself, Samorn met master weaver Khaisy Sophabmixay who had a small stall selling antique clothes and fabrics. Khaisy agreed to become Samorn’s weaving instructor.

Later Samorn began working with UNICEF and traveled to remote villages where she was exposed to real poverty.  At this time the tourism industry in South East Asia was hit by the SARS virus and Avian influenza. Khaisy and many others who relied on tourists for their income suffered greatly.

Samorn was deeply affected by these events and approached Kaisy about starting a weaving cooperative. The aim being to use Khaisy’s weaving skills to create hand-woven silk of the highest quality for the western market, at the same time creating employment for disadvantaged yet highly skilled weavers, many of whom have been orphaned, or are victims of bond and slave labour.

Setting up

With a very small initial budget Samorn and Khaisy built a boarding house and workshop equipped with old looms from a rundown weaving factory which had last been used in the 1960s.

As part of the set up process it was also necessary to consider the facilities required for silk production and source the raw materials (hemp, silk and cotton) either locally or from  provinces within Laos.

Samorn also needed to identify, contact and set up agreements with outlets through which to sell the fabrics. Now Eastern Weft also makes specific designs to order and has also created special pieces in collaboration with other designers.

The materials

Mulberry (Lao) silk is the main type of silk used in the Eastern Weft fabrics. The creation of silk usually requires the cocoons to be boiled alive to extract the silk. However, Eastern Weft has produced a range of ‘vegan’ silk, from the Eri silkworm. With the Eri silk, the worms are fed on castor or sweet potato leaves and within a short time, the worms begin to spin the silk and only after the moths emerge is the silk collected.

Silkworms and a silk cocoon.

Samorn wanted to create fabrics and patterns using natural and muted colours which would appeal more to the Western market. The dying process, which includes collecting and processing the seasonal plant materials (coconut husks, marigolds, berries) to create the dye and dying the fabric, is extremely labour intensive but produces a unique range of beautiful and vibrant colours.

Coconut husks produce a rich natural colour                Boiling up the dye

New weaving patterns are also produced each season. Many of these are inspired by traditional patterns peculiar to specific tribes, which are infused with more contemporary designs.

Traditional weaving technique                                 Preparing the threads

The funding

This project is a labour of love and the workshop and boarding house were set up using Sarmorn’s earnings from Unicef. Since that time funding has been obtained to assist with further training and development through various grants such as the German World Hunger relief.

The biggest challenge

Dealing with the quiet seasons is stressful. Typically the months leading up to Christmas are the busiest for obvious reasons. However, the weavers receive a regular monthly wage regardless of sales.

Lessons learnt

There are significant hurdles involved in setting up a business particularly in a developing country with an authoritarian government and it has been an uphill struggle getting to the stage that the company is at. However, looking back it would seem that the traveling, effort and costs are all worth it. Below are a few of Samorn’s learnings:

• Emotions will get in the way when setting up a business of this nature. The focus needs to be on long term support and inputs in terms of training, communication and coordination. It is not a get rich quick solution.
• Cultural and language differences can be a significant challenge particularly when dealing with individuals who may be illiterate and may have never left their villages. Abstract design or creativity is not something they know or understand. As such time and effort needs to be invested to ensure that the employees can see the bigger picture to help them understand why things need to be done a particular way.
• Sending over patterns, colours and general management from the other side of the world poses a significant challenge particularly when few of the employees can read and write let alone use a computer. However, providing the technology and a bit of training means that communication can be made much easier using digital cameras and skype. This can also reduce the number of trips that need to be made back and forth.

Minimising negative impacts

The raw fibres are created organically using traditional farming methods on small local farms. The dyestuff is seasonal fruits, leaves, bark or insects collected locally and no electricity is required during the entire production or weaving process.

The fuel for boiling up the silk and dyes comes from locally sourced dead trees and twigs. The pots and pans were made by melting bits of old scrap metal from American fighter jets shot down during the Vietnam war. These came from Khaisy’s village in North eastern Laos which borders with Vietnam.

The fabrics are transported to the place of distribution in Australia in bulk and no plastic packaging is used.

The greatest achievement

It is rewarding to see the opportunities and freedom providing a fair wage, medical facilities, education, training and support provides not only those directly employed but the whole community. The cooperative has been able to provide housing and also has paid for the weddings of some of the employees.

Future Plans

To further expand the colour range through experimenting with Australian natives for use in the dyes and to expand the workshop and employ more young people.

Fabrics, clothes and toys produced by Eastern Weft are available through the Products section.

While many companies identify social justice and sustainability as elements within the business plan, few have it as a primary goal and even fewer are able to create superior products while addressing it. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with inspirational entrepreneur Billie Paris, founder of Moral Fibre – a company focused on creating ethical and sustainable clothing which supports disadvantaged women. She has been researching and developing her sustainable clothing business over the past five years and she shared with me some of her experiences, successes and the challenges she has come across along the way.

Lessons that she has learned through developing the company are:

• No one will work as hard on the business as yourself.
• Think carefully before handing over equity in the company.
• Have clear and defined roles for individuals providing input.
• Don’t underestimate the power of networking.
• Don’t take everything at face value.
• Always do your research and use your gut instinct.

Billie has taken advantage of the women in business program and mentoring system provided by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development.

How it all started

Always having an interest in social issues Billie was jolted into action when she began looking at the atrocities and inequalities which are inflicted on women in some countries. Billie started to look for pro-active ways in which she could improve the lot of these women and provide opportunities for these communities in terms of creating a livelihood and income.

The research

After a significant amount of research, lots of meetings, several overseas trips, going down a few blind alleys and dealing with ingrained corruption and a bit of misrepresentation and dishonesty, she eventually found a group of suppliers and manufacturers in India and Peru, which adhered to her strict criteria to support social justice, environmental protection and product quality. Focusing on key classic and workwear items Billie developed a range of high quality, flattering and durable items.

Insightful designs, such as the conference bag, are made from fair-trade organic cotton, grown using natural farming methods and pest control. The most interesting feature of this bag and some of the other items in the Moral Fibre range, is that they are manufactured by an organisation run by nuns. The organisation, located in India, is a non-profit rehabilitation program for economically disadvantaged or disabled young women or those who are considered unfit for marriage by their families. It has a workforce of around 120 women who are given employment, training and support. Employees are paid above the standard wage, given free accommodation, water and electricity and help towards paying their dowries and a lump sum paid after five years of employment to start a home.

Seeking out and developing products with companies such as this is more time consuming than typical manufacturing pathways, but has much greater rewards.

Starting out

In the beginning it was all about burning the midnight oil, juggling family life with a full time job, working weekends, evenings and lunchtimes. Billie took the plunge about 18 months ago and packed in her job to follow her passion and has not looked back since.

It has taken about five years from the initial spark to production and successful distribution of the range. A number of business partners have been involved along the way, but now Billie manages the day to day running, business development and has help with the orders and online enquiries.

The funding

Moral Fibre has been financed solely on Billie and her husband’s savings to date.

Biggest challenge

The biggest challenge has been finding producers who meet the strict ethical code of Moral Fibre. Nothing can be taken on face value and it has been important to experience first hand the supply chain to be able to select those which are doing more than going through the motions to simply become more marketable.

The demand for fair trade products has increased significantly in the last year and adequate supplies are hard to find. Billie initially applied published ethical and fair trade criteria to her suppliers to ensure that while they may not have certification (bamboo is currently uncertified, however, it is a known fact that bamboo is grown with minimal inputs and requires no pesticides or fertilisers) the raw materials were produced in a sustainable fashion.

Minimising negative impacts

Billie has the social impacts at the top of the agenda and continually strives to reduce environmental impacts. Although the products are made overseas, the impacts of the production and manufacturing have been minimised through the use of traditional farming methods, use of renewable energy and minimising waste. Bulk purchasing and delivery of these items to the storage point in Australia is undertaken to minimise the number of transportation journeys and the location of production and manufacture are located in close proximity where possible. Product packaging and delivery has been designed to minimise the use of raw materials.

International flights are essential to set up and review the production process. Carbon offsets are purchased through ClimateFriendly to minimise the impacts of this.

Future plans

While retaining the direct sale options through the website, in order to shift the large quantities which need to be ordered it is the business to business operations which will be the main focus. Purchasing the basic undyed and untreated products means that they can be sold on to Australian companies who can then add colour or design. Billie is also researching the opportunity for use of natural Australian dyes for the range.