1) Shop at vintage and value outlets before you buy new. Plastic-free guru Beth Terry told me that when she wants new clothes, she just means “new to her,” not necessarily bought new at the store. I’m right there with her. I needed a dress for a friend’s wedding recently. I found a gorgeous beaded gown at our local vintage shop, and it only cost me $30.

2) Shop at online consignment shops. Online consignment stores like thredUp offer thousands of brands, styles, and sizes at a highly discounted price. Plus, you can ship your own clothes off to them and make a little money back that you can either use to purchase other clothes on ThredUP or redeem them for cash on PayPal.

3) Borrow or exchange. That’s what girlfriends are for, right? And sisters, neighbors, people in your social network…you get the idea. Going skiing but don’t have ski pants? Surely someone you know does. Need an ugly sweater for a holiday party? Put out the word. Especially think about borrowing accessories like purses, belts, scarves, gloves, shawls, and other items that can work regardless of size.

4) Buy clothes made from recycled materials. I’ve stopped recommending clothes made from recycled plastic bottles. Micro plastic pollution in the ocean has become a huge environmental problem, and tiny clothing fibers are one factor. But other materials are being recycled into couture, including rubber tires and even coffee.

5) Look for ethically made, Fair Trade Certified clothing. There are so many benefits to buying Fair Trade clothes, we did an entire post about it here. Some of the best reasons: it’s better for people, since no little kids are allowed to work their fingers to the bone making you a pair of shoes or knitting you a scarf. It’s very stylish and trendy. And it’s increasingly available, especially online at stores like Nomad, where this dress comes from.

6) Make it vegan. Shoes, coats, jackets, belts, purses, jewelry, they’re all made without using animal products, either leather or animal tissue products. I have shoes made with hemp uppers and rubber soles, sweaters made from hemp rather than wool, and purses made from cotton and hemp rather than leather.

7) Order organic. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the world’s insecticides are used to grow cotton, though not all of the insecticides sprayed stay on the crop. A lot of it drifts for miles and lands on other food crops and residential areas. Still, it takes one pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to conventionally grow the three pounds of cotton needed to make a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. When you buy clothes made from organic fabrics, you take pesticides out of the equation.

8) Learn to sew. Sewing your own dress, pants or shirt will give you a new appreciation for what it takes to produce a garment. But if that sounds like it will require too much skill, talent or time, at least learn how to sew a seam, put back a button, or patch a tear. These are very easy repairs to make and will extend the life of your clothing significantly. If you really don’t feel like you can tackle something like sewing back on a button or repairing a seam, your local dry cleaners can probably do it for you. But before you give up, check out these Easy Sewing for Beginners videos.

9) Set your own style. The fashion industry has developed so that it moves fashion trends in and out of stores faster than the seasons change. This practice has led to clothes that are made poorly, often by people working in sweat shops, because it’s expected that they’ll quickly be replaced by whatever the newest fashion trend is. You’ll be an eco fashion queen if you set your own style, based on a look distinctive to you and well-made clothes you can dress up or down depending on your mood, event, season, and style.

Want to recycle your own clothes? Check out our post, “It’s Easier Than You Think!”

GD Environmental: Wales’ Leading Waste Management Company, GD Environmental, plays a vital role in helping larger companies achieve their green missions by operating an environmentally friendly waste management company which recycles 96% of waste and diverts 100% of waste from landfill to recycling. If you’re based in Wales, and looking to improve the sustainable performance of your business call GD Environmental today on 01633 277755 or visit www.gd-environmental.co.uk.

NOTE: Sponsorships help us bring you important information and expertise at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thank you.

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How about hand lotion made from argan oil and shea butter?

Looking for a non-toxic way to ward off termites?

Or safe and healthy cleansers you can use without getting sick?

Maybe you just want a dose of inspiration to keep you living the green life, or working in your community to make it better.

You’ll find all this, and more, at the annual Green Festivals put on by Green America and Global Exchange, two non-profit organizations committed to creating a greener, more just world.

I spent this weekend at “my” Green Festival in Washington, D.C., browsing the food booths, trying on organic cotton sweaters, slathering my hands with natural cremes, meeting other entrepreneurs, and being reminded why Ralph Nader is still “the man.”

FOOD

I always go hungry to Green Festival because there’s so much good food there to eat. Vegan restaurants set up kitchens in a sort-of restaurant row, offering delicious bean empanadas, gazpacho, various stir fry dishes, and a variety of organic juices. But there’s no need to buy a meal. Throughout the event, which is spread out over one entire floor of the D.C. Convention Center, companies offer tastings of their delicious recipes. On the chocolate front alone, I sampled several of the choices I could also find at Whole Foods or my local food co-op, including toffee crunch from Equal Exchange, salted dark chocolate from Salazon (YUM!), and new all-organic chocolate granola-type bars from Kit (in the Clif bar family).

Elsewhere, you could sample a variety of snack foods made from hemp, plus coconut cookies, organic baby food, and yogurt-based power drinks. O Organics of Safeway was handing out free shopping bags and boxes of its organic chocolate milk. (In case you didn’t realize it, Safeway now carries over 300 products in this USDA-certified organic line.)

ENERGY AND HOME DESIGN

Several companies focused on renewable energy were on hand to answer questions about wind power, solar, and home insulation. Habitat for Humanity was there, too, recruiting volunteers for its various homebuilding projects in D.C.’s Maryland and Virginia suburbs, while Community Forklift was making a gentle pitch to donate reusable home goods – like windows and used paint – to the warehouse they run to provide a market for low-cost building materials. Bill Hutchins, a thoughtful and spiritual architect who also happens to be my wonderful neighbor, explained the unique approach his firm, Helicon Works, takes to ecological design. Just down the aisle, the folks at Sustainable Design Group showed off the custom zero energy homes and additions they are building across the D.C. metro area.

CLOTHING AND FASHION

I loved the fashion options I saw at this year’s Green Festival, particularly the organic cotton yoga wear made by Lila Organics and the Cowl Neck Tops created by Mod Kham. (I bought the one pictured here – $40 on sale at Green Festival). You could also find beautiful turquoise necklaces made in Nepal with Fair Trade labor, and a variety of other jewelry, scarves, belts, bags, t-shirts, skirts, and pants.

CLEANING AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Karmalades is one of my favorite green cleaning lines. It’s made by Cynthia Brevil, a bold entrepreneur whose lemon lavender all-purpose cleaning spray works like a charm and is available for only $8.00 at her Etsy store. Go there, and you’ll also find various scubs, room refreshers, and some delightful products for babies, including a heavenly unscented baby butter and lavender onesie wash.

Skincando was there, too. Sara Damelio, the founder, makes balms, lip balms, soap bars and bug repellants that are so effective yet safe, they’re being shipped to our troops overseas as well as being bought everyday by people like me (and you?).

Shea Terra Organics Tammie Umbel was on hand to explain the benefits of her face and body care products and hair treatments. Some of her secret ingredients include argan oil, African black soap, and acadia honey.

Soap Box, with their slogan “soap=hope,” was handing out free bars made from shea butter, sea salt and lavender to promote its cause: for every bar you buy, the company donates a bar to a child in need. Reads the box: “More than 3,000 children’s lives could be saved every day with something as simple as a bar of soap and clean water.

RALPH NADER, STILL THE MAN!
My legs wore out just about the time Ralph Nader was due to take the Festival’s Main Stage. Luckily I got a seat in the audience; a capacity crowd turned out to hear America’s Number One consumer advocate and by the time he started speaking, it was standing room only. Nader launched right into his concerns about the threats facing everyone in the U.S. except the rich and super-rich: lack of health care, extremely low wages, pollution, and unfair labor practices.

Ralph encouraged the crowd to avoid membership in the “American Society of Apathetics” by becoming passionate advocates for heatlh, safety and justice. Taking a page directly out of the Big Green Purse playbook (or was it the other way around?), he urged people to support the green economy by voting with their dollars and shifting their purchases to many of the eco-entrepreneurs exhibiting at the festival. “I’ve never been inside a Wal Mart, a McDonald’s or a Starbucks,” he boasted, “And I get along!”

He urged his fans to start their own consumer watch dog groups. “Infuriation is the solution,” he reminded us, essentially saying: Get Mad, then Get Even!

For more information on exhibitors and when a Green Festival may be coming to your city, visit GreenFestivals.org.

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When that time comes, what should you look for? We’ve previously tackled the problems with buying apparel made from bamboo, even if it claims to be “eco friendly.” Organic cotton is among the most reliable options to choose; it’s gotten pretty easy to find socks, t-shirts, maybe even some lingerie made from this “green” fiber. But beyond that, the choices are pretty slim, especially if we still do most of our clothes shopping at the mall.

So if bamboo is out and organic cotton is hard to find, what does that leave? We’ll attempt to answer that question and more with this primer on how to shop for eco-friendly clothes.

Here’s Part #1 – Read the label.

When shopping for “greener” clothes, ignore words like “environmentally friendly,” “nature safe,” and “eco.” Instead, look for third-party certifications  for claims that mean the shirt or shoes or pajamas were predominantly made from sustainable fibers by adults, not kids, in a Fair Trade process that minimizes its environmental impact. The following companies certify companies that meet these criteria.

GOTS – The Global Organic Textile Standard

The raw materials that GOTS certifies must first be approved organic by a trusted company such as The Institute for Marketecology.GOTS will then review every step in the manufacturing process, from the harvesting of raw materials right through to proper product labeling. GOTS pays special attention to the dyeing process, as this can be extremely harmful to the health of workers as well as the environment. GOTS will not certify any manufacturer that uses any heavy metals, formaldehyde, GMO enzymes or carcinogenics.

GOTS is also very strict about environmental discharge during production and chemical residues in the finished product. GOTS will grade a product as an “Organic Textile” if it has at least a 95% organic origin. They will grade a product as “Textile containing organic fibers” if it has at least 70% organic origin. Several companies partner with GOTS and share their standards, including ICEA, based in Italy, ECOCERT, based in France , the Organic Trade Association in the U.S., Soil Association, based in the UK , and the Japan Organic Cotton Association.

Global Enfant sells baby and children s products that are both COTS and SA8000 (see below) certified.
Recycle a Tee also uses GOTS certified materials.

Oeko-Tex® Standard 100

Oeko-Tex is also recognized globally as a reliable and independent 3rd party eco-certification. The company will test and if applicable, certify textile raw materials, as well as intermediate and end products at all stages of production.  Oeko-Tex will allocate a product into one of four classes based on how much contact it has with skin. Products intended for babies, for example, must meet more stringent requirements than those woven into a woman’s blouse.

Eden Home and Green Earth Bamboo  both offer Oeko-Tex-certified clothing for the whole family.

SA8000
If a company states that it is SA8000-certified, it means it has passed a globally recognized social accountability standard for fair and humane working conditions. Specifically, products must meet the following criteria to be considered for SA8000 certification: No Child Labor, No Forced Labor, Proper Health and Safety, Workers’ Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining, No Discrimination, Reasonable Working Hours, and Fair Wages.

Fair Trade Certified You may already be purchasing Fair Trade coffee or chocolate. This certifying group now also certifying apparel and linens. If you are buying apparel that has been Fair Trade Certified, you can feel good about your purchase knowing that you are helping fight poverty and develop sustainability for some of the world’s most indigent cotton farmers and factory workers.

In the US, HAE NOW and Tompkins Point Apparel are among a handful of companies that have been Fair Trade Certified.

Read more about sustainable and eco-friendly clothing here. And check back soon for Parts 2 and 3 of our eco-friendly clothing series.

The post How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothes – Part 1: Read the Label appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The Green Moms Carnival tackles the clothing conundrum this month. Most of us bemoan how difficult it is to figure out how to buy environmentally-friendly fashions in the first place.

Mary of In Women We Trust regrets how few organic fabrics are designed for the boardroom instead of the beach, and points out the valuable role that the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) play in ensuring that textiles are produced organically.

Amber at Strocel.com compares polyester and acrylic, two synthetics made from fossil fuels, and comes down on the side of buying less clothing over all, and natural fibers over synthetics. “Reducing consumption pretty much always comes out ahead,” she notes.

Anna at Green Talk provides a comprehensive analysis of the use of recycled plastic bottles in clothing, as well as other textiles. A big concern is that textiles made from recycled plastic emit the chemical antimony, which has been linked to a wide variety of health problems in laboratory animals. Anna also reports that demand for plastic bottles that can be recycled into textiles has risen so much that some manufacturers are using brand new plastic bottles, rather than recycled ones. Talk about the law of unintended consequences!

Linda at Citizen Green points out several benefits to using recycled plastic, like the fact that “30% less energy is needed to down cycle the bottles into shirts than is needed to make them out of virgin plastic.” So what’s the worry? Plastic is still plastic, and will take hundreds of years to biodegrade.

Sarah of Practically Green provides a great set of tips if you’re shopping vintage. “Don’t keep it if you will NEVER be that size again,” she suggests — good advice whether you’re buying old or new. You’ll also love her pictures of the vintage clothes she’s snagged over the years, from a snazzy leopard clutch she lined with red leather (see photo, right) to her dad’s v-necked, cashmere sweater.

Keep reading. There’s more!

Lynn of OrganicMania goes for classics that never lose their style. While they might not be made from “eco friendly fibers,” these designs last forever – a real value in these days of fast, disposable fashion. Read Lynn’s post to get the inside scoop on her favorite retailer – a savvy store whose consistent color schemes and excellent craftsmanship make it possible to extend the life of any of the businesswear she buys there.

Micaela of Mindful Momma warns against actually buying clothes labeled as “smart” – since they may be loaded with “specialty fibers infused with all sorts of chemicals and technology” that may cause more problems than they fix. Micaela worries that “these products and technologies have not been thoroughly tested for safety on humans. Nor do we know the impact on the environment. Will the great new technology of today be the BPA of tomorrow?”

Jenn at the Green Parent suggests eco-friendly alternatives to clothes treated with fire retardants (aka, nasty chemicals that have been linked to a host of developmental health problems). High on Jenn’s list is organic merino wool, which is soft and naturally resistant to fire.

At Crunchy Chicken, Deanna raises a red flag about dangerous lingerie. While acknowledging that these garments “aren’t exactly meant to be worn for long,” Deanna notes nevertheless that the bustiers, bras, and corsets sold as “adult wear” are not made from fabrics you should be putting near your genitalia, “due to residual formaldehyde, flame retardants, and polyurethane.” A better alternative to these sexy but not-so-safe play clothes? A non-toxic or edible body paint. Chocolate, anyone?

At Big Green Purse, I tackle the question of bamboo. Is it green…or greenwashed? I compare bamboo to conventionally manufactured cotton (an exercise that would be so much easier if sustainable standards were in place) and find, that on several measures bamboo comes out ahead. However, organic cotton would still be my fabric of choice, and my post explains why.

Karen at Best of Mother Earth thinks the solution may be to sew clothes herself…if she knew how. That way, she’s sure the clothes she wearts will fit her criteria: “I have to feel and look good in it…it can’t cost a fortune…I won’t dry clean it…and does it even fit me?”

Maybe she can take a sewing lesson from Lisa at Condo Blues. Lisa learned how to sew without wasting fabric from her mom, and she’s heartened at the efforts the fashion industry is making to reduce its trash, too. Take a look at the knock-out Renaissance-era gown Lisa recently sewed, and you’ll be begging her to make some garb for you.

What about how much clothes cost? Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green reveals the costs hidden in the manufacture of clothes, noting that many designs today are manufactured in sweat shops that only pay a fraction of the decent wages laborers deserve. Lisa suggests buying designs certified as Fair Trade to ensure that workers receive a fair payment for their work.

Tracy at Inspire Planning addresses the cost issue as well – as in how much money you can save by buying “green.” To her that means, shopping for gently worn clothes that are fashionable, swapping clothes with friends and neighbors, and shopping online at reasonably-priced eco-designers. Another savvy tip? Peruse your favorite design magazines and websites to get a sense of current fashion trends, then dress up clothes you already have in your closet with accessories like scarves and hats.

Most of these posts link to additional resources on topics like eco-friendly shoes, handbags made from recycled materials, and more. Hope you’ll browse the “racks,” figuratively speaking of course.

The post Clothing: What’s Eco, and What’s Not appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Soft organic cotton T-shirts. Bamboo-based business attire. Versatile vests spun from recycled soda bottles. Raw silk scarves. Linen shirts, slacks, and dresses. Shoes carved out of cork and padded with refurbished rubber. From top to toe, our wardrobes are getting earth friendlier; they’re becoming snazzier, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mother Nature herself was inspired to accessorize her fig leaf with a charming little handbag hewn from hemp.

She’s probably also starting to breathe a sigh of relief. The apparel industry has never been a friend of the earth, given its often toxic impact on our natural resources. Every dollar we spend on clothing and accessories to ‘green’ our wardrobe helps protect our air, water, wildlife, and wilderness. Of that, Mother Nature would approve.

Shopping for ‘green’ a la mode, does not require the sacrifice of personal style or personal finances. I never travel without my trendy sienna-colored hemp sweater because it fits me perfectly, doesn’t wrinkle, and is easy to launder in a sink; I just wash it in a little hand soap and water, wring it out, and let it line dry. And guess what? It only cost $40. My organic t-shirts wear just as well as ones made from industrial cotton but are a lot softer. Plus, I get a kick out of the tongue-in-cheek messages on the shirts, like this one from Green Label Organics that takes Hummers to task.

The industry of sustainable clothing is expanding, providing you with a variety of trendy and affordable options. So choose ‘green’ this summer and dress your part.

American Apparel. Made in the United States and sweatshop free, American Apparel is notorious for providing customers with inexpensive basics like T-shirts, sweatshirts, light-weight sweaters, leggings, skirts, pants, shorts, bathing suits, and intimates. Their Organic Collection offers styles made from 100% USDA Certified Organic and pesticide-free cotton. The company also uses a low-impact dyeing process to eliminate chemical waste while recycling over a million  pounds of fabric per year.

Jonano. Supplies modish designer fashions for women and babies made from certified organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp fabrics. Their clothing is manufactured using Fair Trade Labor practices, and they use natural dyes with a low environmental impact. Added bonus? Jonano also uses recycled packaging and shipping materials. (Bloom Double Sash Shirtdress made from Organic Bamboo in Citron Yellow pictured right).

Rawganique Clothing. This company offers a wide selection of women’s and men’s clothing made from hemp and organic cotton. Rawganique also carries a large collection of accessories ranging anywhere from organic jewelry, handbags and footwear to organic sheets and towels. This company provides it all, and all at a reasonable price.

Fashion & Earth. Here’s another fair trade, sustainable and style conscious company. Fashion & Earth produces organic and eco-friendly clothing made from bamboo, organic cotton, hemp and soy. Their site is easy to browse, providing a large selection of chic tops, bottoms, skirts and dresses, jackets, intimates, and accessories. They also offer additional links to shop complete outfits, search green fashion guides, and read-up on why eco-friendly clothing matters. Get 10% off your first purchase.

Aventura Clothing. Manufactures beautiful and comfortable women’s clothing made from organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, and recycled polyester. Aventura’s clothing line includes halter tops, tank tops, blouses, jackets, bottoms (dresses, pants, shorts, skorts, capris), beachwear, bathing suits, and accessories. (Laken Bamboo Blend Dress pictured right).

Anvil Knitwear. Recently ranked the 6th largest organic program in the world by the Organic Exchange, Anvil supplies over 70 styles of men, women and children’s clothing and accessories in 80 different colors, including 17 eco-friendly styles in fibers such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, transitional cotton (or cotton in conversion) and recycled polyester from PET bottles. Don’t miss their TrackmyT.com website, which shows how a t-shirt gets made – and why sustainable manufacturing makes a difference.

The Greenloop. This eco-fashion shopping resource focuses primarily on sustainable apparel and accessories for women and men. Greenloop provides an abundant list of brands that employ a variety of responsible practices such as using eco-friendly, sustainable materials, and/or maximizing recycling and waste reduction. In addition to these practices, all companies listed on the Greenloop site engage in fair trade and sweat-shop free production. It’s an excellent site that will help you find most of the best brands, styles, and ‘green’ clothing available.

Of course, before you buy new, think about shopping at vintage or thrift shops. And don’t throw old clothes away! Make room for new eco-friendly fashionable finds by recycling your old-have-not-worn-in-two-years threads. To learn more, click here.

Also, be sure to check out Top Ten Ways to Green Your Wardrobe for other environmentally-friendly fashion ideas.

The post ‘Green’ is the New Black: Eco-Friendly Fashion Finds for Summer appeared first on Big Green Purse.

  The Green Inaugural Ball: Maximum Celebration, Minimal Impact kicks things off Satuday, January 17 at 8 p.m. in the Mellon Auditorium, just a stone’s throw from the White House. Various speakers will incude Chris Paine (producer of the film ‘Who Killed the Electric Car?’), Margie Alt, Executive Director of Environment America, and Graham  Hill, Treehugger founder and now a muckety-muck at The Discovery Channel (The Discovery Channel’s Planet Green network is the prime sponsor of the event). But the highlight of the evening will no doubt be the performance of Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born Grammy Award-winning “musician/producer/social activist.”

Every facet of the Green Inaugural Ball has been designed to reduce its impact on the environment, say event organizers.  That means the “heavy hors d’oeuvres” will be organic, many of the drinks will be organic, throwaways will be at a minimum and recycling will be done to the max (hence the mantra of the party). Event organizers are even purchasing carbon credits to offset the transportation of all truck deliveries and staff commutes.

In addition, five percent of each ticket sold will be donated to one to the event’s non-profit partners, including a few of my favorites (Environment America, Green Corps, Assateague Coastal Trust, and Environmental Working Group). At $500 a ticket, it sounds like many groups will benefit.

On Tuesday, January 20, the actual evening of the inauguration, I’ll be kicking up my heels at the Environmental and Clean Energy Ball. This is the sixth ball this crowd of renewable energy advocates has organized, and I think I’ve been to almost all of them.

Even though tickets cost $200 a pop, the event sold out in no time. It’s being held at the beautiful Sequoia restaurant right on the Potomac River in the heart of Georgetown. I’ll be sitting at a table with the crowd of enviros I worked with at Environmental Action in 1977 and 1978 (yes, some of us have been at this that long!).

The biggest challenge of the night will be getting to the ball. I know enviros take mass transit seriously, but things may have gotten a little out of hand this time around. The FBI or CIA or somebody has decided to close all driving bridges that link Virginia to Washington, DC  (that’s what they get for being a red state for so many years…), so the friends we’re planning to meet up with at the Sequoia may need to row their own boat across the Potomac to get to the event. We’ll be looking for signals of their arrival: one if by land, two if by sea?.

There’s no talk yet of celebrity appearances at the Sequoia. Sixteen years ago, on the night of Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, we partied at the same locale. Richie Havens, the sixties/Woodstock icon, performed “Here Comes the Sun,” and Clinton’s proposed EPA Administrator Carol Browner stopped by to say hello. We’re not sure who’ll be dropping in Tuesday night, though of course, Pres. Elect Obama and Vice-Pres. Elect Biden have been invited. Maybe Carol Browner, who is making a comeback as Mr. Obama’s proposed energy czar, will show.

Not surprisingly, the Clean Energy ball is co-sponsored by companies like the American Council on Renewable Energy, the National Hydropower Association, and Green Advantage. The American Coalition for Ethanol managed to sneak in there, too, though I’m not sure how, since everyone seems to have soured on the idea of turning corn into gas.

The only green event I haven’t yet scored a ticket to is the one being hosted by Al Gore. In fact, I didn’t even know about this ball until I noticed a disclaimer in the FAQs on the Green Inaugural Ball’s web page. It says,  “According to the Washington Times, Al Gore is the honorary chair of “The Green Ball: Inauguration of a New Green Economy.”  To the best of our knowledge, his event is invitation only.” Al, even though it’s late, if you send me an invite, I’ll come.

Next: What should I wear?!!!

The post I’m going to the ball! Now all I need is a gown… appeared first on Big Green Purse.