On October the 15th – Bloggers around the world united to discuss environmental issues and to promote Blog Action Day.

At IMPACT Magazine, we would like to highlight our product as being not only an informative product regarding environment and ethics in textile sourcing – but also as being an environmentally friendly product in itself.

IMPACT Magazine is a digital magazine, which uses no paper, no processing and no transport. An all-round environmentally and ethically ‘friendly’ publication!

The magazine’s editor, John Scrimshaw, says,

“Fashion professionals are under increasing pressure to prove their ‘green’ or ‘ethical’ credentials. But in a fast moving industry that buys and manufactures its products globally, we have to ask,

what does ‘green’ really mean?

• Can a T-shirt be organic when it’s travelled 8,000 miles?
• Is natural cotton really better than a reconstituted cellulose like lyocell?
• What sort of chemicals do they use to fix natural dyes?
• Which environmental labels can I trust?
• Where can I find a supplier for my hemp or bamboo fabrics?
• What are companies big and small doing to improve their environmental record?

In order to answer these and similar questions, IMPACT magazine was created this year by the world’s top textile publisher, World Textile Publication Ltd.

But unlike most business-to-business magazines, IMPACT has itself set out to be as environmentally aware as possible. It is a magazine without paper, published entirely in ‘virtual’ form, which consumes only the minimum resources in materials, energy and transportation.”

If you have a product or service you think may be relevant to IMPACT magazine, please email IMPACT’s editor, John Scrimshaw, with details.

In the spirit of Blog Action Day – between the 15th of October 2007 and the 31st of December 2007 – you can purchase IMPACT Magazine for the low price of just £135!

That’s a massive 25% saving on the standard price for the magazine!
Please remember to mention that you are subscribing as part of the Blog Action Day initiative.

If you are interested in seeing a free copy of the magazine, or have any questions, please contact Sue Pritchard using the details below.

Sue Pritchard – Subscriptions Controller
Tel: +44 (0) 1274 378801 Fax: +44 (0) 1274 378811
Email: spritchard@world-textile.net

IMPACT Magazine is brought to you by World Textile Publications – a World Leading Brand in textile publishing. Other titles from World Textile Publications include: Fashion Business International, Future Materials, International Dyer, Wool Record, Knitting International, Nonwovens Report International and Textile Month.

100% Organic Cotton Range.

Alternative Earth has launched an Eco-friendly range of clothes for men, women and children. Alternative Earth is a collection of the brand’s signature, super-soft crews and scoop-neck shirts made from 100% organic cotton.

The range also features a line of T-shirts manufactured with organic and recycled poly fibres, and naturally occurring rayon fibres. The Eco-Heather styles include traditional crew and scoop neck tees, a unisex Henley, hoodies, lounge-wear, and a baby/toddler T-shirt.

Alternative says that it’s organic cotton is grown using methods and resources that have a low impact on the environment. The production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reducing the use of toxic pesticides, while the brand’s recycled polyester components are made from plastic food containers and drinking bottles.

The organic styles are said to go through a heavy enzyme fabric rinse, called a satin wash. All pieces from the Alternative Earth collection are fabric dyed with materials that do not contain heavy metals or other known toxic substances.

Greg Alterman, founder and creative director of Alternative Earth, said:

As people all over the world are taking steps to lessen their negative ecological footprint by being conscientious of our resources, buying organic foods, and using more Eco-friendly products, we recognise the importance of doing our part. Alternative Earth is working to make a difference by enabling our consumer to wear their favourite T’s, while being mindful of mother earth at the same time.

Alternative Earth and it’s exclusive online store at www.alternativeearth.com were officially unveiled on August 1st with 12 pieces. A percentage of all sales will be donated to a variety of charities benefiting the environment.

Meanwhile, Alternative Earth recently formed A.R.R.R.T – Alternative Reduce Reuse Recycle Team – a small committee of department managers responsible for making their offices and staff more environmentally conscious.

Shoe Label Rates Eco-Impact:

Timberland aims to put product-specific information about environmental impact on all it’s shoes by 2010. The Green Index rating uses a scale from 0 (the best) to 10 (the worst) to assess footwear for climate impact, chemical use and resource consumption.

According to the company’s corporate social responsibility report 2006, it is hoped that consumers will know what they are putting on their feet. The Green Index rating will be carried on a select line of Greenscape shoes this year.

It was unveiled last January at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Utah, USA, and helped Timberland win the Backpacker Editor’s Choice Green Award for innovation in green product development.

Last year, the company began to put an environmental label on 30 million footwear boxes to inform consumers about where the product was manufactured, how it was produced and what effect it had on the environment. It is now placing a message inside boxes asking consumers to consider what kind of footprint they are leaving and encouraging them to take practical steps in an effort to protect the planet.

Under this initiative, the boxes are also said to be crafted from 100% post-consumer recycled waste fibre while soy-based inks are used to print the labels.

To read about Timberland’s Carbon Neutral Target, a story which was featured in the August issue of IMPACT Magazine, please check back next week!

Ethical entrepreneur ‘wants to change attitudes’:

The founder of Sari (UK) Ltd – a business that was launched to raise money for children in developing countries – has been honoured with the Fortis Bank Community of the Year Award.

Sital Punja started the company in 2002 as a project recycling saris into accessories. It is now reputed to be one of the UK’s premiere ethical fashion labels.

Since entering the world of ethical design, Punja has become a consultant and advocate of changing principles and attitudes. She has developed the Eco Design Network for CIPS and provides a marketing consultancy service to eco-designers through networks such as Clerkenwell Green Association and Hidden Art.

Punja was presented with the award at the Eastern Eye Asian Business Awards on the 8th May 2007.

Natural Colour in Maternity Range:

Bamboo Yoga is launching an eco-friendly range of pregnancy and maternity clothing at Mothercare. Designed in association with the UK’s National Childbirth Trust (NCT), the seperates are made from 65% unbleached natural bamboo fibre, 28% cotton and 7% elastane.

Woven bamboo fibre is said to be highly breatheable and super-absorbant, does not stick to the skin and has natural anti-bacterial and deodorising qualities.

The Bamboo Yoga range, which uses Natural Colour Cotton – grown to contain natural pigment, will be in stock at selected Mothercare stores from mid June 2007.

Low-energy Store Solution

Gucci is set to have energy-efficient lighting for it’s new flagship store in New York. More than 1,500ft of LED Folio’s LinearLux fixtures will be used to illuminate the exterior and interior.

Chief operating officer, Donald Peifer, said:

“The potential impact of an energy efficient, low-profile fixture like this on the built environment is enormous.”

Sri Lankan Partner in Zero-Emissions Plan.

Marks & Spencer and two of the retailer’s long-term suppliers are to develop it’s first ‘eco-factories’. Among them is a new factory, to be built in Sri Lanka in conjunction with MAS Intimates and due to open early in 2008.

The others are furniture-upholstery sites in North Wales, both of them existing factories, run by Westbridge, which has committed to make them carbon neutral by 2010 and to send no waste to landfill.

M&S says the sites will also maximise the use of sustainable materials such as Fair-trade and organic cotton, recycled polyester fibre fillings, Castor oil-based foam and Forest Stewardship Council approved timber. M&S will provide MAS and Westbridge with advice on sustainable construction, based on experience gained in it’s ‘eco stores’, as well as making a contribution to architects’ design costs or sponsorship of key building elements.

Their different features will reportedly include a ‘green roof’ made from vegetation, the ability to harvest rainwater, compressed-rice straw board for partitioned walls and the use of sun to light production areas.

The announcement was made as part of the first update on Plan A, M&S’s £200 million ‘eco-plan’ launched in January. This sets a number of targets for the company, including becoming carbon neutral and sending no waste to landfill within five years. The plan also aims to extend the company’s sustainable sourcing, set new standards in ethical trading and help customers and employees to live a healthier lifestyle.

Stuart Rose, M&S’s chief executive, said:

“We’re already making progress on our 100 ‘Plan A’ goals, but we’ve a long way to go before we meet the ambitious targets we’ve set.”

Importers responsible for chemical registration.

European retailers and brands that import large quantities of textiles have acquired duties under the EU’s new REACH regulations on the safety testing and registration of chemicals. The regulations make it the importer’s responsibility to ensure that only registered and approved products have been used for dyeing or chemical finishing of textiles. Where the total amount of a dye or chemical incorporated in a company’s various product lines is likely to exceed one tonne a year, the importer must register an interest under REACH, and will ultimately have to ensure that the chemicals involved are themselves tested for health and environmental safety. The difficulty for importers will be to estimate how much of a particular chemical or dye has been used, based on the elements of the collection and the volume of individual pieces.

However, the Health & Safety Executive, which administers REACH in the UK and provides a helpdesk, said it was in consultation with a number of retailers about the practicalities of implementation. As a way round the problem, buyers of imported textiles can persuade their supplier to appoint an agent, known as an ‘only representative’, at the point of origin. This agent can be charged with the task of registration before the goods are imported into the EU.

The REACH regulations came into force on June 1, with the setting up of the European Chemicals Agency. One year on, there will be a pre-registration phase, from June 1 to November 30, 2008, for companies who intend to register substances. By pre-registering with the Agency, there will be an opportunity to take advantage of a phased approach to registration. For example, most pre-registered lower-tonnage substances will not have to be registered until 2018.

Article taken from IMPACT – Issue 1 [June 2007]

To read more articles like this one, subscribe to IMPACT today!
IMPACT is an online magazine that covers environment and ethics in textile sourcing.
Contact spritchard@world-textile.net for more information

 

 

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I am pleased to introduce you to IMPACT, an interactive online magazine that responds to the environmental and ethical issues that concern the textile industry.

IMPACT is a must for buyers, specifiers and sourcing executives in the textile field.
Issues reported on include ‘eco’ products, fair trade, employment standards, ethical brands and retail strategy, PLUS new technologies that strive to create textiles that respond to growing consumer demand in this area.

No paper, no waste: IMPACT is delivered electronically, on a monthly basis, direct to your inbox.

Interactive: Throughout the magazine there are links from news and features to relevant information on other websites.

IMPACT is the sustainable textiles news source. And we, at World Textile Publications, want to tell the world about it! Our blog includes information about up-and-coming stories, exciting features and special offers. Participate in discussions on our blog posts, or find out which stories will be featured in the next issue.

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Please view our launch issue with my compliments.  If you are interested in finding out more about IMPACT, please email our subscriptions team: subscriptions@world-textile.net

Kind regards,

John Scrimshaw – Editor of IMPACT