Recycled Fiber Apparel

Eco-friendlier t-shirt printing

2009-04-07T10:32:00.003-04:00

Working on a write-up for the new garment printer we are bringing in. It is a direct-to-garment printer that is more eco-friendly that traditional screen printing.

Mostly, it uses fewer chemicals and wastes a whole lot less water than the traditional screen process.

We are excited by the bright vibrant prints we will be able to add, especially by doing it in a more environmentally sensitive manner than traditional printing.

This will allow us to print designs or corporate logos on these goods in the most environmentally sound method available at a reasonable price.

Stay tuned for details as delivery of the printer is later this month.

Origin of the recycle symbol

2009-02-27T10:32:00.006-05:00

The original recycling symbol was designed in 1970 by Gary Anderson, a senior at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles.

It was submitted as part of a nationwide contest for high school and college students sponsored by the Container Corporation of America. The contest was a result of the continued growth of consumer awareness in response to the first Earth Day.

The recycling symbol consists of three-chasing-arrows in the shape of a triangle having rounded vertices. This represents a Mobius strip, discovered in 1858 by August Ferdinand Möbius (1790-1868), a German mathematician and astronomer. Each arrow twists and turns itself, and all three arrows chase each other. It is a consummate representation of recycling. The mobius loop itself was , and has been a mathematical marvel of simplicity, singularity, and continuity ever since.

Each of the three arrows represents a step in a three step process that forms a closed loop; the recycling loop. The first step is collection of materials to be recycled. The re-manufacturing process is the second arrow in the recycling symbol. The third step is the purchase and use of the products made from the recycled materials.

Just a little bit of history....

MAGIC - Ecollection

2009-02-19T17:38:00.007-05:00

Just got back from the MAGIC (not Houdini type of magic) Men's Apparel trade show. They had an "eco" area. We were looking for some new products to offer. We found a few interesting one's and a few that were simply trying to appear to be something they were not.

One vendor had taken the Anvil organic t-shirt, cut the tag out, sewn their own tag in and claimed it was their shirt. They had screen-printed a tree on it. I spotted what they did within seconds having used the Anvil T's for screen printing and Tie-Dyeing on our TieDyeMania site.

When I inquired about the product, they were bold enough to tell me about all their certifications, and how hard they worked to have the cotton grown for them and on and on...

When I asked why the label looked funny, they said it was due to the fair trade labor and some other reasons. Every question I asked was answered with another lie.

It is amazing the length that some will go to. I'd respect them if they told the truth about what they were doing and tried to sell their screen print designs rather than claiming the shirt to be theirs.

More on some of the finds at the show later. This company just bothered me and I had to blog it... I feel better now :-)

Econscious - soda bottle recycling

2009-02-11T10:16:00.006-05:00

Just got this nice graphic from one of the brands we carry, Econscious. It captures the process of recycling a plastic bottle through the steps really well.

Our company - going greener

2009-02-09T14:33:00.004-05:00

Busy working on the list of how to be a greener company. We already do the basics like recycling our cardboard, office paper, plastic and aluminum.

It's easy to recycle the cardboard here as there is a large compactor in our facility to collect it. For all the others, I bundle up the paper, and have a large barrel for the plastic and aluminum and bring it home myself for pick-up. Our town has residential collection, but no commercial collection. They don't make it easy to be green...

We worked with our corrugated box manufacturer to ensure they use recycled content in their boxes. They indicated that just about all boxes these days contain some recycled content. The market is steady, producing a good reliable supply. We also switched all our paper stock over to 100% recycled content. It's amazing how much more recycled copy paper costs compared to traditional stock.

We are looking at some of the little things we can do as well. Like recycling the cardboard rolls from our tape along with the corrugated cardboard. We use rechargeable batteries in our digital cameras and make sure the sleep settings on all the computers reduce their power consumption when not in use. Every little bit helps - if everybody turned off one light bulb for 30 minutes in a room they just left, the overall savings would be huge, while the impact on one person is small.

We continue to lean on our suppliers to be greener. Some of their packaging methods are extremely wasteful. We are getting tag-on productions of what is going to the big companies and it's amazing how much packaging is used to get these products to market. At least we make sure to recycle what we can.

Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle as not everyone feels the same way about recycling.

Now on Facebook

2009-02-04T15:13:00.004-05:00

Check-out our FaceBook profile and share us with your friend or just write on our wall.

Bamboo for clothing - isn't that panda food?

2009-02-03T08:27:00.005-05:00

Bamboo clothing makes for both comfortable and versatile designs. It performs well in hot and cool climates. Bamboo clothing offers built-in temperature control. Its breathable nature and moisture wicking properties keep you comfortable in hot weather and the structure of the fibers helps trap warm air to keep you warmer in the winter.

Bamboo can have the look and feel of silk or very soft cotton, but it is a durable fabric due to the long fibers produced during manufacturing. Bamboo clothing is also great for athletes because it doesn't hold odor like synthetic fibers during exercise or after laundering.

Bamboo is an eco-friendly fiber. Maturing in only two years, it doesn't require fertilizer or pesticides or even additional water to grow. Bamboo is a beneficial plant for the planet with most of it growing organically because of the nature of the plant. Technically speaking, it is categorized as a grass and might be the world’s most sustainable resource. It is one of the fastest growing grasses and some varieties can grow up to several feet a day. Bamboo reaches maturity quickly. After harvesting, bamboo does not require replanting because of its vast root network. Cut-off at the base, it sprouts new shoots which grow quickly, pulling in sunlight and greenhouse gases, converting them to new green growth and releasing oxygen at the same time.

The down-side, if there is one, is in the conversion of the pulp into a usable fiber. Most bamboo fabric is chemically manufactured by “cooking” the bamboo leaves and woody shoots in chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (also known as caustic soda or lye) in a process also known as hydrolysis alkalizing. Chemicals are also applied to the fibers to bleach them.

There are arguments for both sides about how the processing affects the "greenness" and "sustainability" of bamboo. While it greatly reduces the needs for pesticides, fertilizer and even watering, the chemicals used to process it are harsh. The chemicals is does use are able to be centralized, controlled and cleaned up before any disposal. Comparing that to the run-off of fertilizers and pesticides does seem to make it a better choice.

Green shipping companies

2009-01-29T14:37:00.004-05:00

I spoke with several of the shipping companies reps recently (with the slow economy, they seem to be working a little harder to drum up business). Shipping is probably one of the biggest consumers of energy for the production and delivery of our goods.

Everyone wants to go green, including them. Here are a few of the highlights I found out:

They are using bio-diesel and/or low sulfur diesel at all of their internal refueling stations
They recycle all the oils, lubricant, batteries and anti-freeze from their vehicles
They dispose / recycle all their tires through EPA registered agents
Look for aerodynamic and other efficiency advances to apply to their fleets
Use computer technology to reduce the miles driven to complete the drivers daily routes
Use railroads to transport goods across the country and consolidate the loads on the trailers as much as possible
Use electronic invoicing, use recycled paper and recycle their own waste paper

It's nice to know that these companies are trying. Most of these efforts actually work to reduce their costs as well as the impact they are having on our environment.

Our 100th product - now live

2009-01-19T15:13:00.005-05:00

We have been focusing on adding as many new products to the RecycledFiberApparel site as possible. Most have recycled content, some are made with organic cotton. While the name is RecycledFiberApparel, we want to offer as many green choices as possible.

For our 100th product added, it is organic, not recycled, but has a really great story behind it. It is a women's t-shirt by Edun Live.

Edun Live is a company formed by Bono and Ali Hewson (his wife). Our supplier had a nice write-up about Edun Live. To quote them:

"Just about as natural as you can get while still wearing clothes, the eco-friendly t-shirts of Edun Live are a cool and fashionable way to be green. Founded by Bono and Ali Hewson, every shirt created by Edun Live expresses a commitment to respect - for the materials they're made from, the country where they are made and the people who choose to wear them.
Edun Live t-shirts are made in Africa of 100% certified organic cotton using no toxic pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Each Edun Live t-shirt helps support developing communities, creates jobs for the jobless, provides people with specialized training and helps make this planet a better place for us all to live"

I spent a good bit of time going through the Edun Live website and there is some really interesting information there. It tells about how they employ local labor using fair trade practices, how they use organic products and some of the great work they are doing to help these emerging nations to emerge.

Why organic cotton clothing is better...

2009-01-19T11:53:00.003-05:00

Today, we hear many major food producers pitching their "organic alternative" products. Several years ago, the organic food section in one of our local grocery stores used to be a small little display section with some assorted products. Now it is a full aisle loaded with products to choose from. The health benefits of organic food are apparent. After all, who wants to ingest chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers and preservatives. It's scary to read the food labels.

Organic clothing has a different benefit compared to organic foods. While organic foods are certainly better for your health, the largest benefit of organic clothing is for our planet. The reduction in the use of chemicals and pesticides to grow the cotton are the main reason for choosing organic. The average cotton shirt is made with pounds and pounds of chemicals, growing cotton without that is much better for the planet.

I have not seen any hard research into the amount of residual chemicals left in the cotton after the finished garment has been laundered. New garments are loaded with "stuff" left over from the manufacturing and should never be worn for more than just trying them on. All the dyes, colors and anti-bug treatments needed for import are still left in the garment, waiting for your skin to absorb them.

Over the past years there has been a rise in skin conditions. Some are being attributed to the different chemicals used to make clothing. One parent who was shopping on our pajama site, littlejammies.com, was looking for organic cotton pajamas for her autistic child. She had read an article (I tried looking but could not find it) about a suspected link between the chemicals in clothing and the rise in autism. We have been looking for a good pajama manufacturer and keep asking them, but so far none have stepped up and started to use organic cottons.

My own take on it is that organic cotton is better for the planet and is possibly better for us. I think that washing before wearing is very wise. Once washed, it makes sense that most of the nasty stuff would be gone. If someone has links to research papers that show more information, I'd love to read them and post links here.

More on recycled cotton

2009-01-14T10:28:00.004-05:00

As far a recycled fibers go, there are two basic types, cotton and polyester. This post will detail more of what goes into using recycled cotton for clothing.

Each day, approximately 4 million tons of pre-consumer and post-consumer textile waste are discarded. Post-consumer cast-offs are typically collected by clothing drives and charity drop-boxes. They are sorted and graded with the best ones being resold to other emerging nations while the usable rest are cut up into rags. Pre-consumer leftovers are what is most commonly used for recycled fiber apparel.

The availability and predictability of pre-consumer waste makes for a more consistent supply making them a better candidate for recycling. The pre-consumer scraps that are not suitable for clothing are often turned into upholstery padding, rags, mops and other industrial grade products.

A few enterprising companies use the pre-consumer leftovers to make clothing. To do this, they collect the scraps, and separate them by color. The fibers are then shredded to break them down into something called shoddy. Polyester fibers (often made of recycled PET Plastic) are added for additional strength because the the recycled cotton fibers are a little shorter than the original fibers.

The fibers are then re spun back into yarn. The yarn is then used to make new clothing using traditional sewing and manufacturing. These recycled fiber garments typically have little or no dye or chemicals used in their production.

Two of the companies that stand out for me are Playback and Anvil Knitwear. Playback's product lines consist of only garments that contain recycled fibers. Anvil produces many lines that include traditional, organic and recycled options.

Our retail site, RecycledFiberApparel.com carries products from both of these green companies.

While writing this, I found these other interesting facts:

Cotton production accounts for 25% of the pesticide used in the world
To create just one cotton t-shirt, it takes, on average, 3 pounds of chemical fertilizers and 500 gallons of water
Up to 40% of cotton grown is wasted between the harvest and the manufacture of garments

New site launch - www.recycledfiberapparel.com

2009-01-05T11:16:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the first post regarding our new site, RecycledFiberApparel.com, launched in late December 2008.

When researching apparel, we came across a new niche that we feel is an important one, recycled fiber apparel.

There are 2 types of recycled fiber apparel:

Recycled polyester where recyclable PET plastic content is used in the fabrication of the garment
Recycled cotton where old clothing or scraps from other manufacturers is used to make clothing

We will individually blog about them in greater detail in future posts.

Recycling has the obvious benefits of saving energy, landfill space and is generally good for the environment.

Organic clothing is the latest apparel industry favorite as "organic anything" has emerged as a media favorite. We also carry a number of organic products and offer them on the site as well. Many products contain both recycled polyester and organic cotton.

As new products are offered, this blog will list some of them and will also profile some of the efforts of the companies producing them. We will also document many of the little things we are doing here to continue our efforts to be a "green company".