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Environmental Policy
Respect and Stewardship for All that Nature Gives Us Means Helping Everyone Make Greener Choices
The choices you and I make every day leave their mark on the environment for generations to come.
For a company, that mark can be huge.
We count it a privilege to use the word “Earth” in our name as a green clothing company. When you love and appreciate the outdoors as much as the founders of Fashion & Earth do, you want to do everything you can to ensure that not only you, but your children, and their children, too, will be able to experience the peace, the feeling of belonging, the feeling of being truly alive that untouched nature can bring.
These gifts of nature, evident when you’re kayaking on a pristine river, camping in an ages-old forest, hiking a majestic peak, scuba diving a coral reef – or simply relaxing at the beach – will be protected to the greatest extent possible by all our actions, as individuals and as a green clothing company.
But we know you don’t have to be the outdoor type to appreciate the benefits of clothing that’s better for you and the environment, too.
Beyond the commitment we make to environmentally responsible practices ourselves, our governing vision is to make green clothing choices easier for everyone. So every time you purchase green clothing at Fashion & Earth, you can be assured your new organic clothing item is manufactured according to fair trade guidelines and with a commitment to sustainable practices.
Together, our commitment as individuals can magnify the choices that each of us makes.
We invite you to learn more about how we conduct our stewardship for the Earth. The following environmental policy is only a starting point for our corporation. Each year, we will self-audit our activities to make sure we are meeting our environmental goals and to find ways to further improve.
Updated November 11, 2008.
Our Commitment Starts with Selling Only Eco-Friendly Products
When an organization truly cares about the mark it will make, it must embrace the highest level of environmentally and socially sustainable choices right from one end of the organization to the other. Our commitment to the environment begins with our products - the green clothing we offer to families.
All of our eco-friendly products are chosen based on several key criteria. You can be assured that every item of clothing at Fashion & Earth meets the following requirements:
- All cotton products must be certified organic under GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or the SAOS (Soil Association Organic Standard) and must be certified by an IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) accredited or internationally recognized certifier.
- All regenerated cellulose fibers from bamboo sources must be from the Moso species and must be certified organic at the farm level by either the United States NOP (National Organic Program), the European Organic Regulation (EEC No. 2092/91) or, the Japan Organic Standards (JAS).
- All regenerated cellulose fiber produced from natural sources such as bamboo, soy and wood must be at least Oeko-Tex 100 certified and preferably Oeko-Tex 1000 certified.
- For silk products, prefernce will be given to un-dyed, wild silk. In those cases where non-wild silk is used, it will be noted in the product description. In all cases, only silk treated with low-impact fiber reactive dyes will be sourced.
- For wool products, prefernce will be given to organic wool that has been produced without the use of pesticides and antibiotics and treated using low-impact fiber reactive dyes.
- For hemp, prefernce will be given to products certified as organic at the farm level through NOP, EEC No. 2092/91 or JAS and / or certified organic through GOTS or SAOS. In all cases, only hemp products employing low-impact fiber reactive dyes will be sourced.
- All clothing items must contain at least 90% organic or sustainable content.
- All accessory products such as purses, belts, gloves, shoes, etc must be produced from GOTS certified organic fabrics, sustainable fabrics or recycled material.
- All products including clothing and accessories must be manufactured under conditions that meet the labour guidelines as set by reputable organizations such as the International Labour Organization or, Social Accountability International
- All products including clothing and accessories must be manufactured in a way that minimizes harm to the environment:
Best of all, the organic clothing we offer is suited for a wide range of people and daily activities, making it practical and affordable for everyone to make environmentally preferable clothing choices.
Reducing Transportation Needs
Approximately 45% of global CO2 emissions are produced by North American vehicles. To minimize our impact, we keep travel to a minimum. We use teleconference technology whenever possible to communicate. If travel is required, mileage is carefully documented and at the end of the year, carbon off-set credits are purchased from our local utility.
North American workers spend an average of 47 hours per year commuting through rush hour traffic. This adds up to 3.7 billion hours and 23 billion gallons of gas wasted in traffic each year. Our corporate vehicles are chosen based on their safety and fuel efficiency. We encourage staff members to do the same by offering a financial incentive toward a vehicle purchase that has a fuel efficiency of 34 MPG (7L per 100 Km) or better. Additionally, we encourage our staff to carpool or bike to work if possible.
Minimizing Electricity Usage
We have taken steps to ensure we only use the minimum electricity required to operate the business. To begin with, all office space is well lit to take advantage of outdoor light throughout the day. The office lights installed are equipped with low wattage fluorescent bulbs for those times when work extends beyond daylight hours.
Whenever possible, multi-functional office equipment is used. This reduces overall power consumption and reduces environmental impact, as less energy and manufacturing is involved in the production of multi-functional devices. All office equipment meets the highest EPA standard for electricity usage and is turned off at end of day to conserve energy.
Our office’s entire power consumption is powered through wind power credits purchased from our local utility.
Environmentally Preferable Office Equipment
Running an e-commerce business inherently requires the use of computers and office equipment. Thankfully, there are environmentally preferable choices available, which Fashion & Earth makes use of to their full extent.
All office equipment is chosen based on its energy efficiency. All monitors and computers must meet the EPEAT Gold Standard.
When purchasing new office equipment to replace older equipment, we first look at re-furbishing the old equipment and donating it to an organization such as a school, church or other non-profit group. If the equipment is un-usable, then the item is sent back to the OEM or a recycling facility for reclamation.
Fewer Consumables
Paper accounts for almost 40% of all the land-fill waste in North America. For us, that’s a good enough reason to strive toward being a paperless office.
All efforts are made to minimize paper usage relying instead on maintaining digital records and sharing information digitally. If printing is required, we only use recycled paper or FSC-certified paper where available. We do not offer a printed green clothing catalog but rather, encourage our customers to view our online eco fashion catalog.
We look at every consumable item with the question first “is it required?” This applies to everything from pens, pencils, and notepads to highlighters, binders, labels, and more. If we must have that item, then we look for recycled options next. If recycled is not available then we buy products that are non-toxic and durable – if they last a long time, they don’t end up in the landfill!
All office by-products such as toner cartridges, paper products, plastics, etc. are recycled.
All waste we might produce that can be recycled (e.g. aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles, paper, cardboard, etc.) is recycled, and all organics (coffee grains, tea bags, etc.) are composted.
Small Things That Add Up
- We encourage staff to use their own plates, utensils, mugs and to bring their food to work in re-usable containers;
- When purchasing corporate gifts such as wedding, shower gifts, etc, we always make sure to purchase green or fair trade gifts.
- Only eco-friendly cleaning products are used.
- We purchase only fair trade organic coffee for office use.
- When considering furniture purchases, we look for options such as used furniture or furniture manufactured from recycled and non-toxic materials;
We stand not only to fulfill this commitment to a sustainable future ourselves, but also to invite you to join us in making greener choices every day, starting with green clothing that won’t compromise your style or your pocketbook.
If you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at info@fashionandearth.com.
