The July/August edition of Coco Eco Magazine puts the spotlight on the intertwined world of water pollution and fashion. And we’re proud to say that AirDye® technology is front and center in Coco Eco when it comes to making the textile industry eco-friendly.

In one article, “Making Ripples,” author Amy DuFault explores the devastating affect the fashion industry has on the world’s water quality. DuFault interviews our own Paul Raybin, chief sustainability and marketing officer, and learns that there are solutions, such as AirDye’s waterless dye technology not only has major environmental benefits, but can make a difference to the bottom line for fashion designers in other ways too. As Raybin explains:

As we try to get more companies to adopt the technology, we try explaining to them that not only are there positive beneficial impacts for their brand, they actually reduce a lot of inventory risks. The environmental benefits are just the icing on the cake.

And just in case you’re wondering, all those great Costello Tagliapietra designs pictured in the article use AirDye fabrics.

In “Plastacular Recycled Polyester Fashion Comes of Age,” Aysia Wright adds plastic bottles to the mix of fashion and water. AirDye licensee A Lot To Say is mentioned for their fashion-forward, t-shirts, umbrellas, scarves, and other items which are all made from recycled PET and AirDye technology. A great example of how brands can combine sustainable products and technology to create fashionable and eco-friendly clothing.

Coco Eco is offering our readers a free one-year subscription. Just use promo code cocomraz. Nice!

Mass-market retailer H&M made the news last weekend when the New York Times reported that the 34th Street H&M store threw away clothing that went unsold. But they don’t just throw it in the trash, which was bad enough; employees were slashing the garments to make them unwearable. Between the massive amounts of waste and the fact that these perfectly good items could be recycled make this entire practice shameful.

As a result of the article, H&M quickly came out and said that they would stop mutilating and throwing away unsold items at the New York store. The store said their policy is to donate the clothing to charity.

affordable sustainability

With all the news about the slashed clothing, not much attention was paid to another bit of H&M news. Last week they announced that with their spring line they would introduce items made from sustainable fabrics. The company’s new eco-friendly Garden Collection will have dresses, shirts, and other offerings made from organic cotton or linen, recycled plastic bottles and Tencel.

Clothing made from sustainable fabrics is often quite expensive, but H&M’s Garden Collection is keeping in line with the store’s “affordable fashion” pricing. The most expensive item are two spring dresses that go for $49.95. Many of the items are under $20.00. For example, the tunic above is only $14.95.

We think this is a great start–a major retailer offering eco-friendly fashion for a great price. Of course, we’d like to see H&M review the entire life cycle of their clothing to ensure they are only making as many garments as will sell, implementing water- and energy-saving processes, and then properly managing unsold inventory to ensure it’s reused or recycled.

While we’re at it, the entire fashion industry should consider their sustainability practices.  And as consumers, we must vote with our checkbook and buy from retailers who are making an effort to create a more sustainable world.

Will you buy any of H&M’s Garden Collection?

photo credit: h&m

Water covers more than 70 percent of the earth, unfortunately 97 percent of it is salt water. Of the remaining three percent, most of that is frozen and inaccessible, leaving a mere .5 percent available for human use.

more water facts

• Fewer than 10 countries control more than 60 percent of the planet’s fresh water.
• Every year, more than 1.5 million children die from water-related disease.
• Water.org says that one in eight people do not have access to clean water.
• An American uses more water in a single five-minute shower than most poor people in the third world use in a day.
• Water shortages have been reported near water bottling plants, including those in Wisconsin, Texas, Florida and New Hampshire.

who’s using the water?

Of course, water is a renewable resource, but mother nature is not able to keep up with the pace of human activity.

Population growth means more agriculture, manufacturing, and sanitation. Agriculture accounts for the vast majority of our fresh water demands. Often regions devote 70 percent or more of their water towards growing crops for food or commodities such as cotton.

As part of Blog Action Day, we want to bring your attention to the water waste in the textile industry. Textiles are the third biggest user of water and cause of water pollution.

You may be surprised to learn that the fiber to make one simple cotton tee uses 713 gallons of water. Then, dying that shirt can take almost eight gallons. That’s a lot of water. Did you know that more than 2 billion t-shirts are sold each year? That’s a lot of water!

climate change and everyday choices

When you think about climate change causing sea levels to rise, more drought, longer droughts, world population increases and the precious little fresh water we have for all the creatures on this planet, we believe that water is better used for food than for clothing. Especially because there are excellent alternatives. We now have recycled PET fabric that’s as soft as cashmere and stronger than cotton. And we have ways to dye the fabric that use no water at the point of coloration.

We encourage everyone to make smart choices about water use every day. Everything from taking shorter showers, to using non-toxic cleaning supplies to choosing clothing that’s not needlessly consuming and polluting our fresh water. Together we can fight climate change and water scarcity.

Three years ago U2′s Bono, along with DATA chairman Bobby Shriver, founded project (RED). The concept was a novel one: Enlist major brands to release red products and donate half of the profits directly to AIDS relief in Africa. Since its inception, project (RED) has been wildly successful, with major brands from Apple to Gap joining the ranks. The story stateside has been widely positive: To date, (RED) has raised more than 130 million dollars for AIDS relief. But, the Sunday Times tells a different tale: While (RED) is helping to relieve AIDS in parts of Africa, the project is worsening living conditions in other regions. As is the case in Lesotho, a landlocked country completely surrounded by South Africa.

This past weekend, the Sunday Times reported that suppliers for Gap and Levi are dumping massive amounts of waste— including toxic chemicals, needles, and razors—into unsecured municipal sites. Worse yet, hundreds of children in the poverty-stricken country make their living rummaging through the trash, searching for bits of scraps to sell. Among the refuse dumped at this particular site are bags of toxic chemicals, which the children used as sacs for their scraps. One child told the Times reporter:

We itch all day and some of the sacks used to dispose the chemicals have powder that makes our hands and arms burn. One girl rubbed it in her eyes last month and started screaming. Sometimes we get rashes.

The overwhelming amount of refuse in these dumping sites necessitates that piles of scraps be routinely set on fire to make room for new drops. The result is heavily polluted air, which the children breathe during their long work days. Several of the child workers on this site reported respiratory problems, including coughing black mucus.

Gap was notified of their suppliers’ practices and are investigating further. We’ll be watching to see what happens and post an update.

As EcoWorldly reports, India’s recent shortfall in rainwater is leaving parts of the country, namely Madhya Pradesh, with half the volume of water the population needs. Consequently, more than 50 instances of water-driven violence have been reported in May alone, resulting in 12 deaths and dozens of injuries. It’s no surprise that when resources are depleted and competition increases, desperation and violence usually follow suit. It’s a principle that holds as true for water as it does for oil or diamonds.

India’s economy heavily relies on textile production and exports—the textile industry represents a whopping 14 percent of India’s total industry. As such, textiles represent the second largest employment generator in the country: 21 percent of total employment in India and nearly 35 million jobs (far more than the 2.2 million working in India’s burgeoning technology sector).

India’s water wars are an all-too-familiar paradox in the textile industry: Many developing countries rely on textiles for economic growth, but deplete natural resources in the process. While change won’t happen overnight, adopting more efficient practices in textile production and employing new technologies—like AirDye—can move us closer to a reality in which thriving industry and thriving citizens aren’t mutually exclusive.