Where’d you get that buttery-soft top? If it’s smoother than cotton but not quite as silky as, well, silk, odds are it came from a tree. Natural? Sort of. But sustainable? Afraid not.
A new campaign by the forest defenders over at BC-based not-for-profit Canopy follows the thread from fashion’s runways to the world’s last remaining intact forests, and it ain’t pretty.
The eco org with a track record on developing progressive paper policies with hundreds of corporations, publishers and printers is thus turning its attention to the apparel industry. Canopy has traced fibres from ancient and endangered forests – from the jungles of Indonesia to Canada’s boreal – in Ts, tanks, dresses, you name it. An estimated 70 to 100 million trees were axed last year in the name of fashion, a number expected to double by 2050. (Tree-based textiles make up only 5 per cent of all the world’s fibres),
So what exactly are these shrinking forests being woven into? If you’ve got rayon, viscose, modal or lyocell on your body right now, you’re sporting axed trees, sugar. You’ve probably heard me kvetch about the polluting chemical soup that turns tree pulp into oh-so-soft rayon/viscose. (Yes, even the bamboo kind.) Lyocell is the greener next-generation rayon, made from tree pulp processed with safer chemicals that are recycled and reused rather than dumped downstream. But to be honest, stats on the logging side of the biz have been sorely lacking – until now.
According to Canopy, at least one-third of the world’s rayon/viscose and woody fabrics come from ancient or endangered sources. Hence it’s now bringing fashion designers into its campaign.
So far, Patagonia, prAna, Lululemon, Quicksilver and Eileen Fisher as well as 14 other indie designers have signed on. They’re developing purchasing policies to help eliminate the use of endangered forest fibres. They’re also supporting R&D into alternatives including recycled viscose. Turns out even a greener tree-based fibre like Tencel (a brand name of lyocell using Forest Stewardship Council-certified pulp) still involves a grossly wasteful process – only 30 to 40 per cent of the tree actually ends up in the end pulp product.
Not that all the apparel firms linking up with Canopy are straight-up green. Yes, indie Miik and Nicole Bridger are exclusively eco, and Patagonia offers lots of recycled/organic content. But Lululemon has seriously downsized its organic offerings.
Nonetheless, as early signatories, Canopy exec director Nicole Rycroft says, “their actions are setting a new bar for sustainability within the sector.”
Check your closet tonight. If you’ve got trees on your back, let those brands know you don’t want to be rockin’ rainforests on your sleeve, and sign the Canopy pledge at canopystyle.org.
Not so pretty: Ranking the big five cosmetic brands
Before you gift-bag that lotion or lipstick, a new report from Environmental Defence takes stock of who’s been naughty or nice in the beauty world.
L’OREAL
The owner of Maybelline, Biotherm, Garnier, Kiehl’s and Body Shop has been a leader in developing product testing that doesn’t involve animals, but even the Body Shop line has been slow to phase out parabens and other shady ingredients. ED fails ‘L’Oreal for providing zero info on when or whether it will eliminate endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic chems. Score: N
ESTÉE LAUDER
This “prestige” makeup manufacturer (owner of M.A.C, Clinique, Aveda and Smashbox) has proved it can toss toxins to the curb at its Aveda brand, and rumour has it it’s finally phasing out parabens in other lines, but that’s about it. No public policies for tackling triclosan, phthalates or any of the other chems of concern that Enviro Defence calls the Toxic Ten. Score: N
UNILEVER
Planning on stuffing stockings with Axe, Dove, Pond’s or other Unilever products this season? The UK company is credited with phasing out phthalates, reducing dodgy artificial musks and carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane as well as ousting those micro-plastic exfoliating beads that, oops, ended up in the bellies of fish downstream. However, the company has no public plan to get rid of formaldehyde-releasers, eco-toxic siloxanes or triclosan entirely. Score: NN
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
After years of public outcry, J&J’s baby lines should now be free of formaldehyde, parabens, triclosan, phthalates and cancer-linked 1,4-dioxane. Now, that’s what we call “No more tears.” The body care giant got further fanfare this year for announcing it had purged triclosan and phthalates from its adult lines, including Aveeno and Neutragena. It’s just a shame the big-girl brands aren’t all giving parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives the boot, too. Score: NNN
PROCTER & GAMBLE
The “largest consumer packaged goods company in the world” (and maker of Old Spice, Olay, Gillette, CoverGirl and more) stepped up its green game this year when it bowed to public pressure and announced it would be banning toxic triclosan and phthalates across the board by 2014, drop its petrochem content by 25 per cent and provide more paraben-free products. Push them to go even further next year. Score: NNN
DIY gift of the Week
Upcycled sweater beanie
Got a sad old pullover gathering dust in your closet? Time to take it to new heights, literally, by turning it into a head warmer. Check diyfactory.org’s Quick DIY Beanie video to get the idea. Cut across the sweater from armpit to armpit, then cut along the seam down one side. The garment’s bottom band serves perfectly as a toque base. Measure it around your head and cut to size. Then fold in half or in three sections the more folds, the slouchier the hat. Cut a dome shape across the top of your folded material (the top of the hat). When you open it up, you’ll have two or more domes. Use fabric glue or needle and thread to bond these together, and the seam side. Once the glue dries, flip your hat right side out and, presto!, you’re a master upcycler!
Nature notes
Enviro commish laces into libs
Mere weeks after Ontario’s environment commissioner gave Kathleen Wynne’s government a tongue-lashing for “gutting” species at risk protection while allowing industry to loot our natural resources unchecked, Gord Miller is back with another dose of whup-ass for the Libs.
In a special report to the legislature entitled Laying Siege To The Last Line Of Defence, Miller warns that new regulation changes to the Endangered Species Act, (ESA) that were quietly ushered in this summer will exempt logging, aggregate pits and quarries, hydro dams and infrastructure construction from needing permits for activities harmful to endangered species or their habitat – “activities that historically contributed to species becoming threatened in the first place.”
“By eliminating the permit process, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has shed its ability to say no to a proposed activity,” says Commissioner Miller. “And since companies don’t have to file monitoring reports, the MNR will be blind to the effectiveness of its new rules.”
The commish says the MNR has been slacking since the ESA came into force in 2008. “MNR has been stalling recovery strategies, delaying habitat protection, mismanaging the permitting process and deliberately ignoring public participation.”
Since proposals that’ll harm endangered species won’t have to show up on the Environment Registry under the changed regulations, the public will be left out of the loop.
For the dirty details, check out Miller’s full report at eco.on.ca and tell Wynne and your MPP that this ain’t gonna fly with voters.
